The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-29
HIS SPRING EVIDENCE
THE FARMS THAT ARE TITLED
BY THE CONNECTS.
THE FINEST LANDS IN THE STATE
The Nor hampton Farm fayorite but is Too
Small. Views as to the Prof ableness
of the Farms. Dyking Out
Al, Eioodc
tn Floods.

Halifax, N. c., August 2S.-(Stafl
Correspondence.)-Th penal farms To-
Gated near this quiet little town en-
brace some of the finest agricultural
lands in the State just by the town
to the eastward Roanoke river bites into
the hill on which the town of Halifax is
situated and slipping away from North
ampton county leaves it the rich legacy
of miles of fertile alluval lands. Cross
ing the river you strike the Northamp-
ton State farm. which fronts the water
for several miles at this point.
For over mile beyond the river the
land lies level as floor and is absolutely
at the mercy of the high water which
would cover it to the depth of 10 tic
20 feet, but for the dykes that wind
in serpentine curves of green along the
bank. Beyond the river flats proper
: the surface humps into a long sandy
ride that serves to protect the lower
lying lands beyond from the waters at
extreme flood From the top OF this
ridge you get an excellent prospect OF
ings and stockade in fine contrast with
the wide sea of emerald that encircles
them In these late summer days, when
the land is fairly grooming beneath its
fiilness-it is n splendid domain. Though
there is nothing, at this point. to suggest
that it is convict titled the mind somehow
centuries up the scenes of other days
when the Roanoke planter, the prince of
L. Ii l.r t.p
acres that in those days, they tell me
here, were the measure Of the Planter
wealth rather than the number of
slaves he owned as elsewhere. Then
every acre of this land. that can be
had for S15 now was valued at 500.
These acres, never-failing in production,
were termed ready money by the
owners. The best opinion is that they
are still highly profitable though the
days of high-priced cotton are past, the
slave is displaced by the convict and
the planter by the supervisor. The
evidence upon this point has all been
Mt one. even Summerell declaring in
characteristic terms: 1--WE makes
money here: it is the central prison that
plays the devil
NORTHAMPTON A FAvORITE.
Nearly everybody who has been assoc
ciated with the State farms here pre-
fers the Northampton farm to any of
the others and it is undoubtedly the best
of the lot. the great objection to it be.
ing that 1t is more subject to overflow
than the Caledonia farms, which lie
further down and on the opposite side
of the river Another objection urged
against it is that it contains but LOO
acres while the Caledonia farms EN-
brace 1920 acres. The latter would
give employment to all the conviets that
can be spared from the central prison
while the former would not,
and all the conyicts can be
guarded and worked together on one
farm much more economically than on
widely separated farms, as now, since
the cost of transferring from one farm
to another is SO great. 1t should be
borne in mind, however. that the cost
of keeping the dykes in repair Is a
considerable item at all these river
farms, sufficient indeed to make them