The Russellville Democrat., 1877-05-03
-
 ARKANSAS.
Gov. Miller's Answer to an En- quircr about the Land of
 Flowers.

s of Arkansas, we reproduce the an nexed letter from Gov. Miller, which we find in the last number of the Spirit of Arkansas. The letter was written to J. R. Clark, of Bangor, Maine, and answers we'll many qnes- tions which is asked of us:
 LITTLE Rock, March 26, 1877.
 J. R. Clark, Bangor, Maine:
 DEAR SRI am in receipt of your letter of the 20th inst, request 1 ing from me some statement respect ing the resources and the govern ment of Arkansas, with reference to the inducement of immigration.
 I take pleasure In replying, since now, that we have achieved the priv ilege of managing our own internal affairs and with the lasting peace and the incentives to industry which this privilege has brought, immigra- tion is regarded by the government and by the great mass of the people of the State, as the one desideratnm 1 for our interests. To those unac- quainted with the State by personal observation. candid exposition of its agricultural resources may seem to savor of exaggeration. It is true that its extensive and widely varied territory includes large tracts of swampy and sterile ground, but the greater portion of it is of fertility scarcely paralleled elsewhere. The climate. situated as we are between the extremes of heat and cold, is not merely pleasant to the sense, but admits of a singular variety of pro duction. Stock is rarely sheltered in the Winter, and not over two months or ten weeks of shelter would be ever desirable.
 The north and western region of the State has always yielded in pro fusion, and of the most excellent quality, the grains and fruits of the Middle States. Its apples, for ex ample, even before the introduction of railroads, were habitiually trans ported hundreds of miles in wagons into Texas and Louisiana.
 Until recently the river bottoms of the southern half of the State were devoted almost exclusively to tbe cultivation of corn and cotton (the latter perhaps with larger crops and of better staple on the average thai any other state in the union.) It is now found that grains, grasses and fruit of every description can be, as they are in this region as well, rals ed with entire success. The corn is of somewhat coarser quality than that of the North and Glie crop is not invariably certain, but our most prosperous farmers, perhaps, are those who have given it almost ex- elusive attention. Wheat, rye, flax and tobacco all thrive. Our oats are at least equal in value to any produced.
 The cultivation of the grasses almost a new branch of industry with us-has brough. forth surpris ing results. Specimens were exhib- ited at the Centennial Exposition, of timothy-five and half feet high yielding four tons to the acre; of red clover, yielding four tons per acre; red top, four feet high, giving three tons; blue grass Of the first quality, four and and feet high , Hungarian, four feet high, from the second crop of tEe year; German millet from the second, third and the fourth crop. These of course were selected specimens.
 The potato is raised, the sweet potato nowhere thrives better. Ap- ples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums, strawberries and m Ions are produc. ed much earlier and of equal or sn
 perior quality as compared with those of more northern localities. A single farm at Little Rock, near the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and South ern railway-ED. in single season forwarded to St. Louis over 40,O0O muskmelons. The culture of the grape, and the production of wine is receiving great attentron, and We believe that Arkansas is destined to rival or perhaps to surpass Caliior' mia as wine-growing region. Oui mild Winters occasionally call out . premature growth of buds upon oui fruit trees, resulting in their blight
 by frost, but these cases are the cx' captions and do not prevent large average profit to the cultivator
 Without a question, Arkansas is destined within a very few years tc become the great source of supply o hard timber to the united. States This is the opinion of experienced
 lumber men, Though interspersed with prairie lands it is to day beyone doubt the best timbered state of tho union. Oak, walnut, black walnut the latter in small quantities only cypress, southern pine, cedar, hick
 orv, and the as yet unused but valu able and plentiful gum, with th'
 bois dare, white holly and othe varieties, we have in boundless pro fusion, while for their transportation , . system of nayigablc streams sucl