Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-08-02
A MODEL FARM.
Means by which Gold May Be Taken
From Arkansas Soil.

Means by Which Gold May Be Taken
From Arkansas Soil.
Several years since William Moore,
a farmer of moderate means, but ma
ture judgment and ample experience
in his vocation, moved from the state
of Illinois to Howard county, in Ar
kansas. After a brief residence in
Howard Mr.. Moore moved into this,
Miller county, and purchased place,
eighty acres in extent, only three miles
north from this city. When he first
settled upon his new purchase much
speculation was INDUCED in by his
neighbors as to how he expected TO
Gull living from the sandy soil of his
old and partially exhausted land. On
ly three years have elapsed since then,
yet upon this self same spot William
Moore resides today, the owner of the
finest, most productive and remunera-
tive fruit and vegetable farms in South
Arkansas. Forty acres of this land is
now covered by one of the most per-
feet orchards and vineyards, inter-
spersed with growing vegetation, the
writer has ever viewed in this section
of the country. The remaining forty
acres of the tract have all been cleared
and within two years brought to a
state of highest cultivation. On this
latter tract are three hundred young
growing trees, which will come to
fruitage in another year, bearing the
rarest of Japanese fruits. The older
orchard is composed of pear, peach
and apple trees, all of the rarest and
most approved varieties. A small
vineyard comprises twelve hundred
select vines, with fruitage of from
ten to thirty pounds to the vine, this
seasons yield. Two strawberry beds
of eight and ten acres, respectively,
will yield over one thousand dollars
each, in berries next season, having
exceeded so per cent of this sum dur
ing the past season. Every variety of
melons are growing upon luxuriant
vines, on what the average southern
farmer would call the waste places of
the farm. The sight of these spread
ing trees, rich with promise CT coming
yield, trailing vines, bending beneath
the burden of their purple fruitage,
long vistas Of swelling strawberry
beds, covering the earth with tender
tendrils, until the whole expanse shall
be carpetcd in green, shot, anon, with
countless thousand golden globules.
Such is the picture, as pleasing to the
eye as it is gratifying to the senses, of
an Arkansas farm, not of the old, but
of the new ora. What one man has
done, another can do. The man who
has wrought this wonderful change
was not rich, having been forced to
make his place improve itself and
yield for himself and family livli-
hood while the same was being done.
Today the eighty acre tract, only three
years since barren and poor, could not
be purchased for less than ten thou
sand dollars, more than twenty times
its original cost or value. Thus have
the possibilities of Arkansas soil been
tested and proven. Three years of
industrious and inte lligent labor have
here resulted in a yearly yield exceed
ing in amount the income on ten
thousand dollars profitably invested
Let this example be pondered upon
and the lesson it teaches be taken
home to tho hearts of our farming
friends and Its result, if properly fol-
lowed, will prove to the betterment
of our country and the welfare of the
whole people.