The St. Johns herald., 1890-08-28


 rich reward.
 In certain quarters a doubt seem: to exist whether we can raise any or all of our own sugar from either ! beet or sorghum pro6tably, or grow in successful competition with for. eign lands, hemp, jute, flax, and many other such articles which at present are largely imported; but there a certain class of productions such for instance as raisins, prunes, walnuts, and many delicate varie- ties of fruits, of which we import immense quantities, which can be raised in certain districts without any doubt i'll great perfection, and the production of which offers an avenue of escape to those unfortu- nate growers of surplus products, whom the last few disastrous years have not too greatly financially crippled to take advantage ot it.. It, of course, may necessitate, in many instances, a migration from a climate uncongenial to the growth of such crops, to some more favor ble part of the United States; for prunes cannot be produced in Da- kota, nor raisins in Ohio, but I feel sure it is change that will never be regretted, for it is a change from class of farming, where hard work and deep anxiety results in a bare and precarious living, to an occu- patton that with much lighter work will produce more certain and pro- ftabie results.
 Before entering into particulars of what are the best crops to insure these results. and where they can be best produced, I will touch upon another condition favorable to the agriculturist. which shortly stated, is as follow: Ii locality, from cer- tain causes, is unable to fully sup ply it's own demand for any given crop, and the farmer success fully grows such crop there, he will receive benefit just as if the short- age was national instead of local, the benefit received being greater or less in proportion to whether the cost of importing what is necessary to make good the shortage be great or small. If district can be found which will with certainty produce largely, crops of which a shortage exists over the country as a whole, and at the same time be unable to fill her local demand for ordi- nary farm crops, it would pre- sent. it seems to me a combination of the two most favorable condi- tions possible to the farmers. That such a combination does exist I hope to be able to show.
 If a line be drawn through the United States from north to south along the 99th meridian, it will, with fair accuracy, divide the hu- mid from the arid region, or, in oth- CT words, that part of the country which requires the aid of irrigation in agriculture, from that which de- pends upon natural rainfall.
 Parts of the humid region, Colo rado for instance, bountitully sup piled with streams, have so far util- ized their water for irrigation, that they fully supply their own de- mands for agricultural productions. Other parts from lack of streams applicable to irrigation, can never fully supply their own needs, but will have always to depend upon the more or less humid regions for a certain amount of farm products, to make good the local deficiency. New Mexico and Arizona are, per- haps, the best illustrations of this latter class of countries, and the general prosperous condition of farmers in these Territories are a strong illustration of how greatly the conditions favor an agriculturist