The Green Forest tribune., 1895-09-12
Down in Arkansas.


the readers of the Epitomist, for ever
since and long before, no doubt, Ponce
de Leon made his search for the tabled
fountain, man has been interested in
believed the greener fields to be just
beyond where he was located. 1t is
not with view to setting any f'stones
a rolling" that may be gathering moss
where they are, but, rather, to dispel,
if possible, an erroneous idea of Arkan-
sas, her products, her per people, etc.,
that / write this. ] have met many
intelligent people elsewhere, who only
heard of Arkansas as place where
there were many healing springs that
invallds, possibly.a few had heard of the
vast quantities of beautiful apples which
she produced, but all knew, or thought
that they did, that there was nothing
else within her limits but rocks, noun
tains, wild, barren gorges, peopled with
the most iliterate folks in the world
The visitor to the Worlds Fair,
last year. stood amazed while he gazed
at our States's display of fruit in the
Horticultural hall-big red apples,
brigh thued peaches, enormous pears
and huge lunches of grapes. In the
Agricultural building he found still
further proof of Arkansas wonderful
productiveness in the splendid exhibit
she made of grasses, cereals, vegetables
etc, along with the photographs of
actual farming scenes which dispelled
the "all-roclls. and-moun tain" idea
forever from his mind in connection
with this Safe.
In educational advancement Arkan'
sas has made unparalleled strides in the
last ten years. She has 3 900 school
houses, or one to every 375 Inhabitants.
State university and three normal
schools afford free education of high
er order. The colored people have 900
separate schools. several colleges and
one State normal school.
Il is just as we'll to forever get rid of
the we'll accepted but erroneous idea,
that the people of our State are all
lineal. descendants of the drunken,
fddling squatter made famous by the
tune and dialogue of the "Arkansas
Traveller" For social qualities. in
telligence, morality and an observance
of the laws, Arkansas will COM
pare with any state in the Union.
Arkansas is blessed with a healthful
ard genial climate. Of course people
do finally "shuff1e off their mortal coil"
here as elsewhere, but the death rate
is much smaller than in most of the
Northern States.
In one portion of the State the apple
attains perfection that has not been
found any where else in the United
States. They have excelled wherever
displayed in competition. Prof. II. E.
Van Deman, u. S. government promol-
gist, in speaking of Arkansas apples,
says: ono living man can account for
her production Of choice Seeding
apples"
This county, Sebastian, is one of the
western line counties, and is about
evenly divided into high ridge
prarie and timbered land,
uplands and river and creek bottom
lands. The latter compares favorably
with the richest and best land in the
world. The praries are gently rolling,
and though not cassed as the praries
in some other states, they Yield good
crop of millet, oats, wheat, rye and
vegetables. Nature has done much
for this country by the way of rich
soils, salubrions climate, beautiful
scenery and valuable minerals, coal
and building stone. The products Of
the country are cotton, corn, oats,
wheat, rye and sweet and Irish pota-
toes. The second crop of Irish pota-
toes are successfully grown here upon
the same ground thar grown the first
the first crop natures in June, and
furnishes seed for the second, which
m atules about the middle of October.
Cotton in the past has been the mann
stay and dependence of of our farmers,
but the sudden drop in the price of the
staple has caused them to look up the
other resources with which the land
is abnndantly blessed, and the words
"New South" have taken on new
meaning since second reconstruction
of methods and manners of farming
and managing have been necessary to
meet the altered conditions. The low
price Of cotton will prove to be bless
ing in lissnise, since il means mere
home supplies raised on the farm in
stead of being furnished by the mer-
chant at fearful profit TO the mer-
- / III. -