The Russellville Democrat., 1877-04-12

and slate. that may we'll justify the as- sertion that Arkairsas is destined to rank as one of the richest mineral States iu the Union."
 Those who have observed the rapidity with which the forests of the United States have been denuded of their treas ues, those who take an interest in the lumber supply of the future, anal all who have made their homes on the vast treeless plains of the West, can comprehend what an important part
 THE IMMENSE TIMBER RESOURCES
 of the section of which we are speaking will play in the not distant future. In the forests of the Arkansas Valley is Il wealth not to be found elsewhere on the continent. Many thousands admir- ed and wondered at her interesting display made at the Centennial Exhibition, but could could but faintly appreciate the aDundance and variety. They com prise no less than eighteen species of oak, ten of walnut, and ten of hickory 1;
 besides, ash, locust, pecan, sycamore, cypress, wild cherry, mulberry. black and sweet gums, sbasswood, beach, hol- ly, sassafras, persimmon, and naples are not only to be found. but abound in quantity and quality equal to any desire.
 Many hard and fine-grained timbers are already being shipped from the Southwest to Eastern manufac urers, and the time is not far distant when this source of supply will be mainly depended upon, while the East, West, and North will all be consuming build ing lumber from this source. The fol- lowing are measurements made by the writer from specimens taken from the company's lands, and now on exllibi- ton in the office of the Land Commits sioner of the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railway, at Little Rock; black walnut, 3ls feet; post oak, 5 feet; white ash, 3la feet; big bud hickory, 3 feet: overcnp oak, feet; cypress, 4 feet; yellow pine, feet; white oak, feet; :; red swamp oak, 4l5 feet; upland red oak, feet; sweet gum, ala feet; red cedar, } feet; persimmon, feet; sassa- fras, 50 inches; blue ash, 20 inches :: white hickory, l7 inches; honey locust, 25 inches; she'll bark hickory, 30 inches :; meple, 26 inches maEet wood, 20 inch cs; bois dare, 20 inches; wild cherry, 24 inches; pawpaw, 12 inches.
 The expense and labor of clearing lands bearing such timber may unduly impress men who have been accustom- ed to open prairies or to lands opened by their fathers: bdt, as an offset to this, they must take into consideration that the timber yields them revenue, while the cost of clearing will not equal the expense of timber for fencing, fuel and building purposes on the prairies.
 THE AGRICULTURAR PRODUCTIONS, as we have before stated. comprise almost everything that can be grown with profit anywhere in the United States.
 can not only be raised here, but this is pre-eminently q cotton country. This great staple, which always finds a ready market, which bears the longest transportation, and always commands cash which farmers raise at a profit on lands in the older States of the South which produce only from one-fifth to one-half bale per acre, can be produced here with the same labor at the rate of from one to two bales per acre. The old planters of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, who have to stoop down to touch the top bolls of their favorite crop are often astonished to find that they can scarcely reach the top bolis from their saddles. Governor Conway said, in his annual message to tue Leg islature, in 1858: eff we had enough labor, the State of Arkansas could alone annually supply the markets of the world with as much cotton as is now raiseii by-all the cotton-growing States in the Union." The same state ment would not now be considered by any means extravagant. The cotton raised here is, also, superior in both length and strength of fiber to any l raised elsewhere except sea island cot ton, and universally takes the premium over any other raised, always com the highest price.
 WHEAT grown here is well known here to be of better quality than that raised further north, weighs more to the busbcl averaging 0 lbs.), and makes l the best grades of flour. The average yield is from thirty to forty bushels per acre, and as high as sixty bushels per acre have been raised.
 CORN produces well, from sixty to eighty l bu shels per acre is hot an unusual yield | on bottom IanuS.
 Oats, Barley, Rye, Irish and Sweet Potatoes, Beans and .Turnips all grow to wonderful perfection.
 Glover and nearly all kinds of Grass | es yield large crops, and the ground, when once seeded, meins so indeti- ' nitely, as they do not run out" as they so often do elsewhere.
 of all kinds can be grown in great pro- fusion. Apples, peaches, plums, nec- tarines, apricots and grapes all grow | here in as great perfection as anywhere in the Union. They are so abundant that the old settlers give but little at tention to their cultivation. Many of the varieties of grapes cultivated in ! other States grow here much improved. 1 All the requisites of soil and climate are here to make this one of the most successful vine-growing regions on the | continent. The writer, not long since, | heard one of the most pro ninent wine 1 merchants of St. Louis, who has for years been one of the most successful i in Missouri. say that, | from his observations, he predicted | that Northern and Western Arkansas | would, in the future, be the most im- | portant wine-raising country east of