The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-13
ARKANSAS TODAY.
Agricultural interests and
Prospects Of the State.
THE NEGRO AS A LABORER.
Cotton Planting and Corn
Raising on the Bottoms.
THE PEOPLE PROSPEROUS AND PEACEFUL.

MEMPHIS. March 80. 1875.
the reeonstruetors OF Arkansas have been 100
busy issuing bonds and scrip and manipulating
laws since 1888 TO pay attention to Industrial sta
tistics. Hence could get but scant and uncer-
tain answers to many questions Affecting the real
interests oil the state. A leading politician could
tell me readily enough now many black voters
there Gre and why these are more numerous In
proportion TO population than white voters. which
is because formerly MANY adult negroes were
brought in as slaves, and since the war tie small!
colored immigration has consisted largely OF col
ored men, seeking political and other adventures.
But when asked the same man the more important
question, how many colored real estate owners
the State has. he mad not the least idea. believe
Governor Garland means to draw intorma ion or
this kind from .he sheris oil the counties VINO are
also often tax collectors.
THE COTTON COUNTRY.
Arkansas as viewed from a railroad car. is not
charming country to a Northern eye. 1t contains
q good deal OF thin and worthless land, and where
you meet with cultivation the farms have a ragged
and uncombed look, the farm buildings are
usually OF q poor character, ana very higa fences
show that stock Is allowed to run wild. Fields are
ofienest full of stumns and In the cotton region
"deadentngs,n or fields with g1rdled and decaytng
trees standing upon them. give the landscape
melancholy aspect.
But, after all. 1t is useful for Northern man TO
remember that dead trees and stumps are more
economical than q cleaner culture where laoor Is
scarce, and that the Arkansas farmer does not
need as solid O house as his countryman In New
York or Massachusetts. though the farms and
plantations OF the State have too often an unrros-
porous look the census tables OF 1870 disclose the
singular fact that the value OF the agricultural
product OF that year in the State equaned the
assessed value OF all the farms and plan atoms.
which, II it is q correct statement, would make
Arkansas one OF the richest OF our agricultural
States.
The State Is divided by natural coDnguration
into two sections, the south and east producing
mainly corn end cotton; the north and north
west, which is mountainous. yielding wheat and
otner grains In the latter part ttere are but lew
colored people. and here, during the war, were
found Union men. who fought Tor the old nag,
either as volunteers or guerillas
The richest and most productive lanes OF tho
State are OF course. the river bottoms, and mere
are found the most cllored people. The Arkansas
negro prefers, It seems. 10 raise corn and cotton;
he suffers less from malaria than the white, and
he likes the bottom lands.
NEGRO PROPERTY OWNERS.
or the forty thousand negro voters In the state
It is believed that at least one IN twenty owns
either larm or q house and lot IL town. This
would give but two Thousand such independent
landholders--a small number but yet a beginning,
showing that even amid the intense and incessant
political turmoil OF the last seven years part OF
the colored men have been perslstentiy industrious
and economical. In tina. part OF the cotton country
which saw bearo ola number OF negroes who had
bought isrms and not uncommony manager or
planter would say, There's jim; he's gong TO
buy land next year II this crop turns out well.n
In ono negro cabin the woman told me her nus-
band lost $500 In the Freedman's Bank, and
seemed delighted when the planter told ner sno
would probaoly get back a small sum.
was shown a black man who bought farm
OF eighty acres last yeRr-al cleared cotton
land-'or $4,000 paying 500 down. On the 70.
maInder he was to pay ten per cent interest, ano
the planter who sold IL to him told me he would
make IL all safely out OF the farm. This
fellow mad genuine energy, for no employed other
negroes TO cultivate his own farm, ana himself
worked nifty acres OF rented land He gets more
out OF mis- peopo than COULD" said the planter
TO me; she'll nirc some women and get mans
work out OF every one OF them"
NEGRO RRNTRRs
The usual manner OF working the cotton lands
Is TO let them either on shares or for fixed price
per acre. Some planters have their laborers By
the month or year but IL IL not thought profit
able plan, and believe, It is not so well liked BY
the negroes. The ri b bottom lands are worth
from $50 to $50 dollars per acre, according to
location ana condition. Where land Is let for q
snare OF the crop the renter usually pays the
owner from eighty 70 ninety pounds OF clean cot
ton per acre. II he mas good luck he can raise 400
pounds to the acre, and ne aims TO get also corn
enough for himself and his stock. In such case
the owner gins all the cotton, and ne supplies
resides the land, fencing, nrewood, . house,
which, even II very good, will not cost
moro than $3.50. and often 10 q mere log
cabin and range for stock. The renter must have
his own teams and tools, ana must pay for extra
labor for picking for him, II ne needs IL. For
twelve acres he ought to have a mule. plough
hoes and seed; and he may get eight bales OF cot
ton. or which two would 90 for rent aud the net
remainder would be worth $500. beside the value
or MS corn. The planter or landowner usually ex-
poets 70 make his people advances OF food and
clothing; and II is evident, from what have
seen and heard, that the greater number OF the
people are careless and do not lay up money.
THAT they can, however, 10 shown BY many To-
stances.
Where planter hires iaborers colorcd men re-
celve from SIS TO SIS month and board or 81 a
day II they feed themselves. Women, employed
in hoeing cotton, receive as much a. men. n they
do a full days WORK. could not learn that any
difference 10 wages Is made By reason OF
color; bus negro laborers are thought 20
be more peacsabl. and moro easily provided
Tor than whites. General Churchill, now State
Treasurer told me that some OF hts former slaves
were stu on mis- plantation az renters. several
managed forty or nity acres eacn. lie found no
difficulty ia collecting his dues rom them. and
liked them as renters. But he remarked 70 me
that the young colored people do not farm 80 well
as their fathers, and moro OF them seek some
other employment
The iavcrite method. think, IA 10 rent cotton
land for fixed price per acre, usually from 50 70
$40, the owner ginning the cotton In the latter
case. The negroes usually use the LABOR OF their
women and children in the oeids, and man takes
more or less land according 10 The NUMBER OF his
family. liza renter takes fty at So bis account
In an average year would stand somewhat
thus:-Thirty acres in cotton would gin twenty
five bales worth Al 300 or this he would par out