The Van Buren press., 1867-08-16
The Van Buren, Press,
VAN BUREN,, ARKANSAS.
Western Arkansas-What it Produces
What it May.
CRAWFORD Co, August, u, 1867,


EDITOR PREss-Deqr Sir: Arkansas is
a white mans country and destined to q
higher civilization demandiuga 4 more re
fined system of culture with q correspond
| ing advancement in the arts and sciences.
Experience has most fully demonstrated
that cotton can only be raised successful
| ly by slave labor (now eytinct) whilst
Grapes and wine has from all time been
produced alone by the white man. We
turn our eyes back on the past only to
behold an institution once the pride and
strength Of the South, and cherished by
her people in the rightful bequest of their
fathers, who's right to the same and its
lawful Inheritance by their children, was
guaranteed by the solemn pledges Of a
wriHen Constitution assigned with the
hands of the very creators Of the Repub-
lie. Now drifting wreck on the surface
of the half calm sea who's maddened
waves still surging over tue bulworks Of
the Constitution threatening to crush the
old ship of State on the everlasting Rock
OF despotism and finally bury beneath her
waves the last hope Of Constitutional
government And yet we as a people
must exist some how, and our country as
others have done before us under forced
circumstances must rise up and accept
the terms, despotic as they are, and seek
to develope our vast resources even un-
der the stunning blows and blighting in
huence of despotism The labor system
Of our devoted country having Undergone
total subversion as well as the rights of
her citizens ignored and old and true and
faithful soldiers in the war of 1872 dis
franchised. A public debt incurred so
enormous that the world contains not
gold and silver coin enough to pay it.
a Radical Congress assumes the entire
direction of affairs and usurps all the
Constitutional powers Of the executive
and judicial departments of the govern
ment. Additional appropriations are
lavishly made to support negro Bureaus
and pay standing army to coercc the
Nation unto submission to acts of tyran-
ny. Increasing thereby the already crush
ing debt of the Nation to pay the enor-
nous interest on which the people groan
under a taxation too dirctully heavyto be
borne longer. And now that repudia-
ton is forced upon the people, let us be
gin new system by first repudiating the
cotton field and devoting our time and at
tention to a more congenial work less la
borious and far more profitable than the
cotton plant, even, in its proudest kingly
days. We should plant corn, wheat,
rye, oats, barley and the grasses for
stock; plant orchards, vineyards; make
wine the most healthful, delicious and
life sustaining Of all beverages on the
earth, not only in sufficient quantity for
supplying the table, but for expectation
by the thousands of gallons. There are
hundreds of thousands of acres of land
in Arkansas, both cleared and unclcared,
possessing in high degree all the requi-
site qualities for the average production
of 1000 gallons Of pure grape juice per
acre That 1000 gallons of juice when
simply pressed, barrclled and allowed to
remain four months in cool cellar, be-
comes 1000 gallons Of wine, and if that
be from the poorest and sourest grape in
the whole list of American wine grapes
is worth $3.50 per gallon. Whilst many,
very many grapes now in cultivation will
produce from 1000 to 1900 gallons of
wine per acre worth $5 per gallon. Now
when it is considered that three acres Of
vines is work for but one man and that
Of the lightest kind Of labor That no
capital is required beyond the small
amount necessary TO open and carry on
one man farm That there is no mys-
terry or secret knowledge TO be obtained
necessary in the cultivation Of grape be.
yond the plain simple rules and directions
as laid down in small work called
q Grapes and Wine by George Iusmaun
of Herman, Mo-, or in the Grape Cul
turist' another excellent short and con
else work on the vine by Andrew S, Ful-
ler Of New Jersey The former work
can be had by mail, postage paid, to any
place for Sl.50, sent by letter to Go f.
d. f. w. Woodward, 81 Park Row, New
York, and the latter for same amount,
sent TO Orange Judd al, Park Row, New
York. J.