Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-08-30
SOUTHERN CROPS.


|, A Baltimore correspondent Of the Boston
Journal, who has just returned from long
trip through the Southern States, makes the
following rather cheerful statement;
"Thirteen hundred and thirty miles of
cotton and corni That is what the traveller
from New Orleans to Baltimore, by railroad,
will see, and 1t is what your correspondent
saw in the ninety-two hours occupied in
that journey. Very doleful accounts of the
failure of the cotton crop had reached him
during the last few weeks in New Orleans
Between the laziness of the negroes, the
activity of the corn worm and the freaks of
of the clerk OF the weather, the cotton crop
was said to be in a bad way, and the man
who estimated for crop Of two millions of
bales was set down as an enthusiast. But
from New Orleans to Knoxville, distance
of seven hundred and sixty-two miles, saw
nothing but corn and cotton, and scarcely
know whether there was more cotton than
corn or more corn than cotton. All day
long, at the rate of twenty miles an hour,
we passed plantations covered with these two
produces. The cotton was for the most part
| in blossoms. Although the plant is general
ly low, it is vigorous and healthy. have
never seen better cotton than this, nor any
which promised a more productive yield.
In Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Ten
nessee l saw this belt of cotton land, and
from the travellers with whom conversed
learned that throughout the length and
width of shese States might have seen the
same picture. know that the bottom lands
along the Mississippi and Red Rivers have
been 80 devastated by floods that they can
not produce more than half their usual crop
this year. But throughout all the other por'
tions of these States / can see or hear moth
ing that in any way substantiates the dole
full stories thnt have been so persistently told
for the last few weeks. onthe contrary, saw
and heard much that convinced me that the
people had gone to work with good will,
and that Heaven had blessed their efforts.
There Is corn enough growing in these four
States to last for three years, and cotton
enough to give the people money for the
supply of all their other wants. The corn
lH IN mhBuluCtuL COuuitiouf hlObt VI Az 40 AAPSi
and all of 1t is out of danger. The country
in that portion of Mississippi, Alabama and
Tennessee through which passed is very
good, and parts of 1t are beautiful The
''rayages of war" have nearly all disappear
ed. The names of the places through which
the road passes are now historical, and they
recall the memory Of the war; but there il
little else to remind one of the great revolu
ton. It seems to me that the people o
these States have accepted the situation sui
ficently at least TO induce them to go to worl
and make money; and while saw endles
indications of prosperity, saw none what
eyer of poverty or want.
tin Virginia, from Bristol to Lynchburg
saw more vacant and idle land than I say
in all the other States, and the corn crop
which was almost the only one growing, wa
poor, sickly and backward. Virginia fat
mers are further behind the times than thei
agricultural brethren of the States furthe
south. The great source of wealth in Wiz
ginia before the war was the breeding c
negroes. This particular branch OF indus
try is, of course, now at an end; and th
farmers with that peculiar slowness tha
charapterizes Yirginiaps, have not got fairl
started in the new paths they must henc'
=. forth tread"