The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-01-20
Gen. Thomas l.. CIingman on
the Agricultural and Mineral
Wealth of the State.
IFrom the View Yorl sum

wealth OF the State.
from the New York SUM
Gen. Thos. l.. Clingmsn. formerl,
United States Senator from North Tar
DINA, who has given much attention t.
the development of the resourse Of the
South, is now in the city. In CONVEX
sation on the South and its future yes
terday, he expressed himself as fol
lows:
'As to the industrial and financial
condition of the South generally | can
say that there is a steady improvement.
| speak more particularly as to North
Carolina, because | know it best. In
that State we struck the bottom heavily
in 1865. Then thought some of our
people would starve to death, but
think they all by great effort and indus
try escaped. Taught by the severe suf
fering Of the latter years Of he wal and
the period following it, they have gen
orally worked harder and spent less
than they formerly did, and there
has been & steady improvement ever
sIncs.
New doubt if there is 4 State in
lie Union where theirs is amoag the
p,Gpla less real want Of the necessariei
Of life. If aug man thsre was tor lazy
To work. think lie would be fed to save
the expense Of buryin. him. Though
there are few wealthy persons among
us Jet. the people generally are com
Portable and getting better each year.
They are improving their farms and
houses, have gotten new working tools,
aad increased their live stock. Every
branch Of business is advancing.
The grain crops are ample for our
wants, and both wheat aud corn are
being exported. Rice culture i. in
crrasing, and the cultivation of cotton
is extended up to the very base of the
mountsin region. Tobacco is q better
money crop even than cotton. This
article has made great progress in the
mountain region.
shortly after the war Mr.. Shelton.
4 Vlrsinian, who had been utterly
broken up At home, came to my county
OF Bunceabe, rented a small piece of
land, and made some tobacco pa it.
He succeeded SO well that the business
OF raising fine tobacco has doubled
itself perhaps every year since in Ban
come and Madison counties. Mr.. Shell
ten, with his Buncombe county, took
tie first prsMiume at the fairs at
the fairs at Raleigh, Danville. Rich
Eoad, at tie great Vienna worlds fair,
and At the Philadelphia Centenslal
Exhibition. As much as four dollars
per pound has been received for some
OF the fine tobacco of that region.
Major Rollins, who has been for some
years making tobacco in Madison, told
me recently hat last year he rented
some woodland to a colored maa, who
cleared three acres and cultivated it
in tobacco. Major Rollins lent a horse
70 plough it, and after the tobacco had
been sold the net proceeds amounted
to $50 per acre. Major Rollins re-
ceived ore half for his share. and the
colored man kept as much. Major
Rollins said that forty dollars per acre
would cover all the expense Of clearing
the land and making and curing the
tobacco. 1t thus appeared that the
colored man, besides making a grain
crop, cleared on the three acres nearly
two hundred dollars IN cash.
Il mention another case in the adj
Joining county of Buncomb.. A poor
man rented land on Turkey Greek, ten
miles from Asheville, and besides
grain put in soma tobacco. His wife,
in addition to doing all the homework,
put into the garden some tobacco, and
tended it entirely herself. After all
the expenses had been paid, including
the commissions to the seller, she re-
ceived Sll6. Mr.. Justice, the county
surveyor of Buncombe, tod me that he
was curious enough to have the patch
surveyed, and that it contained only
one-fourth of an acre. This was at
the rate of $3.50 per acre.
such cases as these were remarka-
BILE, but | am assured that for the last
, years the prices Of tobacco in Bun
combe and Madison averaged 90 cents
per pound. As one acre generally
yields from 900 to 800 pounds, this
would be equal to about $3.50 per acre.
Suitable land can be bought in those
counties, cleared and cultivated in to-
bacco, and the crop put into market, for
less than $50 per acre. In other words,
a man can have his land Ie4dy for a grain
a grass crop free of expense, and
with from 500 In moneyin his pocket.
Along the mountain streams there are
heavy fogs, which improve the tobacco,
while the lands are suitable for the
of fine tobacco. There is
abundance of these lands in several
Of our western counties. [ do not be
lieve that one tiftieth part of these
lands has yet been cleared. If ii were
that in Kansas, or any other
State, a man could, in a single
wear, have land cleared and ready for
free of all expense, with more
han $50 in his pocket for each acre,
would be a rush to hat region.
North C~arolinans who had
nothing a few years ago, are represen
ted as now being worth several thous
and dollars each.
To be continued.