, 1877-09-17
The Good Points of the PGrie
Lands Of That State.
What They Cost, and the Crops Which
Are Raised There.
Information Regarding Soil, Climate,
Schools, md Other Points.
Eet the Intending co1onist BEAD and
Judge for Himself.

Sprcfat CoFrrtrondsrtt Of The Tyttunf,
LITTLE IiooK, Ark, Sept. t0.-I lavc In q
tormcy, letter alluded to tho prafrle rot ntry
which forms hut a small portton, not exceeding
4to5 per cent, Of tllc entIre area Ut the State,
and since thattimc have spent n few lays in yfs.
Nlng this port1on and examining It's resources.
A ride OF thirty miles On tho Little Ruck d
Memphis Railroad brings ono 10 the town aud
atatlun Ut Carlisle, ncar tllc northwestern cn.l
Of Grand Prairie, which is from ninety to one
hundred miles IN length, extending In south.
easterly direction with All aTcrngc width OF
st1 to ten miles, but With frequent points of
timber making out Into II, as we'll as numerous
hlaads Of timbrr. so that few plarea
uu be fotnl that arc moo tltau
three or four miles from timber.
Tic course Of tho prairie md railroad
ns so near1y. parallel that tho road travcrscs
sumo thirty miles III length Of the prairie, with
stations ana little towns growing up atfron,
four to Elk miles apart Unlike any Northern
prairie havo ever scen, It Is bor,crcd by heavy
timber, without any Intervening space OF
brush-lanl; bu. hero tho llcasy tlmber ends
abruptly In tho prairie. and tho change In tho
character Of the sol! is equally a abrupt nnl
veil defined. In the timber tho surface soil is
AdarteolorcI sand, with Ill admtxturc OF clay.
uDderlakl by d red clay Of about tho color Of an
ordinary rcti brlrk, but cnlfng abruptly at the
prsrir, where the soil is dark or nlulatto.col-
orcl mold, very lino In texture, mud
irufn twcigo to clghteen inches IN
depth, with subsotl Of heavy clay.
The surface soil Is not as dark nor "a fsiablc ~
that orl our Northern pratrlcs, but must equal
the best III fertility, as is eytaeuced by tho
growth Of vegetation fn tia Wild state, and Of
crops where IL las been brought under thorough
cultivation.
THE SURFACE
hgcnt1y undula.1ng, and lies In broad swclls,
With slope sufficient for thorough drainage, but
nut absupt enouth to wash the soil. With its
often extending In points nearly to its centre,
and tloltei here and theru with Islands OF tim.
ber 1t ID ri luautltul country as ever saw.
end yet, stratgo ~ It may appear, until within
lhc completion Ut tho rallroad, II has been
regarded as ut no value fur agricultural pur-
pbses except us range fur stuck, than which
no usser cait be lou'd, Us tbs eniire surface ls
aud quantlty, Of upland pralrte:grass Us ever
saw. Thousand Of tons Of this hsy nre now cut
every year ami battl ut the stations on the soad,
and shipped either to Lfttlu Rock and tlIcuce to
hvrthcastcr,1 Texas, or ~ tho Memphis and Now
Orleans markets.
The reuson Of this unlervuluatton Of this
prairie country may IN part by explained. Tic
original settlers III this puttgun Of tie State
Nerc nlatnly from the slave 4tatc8 cast OF tho
sltssissipp!. Tho sinall farmers settled upon
tl!e nplands, while the rich planters Who moved
West With thcir slaves, and syhuse only idca was
cotton, selected thc Rich ailuylal-buttom Iands
Tc class arst-t'aei md T ~cl ,r reprcse',tc,i sS.s
largely thu ponr white element Of the older
Have states, Ind MI Their lives been accust uInei
y timber country. anu ths bu'l.tongus system
acrcaiter}. THEY naturally took to tl,s same
:laraeter OF country as tint which tlaoY loft,
~: The upland ttfnbcr country. where they
:oula build a lug cabin, clear of the brush anl
J. single mulc AMI bu'l-tongue p!ow, tear up
The s.1riacp Vi thc'Cr0und aml get patel, ready
lor 4 crop Ut corll, cotton, and sweet potatoes
xlth lhtic outlay Or expenditure Of anythlng
Except tllcr ON II labor.
~ 4 settlement mon tho prairie was quito a
1ltlcrcnt affair, and. though they might build
h0lke atlu fence their Iaill, when 1t catnc to
!hc natser q cultivation nnd Improvement
10 which they hull always been accustomed wus
required. l1ence 1t cau 10 reality seen whY
these early settlers set 1Ittic yajua upon the
prairie country.
which tended to Keep alive tho i1ca TINT the
pratr1ca were vaitlrese fur crops was the fact
t!at about their borlcrs we're good many mar
tles wtio had go'lr largely Into tic Stuck busl.
Nr" Uk c4l4lEAtlA MUGS.
~t'et got atln5st their entire living upon the
pralries during thu sattin,cr. aud [p tho SIR.
'unnilsig tEnbrr III tho wnter. It WIS Iur their
interest tu utscoll11gc settlement which wouhl |
!parcd no pains tn disparge tho prajrle us q |
jat;nlnE contryt and, rs before tala, It Is only
wlthtH tue laat thrts VI four years that scttto-
tlents to a,y extent hayc Uccn natlo upon tllcse
men who bring with them thu Northern syatetn
d tar.ntng unl Northern turn implements. Onu
9I 9I thr lGonecrs In this movement il ex-Guy.
llMiley, now tho Postmaster Ut Little Rouk,
Rfeat vulle of t!lvse lans for farming PURPOSES,
purchased ncarlY ! ,OUO urreh III u buiiy, upua
~, Nhte by lsas erected tluo buildings atla Ii ope,,-
mE aEa Improving It US agrafn Alld stOyk lar1u.
soME REGULARITY or r1ta SOIL
requiring luugrf time for its thorough, sublu.
NIX ul1 civilization th4n III our Northern prat.
E'es' and do nut think ille bcst results cui, ba
from tlrco to tour Yrars and lta Willuess thur
oa.Ehly suhaued. Gu land forming part ol one
o. the oli eattto-ranvhcs Ut wtlch | hare
SPOKEN. aa1d Which llaal been under cultivation
Of q iuan u llla,'ure, saA as heavy cot1ol. anu
corn growing as any haye secu on tho famous
AfKatlsas Niycr bottom lands, as,l | can see ~
,'rr IN VIZ, ,,s Wsn thoroughly sutHl4eA and uu
lah'ls WI not Etys AZ large efopx Of corn, rI..
toh wheat, OUTS hurley, anu utllur s,uaII gains
~ ,,s,i Snt " grown n 4"y country, hut tue
e. e. Intelligent understanding and apptv- ~.
clatlon Of tho pcea!iar.tics vi tic soIl
ahd e3inate, uni . n,elt,od Of hIsbam.i.
~ II the preparatiun 1t ttle ground, tine Of
seeding, and culture of the vrup aIaptcd to
thetc contious II, order to secure tho bcst ~
suits These haYc IN but few Instances vt bcsn
attained, owing to the 1Avt that thu Itnnrovr-
n,cats arc nearly all new and In but iew cases
sh9 so!l yet thoroughly subdued.
ILLS ecAsoh's rrop VI. gTuuul fairly cultivated
gives about tho lullowluy results: Wheat, III.
tssn bushels tcr atru; olts, thirty to tfty; corn,
tthlEty to titty; Cotton, 4,U to G0 puunla, worth
y cents pcr poulli; Irish unl sweet POTATOES.
ial IT, lE bushels; tinothy hay {ncw seeding on
uos. llalleY's tArtn), two tols per arrc. Tuu
pt1ces OF corn and sntall gratu average higher
ta:.n at tho North, " ail SURPLUS ts,ls market
= y th9 soutl, ~lIru as yet docs uot RrUw euuux4
lVr Aosne supply.
4, Ibis pra.E.e country has also grrat rapabll-
~ n thv direction VI fratt vulture but not,
tl'ah, ~ iie cxtcat vi the tIluucr country, pt
Eaigh - will speak ucrcl.t.g,
~ Lhess iauas, e4ua!, " believe, In fertility
s sn4 PtoIucttYcncsa, to the lHst of our lll.pOls
PEasics v ilrn thoroughly subIueI, ln u rl.1I,atv