New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-08-12
THE WJLD LANDS or THE SOUTH.

I'm some of the Southern States, especially IN
Arkansas, Louisiana, and Florida, there are large
tracts of wild land inviting settlement, and
great inducements are held out to Northern
people to go and take possession of them. The
soil is so rich as to require no manure, the tiin-
Der is so valuable that it will pay for the clear
ing, and if one will engage in the growing Oh
fruit and vegetables for Northern cities he VIII
get rich There is some truth III this, but men
with small means should be upon their guard
To engage prOftably in the lumber business re-
ouires capital and hard work. More money
has been sunk in saw-mills than has been
made in them; and unless one is on the banks
of q river, where the sale of cord-wood Is GER
tain, it will cost not less than S2O an acre 10
clear land There is no other business so little
profitable as that of preparing the trees Oh the
forest for sale, whether it be in the shape Oh
lumber, cord-wOOd or slaves. The reason Is
that coarse, hard working, and illiterate men
who can do nothing else compete with each
other and in furnishing large supplies they
keep down the price of labor and the price or
their productions.
One who purposes raising fruit and vegeta-
bles should consider first that, to be successful,
n good knowledge of the business and consid-
cradle capital are required. Take the tomato
crop. for instance. No matter how far South,
on shipping waters, one may go, somebody Will
be found already there with extensive hot-beds
and sashes for the production of early plants.
However short the Winter may be, there is an
attempt to make it shorter. 1t is great mis-
take to suppose that in going South You will
get the start of somebody else An energetic
fruit grower will be likely to do well with an
orange plantation, but it is Indispensable that
he knows what fruit-growing il, and he must
not be afraid of work. Still, there will be no
great success without capital and good man.
agement, either taken thither or acquired on
the ground, and with them one will succeed in
New York or in Minnesota. But IL is well to
consider the fact that in all Northern sea-
board cities one is urged to buy oranges at
from - to 20 cents a dozen, while apples are
sold on the stand at so cents dozen. 1t is
doubtful whether apples will not bring as much
in tho orchard in November as oranges will in
their orchards in March. There is one thing
regarding the South which is scarcely under
stood that is, it is an und6velOped country.
The time is coming when new and valued pro-
duets are TO be introduced, and, perhaps, in
comparison, cotton will be insignificant But
70 secure this result not only men of large
minds will be required, but Government
patronage, widely administered, is indispen-
sable.
There is good reason to suppose that many
of the statements about the emi-tropical
South are made by land spectators. For a
Northern man to go thither and pay from 80
to $40 for wild land except in choice locali-
ties. can end in nothing but disaster. The
truth is, there are thousands of acres that can
be bought at 81 IS an acre. The only way to
settle such regions is in colonies, and the cost
of land should not exceed e an acre. If large
landed proprietors had not so much confidence
in the effect of their statements they would
be wise in giving part of their land free to
actual settlers; that is, provided they were able
TO pay for it, Each member of the colony
should go with means to carry on work and to
support his family for two years, at least. AT
the best, there will be priyatiOns and dis
appointments, and many things must be
learned which neither they nor the people of
the country know. But let no one expect that
riches will come suddenly. Prosperity and
even the common comforts of life result only
from time and patient industry. Still, by their
help, they will come.
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