The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-08-15
Grening State Soarnal.
THURSDAY EvE'G. AUG, Is, 1872.


In recent numbers of this paper it has
been suggested to the capitalists, as well as
the man of small means who wishes to
locate on farm convenient to markets and
enjoying all the advantages of civilization,
that the cheapness Of the lands of the South
offer at this time far greater inducements
than any that can be procured at, what
may now be called, the West. We
refer again to the subject for the
purpose Of adding to the testimony before
given, the experience of actual settlers, de-
failing the trials and labors through which
they have had to pass, and in eff
feet, advising those in the East to stay
VIII, they are, rather than subject
themselves to the suilerings and disap-
pointments which are apt to overtake them
in the new settlements. One of these
writer's, it will be seen, is in Michigan, a
state which, like Ohio, has been classed
as ns1y state, but is already being placed
in the same category with those of the
Middle or Southern Atlantic, in being
already exhausted of its natural fertility,
and it is now found necessary to supply
commercial fertilizers TO obtain paying
crops in both Ohio and Michigan, nei-
ther Of them producing breadstutfs much
more than sufficient for home consumption.
In this connection, therefore, it is to be
considered by those who emgrate to the
far West with the hope that, although they
NAV labor and toll, and suffer priyations to
the end Of their own lives, yet their chill
dren may he benefited eventually with a
large domain, whether they will not in
reality leave them an exhausted soil, no
better than that now to" be found in the
South, and with less facilities for improve
ment, and greater disadvantages in reach-
ing q marketior their productions.
Our object at present, however, is mainly
to present the facts offered by settlers at
the West, and TO refer, at the same time,
to the communication of Mr.. Henly, in our
June number, as to the effect of such in
formation abroad, whence We wish to at
tract Immigration of better class, to pur-
chase and settle upon our surplus lands.
The first letter is from Mr.. +. Nj. Hollo-
way, of Hilsdae, Michigan. After show
ing the damage to which the settlers are ex-
posed in that region, by the storms, &C.,
he adds:
so any one conyersant with this broad
eypanse of territory, its storms of wind and
snow, its hail and seet, its rain and sun
SHINE, the fact is well known, that not one
snow-storm in ten years comes without the
accompanying high winds, and teSore il
ceases to fall it has been carried safely tc
the Ice place, either the woods, deep ravines
or behind fences, and the wheat field pre-
SCENTS the appearance of a sand-bed or new
ly turned-over summer-iallow. In case the
snow falls with a mild, damp atmosphere
as it sometimes does, it is invariably fol-
lowed nv rain or freezing into heavy coat
of ice."
"-We have learned that under ordinary
circumstances it costs just about tifteer
dollars to take an acre of sod ground, iii
it, seed, harvest, and market the crop, anc
that ordinary culture will only bring abou
this avcrage-that our per centage must bt
made by hard knocks and plenty of them
combined with the best common-sens'
management. We are compelled to dis
crimnate carefully in the constituent ele
ments of our soil, to use many fertilizers
to know when, where, and the kind to ap
ply to any given locality"