The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-07-04
Where TO Locate.

In reply to many inquiries addressed
to the New York Farmers Club, asking
advice as to the best place for farmers
to locate, Prof. Henry E. Cotton has
prepared and published the following
valuable information. Prof. Cotton
says:
1t is impossible to recommend any one
section of country as the best for all
persons. Florida is liked by some, and
they go there and make money. Others
think it the most abominable country
on the face of the earth. In the first
place, L have never yet seen that land
where any man could prosper without
work, yet l think lazy man can live
with less exertion in Florida than any
other part of the United States but it
will be mere living, and he will not be
likely to do himself or any one else any
good. To such persons as like warm
climate the whole year through, South
ern Florida is the place. The soil is
generally a mixture of shell-lime and
sand, and needs simply vegetable or nj
trogenous matter to make it produce
abundantly. To those persons who de-
sire to get the best climate for the pre-
vention of every character of lung and
bronchial diseases, and to prolong life
after they are thus attacked, can re-
commend Western North Carolina-the
table land between the Blue Ridge and
the Smoky Mountains. The soil is very
fertile, and as the Pennsylvania Central
has bought the four railroads centering
at Asheville, and agreed to complete
them, that section will soon have ample
railroad facilities. Anything may be
grown there which grows in Central
New York. The Cumberland Noun
tain Table Land has also dry atmos-
phere, but the soil is not so rich and is
of different geological formation from
Western North Carolina. For raising
good stock, either for regular or special
markets, would recommend West Vir-
ginia, or the southwestern part of Vir-
ginia; the latter think the best; near
ly equal to these is East Tennessee
Railroad transportation from all these
sections is rapid and cheap. The soil of
all of them is of the limestone character,
and in South-Western Virginia, as soon
as the tree-growth is cut from the
mountains, blue grass springs up indi-
genously. l am informed by butchers
in Baltimore and Washington that the
beef from cattle raised there ranks
higher than any other. Special atten-
ton is paid to the transportation of
stock by the Atlantic, Mississippi and
Ohio Railroad from Norfolk to Bristol
The Chesapeake and Ohio will soon fur
nish an outlet from West Virginia. For
general farming the lands east of the
Blue Ridge, through Virginia, North
and South Carolina and Georgia are the
more to be recommended. Quantities
of these lands are for sale at low prices :;
many acres are what is termed worn-out,
but as has been repeatedly proven of
late by Northern farmers it is only lit
tie sick from bad management, and
needs doctoring to make them as fertile
as in their original state. They all pro-
duce clover, and may be brought up by
soiling with that crop or with the COM
mon field pea. They will in year or
two produce from 20 to 25 bushels of
wheat to the acre, which from its supe-
rior character and nearness to market is
equivalent to near twice that amount in
Minnesota or Nebraska. Government
lands in the South subject to the Home
stead acts exist in Alabama and Florida.
There are thousands of acres of good
lands which are thus subject to entry.
By the law of Congress any man may
enter so acres at a cost of $l4, and after
living on it five years can get clear
title by paying 50 more. Some of the
finest timbered lands in Alabama are
thus subject to entry, and, too, on or
near the Alabama and Chattanooga or
North and South Railroads. These
lands, and those in Northern Georgia,
will produce all the grains and grass ;
also cotton may be grown in small
quantities. l would never advise any
Northern man to try to grow cotton on
large scale. Not one out of a hun
dred will make it profitable. East Ten
nessee is also an excellent grain region,
as well as adapted for stock raising.
The soil is limestone and very fertile
Northern Texas and Western Arkansas
are both sections now coming into no.
tice from the number of railroads being
built through them. The soil is fertile
and generally limestone. The same
may be said of South Western Missouri !;
Kansas also partakes of the same char
acteristic. The Missouri, Kansas and
Texas, and other railroads afford rapid
and liberal transportation from these
sections. The soil seems almost mex
haustable in richness. Further north
ward is the crest granary of the United
States, and L might say of the world.
In the production of wheat, no State
will probably compare with Minnesota,
and while even now ranking among the
first, not more than third of her cult
vatable lands are in tillage. Every
one knows the inducements offered to
settlers by the Northern Pacific Rail-
road. The climate of Minnesota is noted
for its peculiar dryness, but the long
winters make it disagreeable home for
many persons. Various inquiries have
been received as to Oregon and Wash
ington Territory. To such persons as
desire an entire change of climate, no
move can be more desirable than to go
to the Pacific slope. At the same time
they will find fertile soil and coun-
try destined to be wealthy and popplous.
One of the chief questions asked by in
quirers is, Are there any mosquitoes ? /
have failed yet to find the place where
these pests do not exist, except in some
mountain region, far from railroad
Another, as to the healthiness; 1 do not
believe that any place was ever created
where man was to live forever, but there
are localities in which some diseases are
less prevalent or entirely unknown
Chills and fevers exist almost every
where except in high lands and dry eli
mates: the result in nv oninion varv