Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-05-06
Immigration.
TO the Editor Of the Standard:

TO The Editor Of the Standard:
SIR:-Having been appointed general
foreign agent by the Union Land Com
pany Of Philadelphia, organized under a
charter granted by the Legislature of the
State of North Carolina, for the purpose of
bringing the vast amounts of vacant agri-
cultural and mineral lands before the
notice of capitalists, emigration socities,
and emigrants in Europe; and having be-
come fully identified with the Southern
people during many years residence
amongst them, their resources, soil, eli
mate, and products, [ beg to bring the
following facts before the notice Of your
readers:
Before the late war large plantations
were cultivated by slaves, and this divis-
ion into smaller tracts, was never thought
of, but now that the negroes are freed, it
has become ont of the power of the land
owners to cultivate on large scale, and
they are very DESTROYS, therefore, to divide
their lands into lots of from so to 100
acres, to be sold to emigrants at very low
rates. We have also large tracts of lands,
ranging from $4,000 to 1000 acres in
| in quantity, and 81 to So in price. These
large tract would become sources Of great
profit to companies who had the colonial
ton of emigrants in view. The negroes are
now leaving Virginia and North Carolina
by thousands. and going to the extreme
Southern States, where they find the hot
climate more copgenial to them III the cot
ton and sugar plantations than in the border
States; and this exodus of negroes must be
replaced by white emigration from Europe;
not, however, as laborers directly, but as
small farmers, who will become in a
few years fully identified with the
people and their institutions. -
A great many people, mostly
farmers, are now coming daily from the
Northern States, and some from Canada
into Virginia and North Carolina, pur-
chasing lands, where they not only find
land under cultivation g great deal cheaper
than where they came from, but also q
more congenial climate and a longer sea-
son for cultivation. The Border States
offer great inducements at present to the
capitalist, the miner, mechanic, farmer
and grape cultivator. From the seaboard
to the mountains the whole country is
more or less rich in minerals, especially
coal, iron, copper, zinc, lead and many
other varieties, including mari and phos
pilates, which ARE found in great album
dance in the tide water regions. great
many mines are being worked successfully,
but taken in consideration to the vast re
sources of all kinds of minerals, i: can
hardly be said that much progress has yet
been made. The extensive long leafed
pine forests in Eastern North Carolina are
becoming OF great cOmmerclal Importance
as the chief centre for tnrpentiDe and
rosin, yet thousands of acres of heavy pine
forests can be purchased, ranging from 81
to So per acre. Cotton can also be raised
to great advantage in Eastern North Caro-
lima, whilst towards the mountains, both
| in Virginia and North Carolina, all kinds
of cereals, too, are raised, the climate and
soil being also especially we'll snited fer
the cultivation Of the grape and all varie
ties of choice fruit. In 1868 the North
Carolina Railroad Company alone shipped
from eleven depots 1,575a tons of dried
fruits to Northern markets. The cnltiva-
ton of hops has also attracted attention
since the war. and it is certain that, in a
climate where they grow wild, by an i'm
proved cultivation, important results could
be achieved. The rivers and sounds along
the coast are full Of varieties of fish and
game, and nature only needs little as
sistance from man to make it one of the
finest countries on the globe. People
generally throughout the border States
make sufficient ice during the winter for
family use during the summer. b. d
lproper investment of small amounts of
capital England and Europe could supply
themselves with O. great deal of the raw
material from the Southern States ; for in
stance, hickory timber for varieties of tool
handles and spokes. black oak bark for
Idveinq and tanning purposes, all varieties