The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-07-03
NOriherRers Experiences in
South mississippi
~ lIaL. Y. d. WaN !:

10 -Idj. T.. q. UdU
Previous to my removal here with my
family and effects / had visited the country
four several times. Once with my wife, /
spent two weeks at and about McComb City.
Then with an artist another two weeks
through Pike county, and over into Louis
lana Then the same length of time i'm the
vicinity OF Hazlehurst. Finally, 10 test the
summer weather, | spent the last of July
and former part of August, in the same
locality, eating peaches, figs and melons
During the two latter visits, / secured q site
for home, that could be made the center
of a settlement of our Northern friends
Last October | moved here We are in the
midst of the fruit belt, which, beginning
about Canton, in Madison county, runs to
the Louisiana state line.
Copiah county, at least along the railroad
is pine woods, but not so pronounced rs the
country farther south The soil is mostly
sandy loam the subsoil as a rule is yellow
and sometimes red clay. The peach, plum,
fig and strawberry luXuriate here. Other
fruits, do finely but the above excel. The
soil producing average crops of grain. Cot
ton and sugaT-canc, without tertilizing
yields most wonderfully TO the influence OF
stimulus. 1t pays here TO cultivate II
smaller area, and enrich the soil Literally
But if a man dotes on large tract of land,
let him enclose a sheep pasture and stock IT,
giving attention to his flock, and while he
is planting his corn and cotton and attend
ing to his fruit, his sheep will be enriching
his soil and repaying him from 80 to 100
per cent. on his original investment. one
shepherd will be necessary to every flock, as
Mississippi dogs are fond of fresh mutton
| am becoming satisfied now, that dairy
ing will one day be very profitable in this
country. Bring good milk stock, young,
give them the care you do in Illinois, Wis
consin and Michigan and you will double
your net profits. OF this / have no doubt
whatever But your stock will need some
attention from December the lst until
March the 10Th. They will need shelter
from the winter rains true, the stock here
does not get it, but that brought from the
North will need it, and no country furnishes
more that can be made available i'm this
way, than this part of Mississippi Let me
sum up from my own observation what you
may do here. Your land will cost you on
an average of so per acre with improve
ments) On every acre of cleared land you
can produce, without manure, - bushels
Of corn worth - cents per bushel, On very
low estimate amounting to 81 %, or about
SO 80 above the average in Illinois. You
can raise 100 bushels, very low again) Of
sweet potatoes, worth right at home from
80 to - cents per bushel. You can raise of
oats, very respectable and profitable crop,
and by sowing in the fall, can.pasture upon
it during the winter, and cut your crop in
June. You can raise wheat, but there is
need of farther experiment, before | pro-
nOunce upon its profit. You can make 300
gallons per acre of molasses, worth, at low
figures 30 cents per gallon. You can raise
on every low spot, or even on dry ground, a
large crop of rice. You can have your or
chards of all kinds Of fruits, except oranges
and lemons, and these, if you wish, you can
cultivate with your choice flowers in your
greenhouse. You can raise y0Ur sheep with
a merely nominal expense, and at Wesson
Mills, lin the county,) you can get your
cash, say % cents per pound, for unwashed
heeces. You can fence n pasture, (they
don't do it here generally, but you must do
it, and have your herd of Jerseys, Ayshires,
or whatever kind of milk stock you please,
or you can raise good, hardy native cows and
by feed and care make them very profitable
You can have vegetables in your garden
nearly every day in the year. You can have
lCulters without more than one inch Of fro
zen ground, and summers, with the highest
range Of the thermometer about 96o f., and
your warmest days tempered by "A refreshing
breeze from the southwest. You can have
an abundance of clear, sparkling, soft
spring water You can see flowers from
ItDIudIg uIllll TIC ulltlult Ol lJtttulDtI ANU
find wild fruits from May until November.
Do not expect wide, level, muddy eX-
panse of black soil. You will find trees,
aye, and stumps, but you will be more than
recompensed by "A delicious climate and a
vast range of fruits and vegetables.
But above all, you will be kindly treat
ed. Your political sentiments will be re-
spected-at least mine have been. My
family and myself have never met with
anything but the most cordial treatment.
True, the country is sparsely settled, COM
pared with our old home in Bureau county,
Illinois; but it is just as peaceful here as
there, and we only desire that having found
pleasant heritage in Mississippi our old
neighbors and friends might come and share
it with us. Health is assured, so far as
local causes are concerned, at this elevation
500 feet above tide water. There are sew
eral families here from Illinois, Ohio and
Michigan. All are as well satisfied a. we
are. There are undoubtedly less causes Of
Encouragement here than in the more new
ly settled West and Northwest, and those
who mix their knowledge they bring from
the North with what they gather here, win
without doubt succeed and become pros
porous. Respectfully,
A. II. WIDNEY.
HAzLEHURsT, Copiah county, Miss, May
10, 1873.