The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-21

| ton of time when this country with its
own Increase In population, together with
| the continued inflow from the countries
| will become as densely populated as
many sections of the old world. AS the
| country becomes thus populated new
| fields will have to be opened up and new
| industries started to meet the demands
of an increased population The time
Is now right here upon us when these
emigrants are seeking homes in the
south and before many years more the
great tide of emigration will be turned
southwark and the waste lands of the
south will be bought up the forests clear
| ed, the lakes drained out and fine farms
| opened up where now we can see but
little of beauty or value. These lands
can not lie idle much longer. The for
ests now are being cut down fast for
lumber and when the timber is all cut
off the lands must be brought into Guilt
walton, and crops of some sort, that will
pay be made to grow on these lands.
The rivers and lakes or the south under
this higher and more improved methods
of agriculture, will be brought under con-
troll, and confined to their channels in
stead of being allowed to overflow and
flood the whole country at time of
freshets. Then not only Florida but the
now idle lands of the whole south will
be opened and made to produce fine crops.
But some one may say, yes this all looks
well enough on paper but the time for
all these predictions is a long way off.
But not near so far off as many may
! suppose
| I have now been out travelling through
various sections of the south almost con-
| tinuously for six weeks and almost ev-
erywhere I go find men looking over
the country seeking locations for invest
ments, In various branches of industry,
| as well as men of means seeking loca-
| tions for planting colonies. Most of these
prospectors are men representing con-
4 siderable capital and many of them are
| locating in various parts of the south
Only the other day l happened to be at
a little town thirty miles out of Mobile
(Theodore, Ala..) where there was a sur
/ yeying party laying or a 5000 acre pur-
II chase which some capitalists from Ohio
had Just purchased and who intend build
ing a fine hotel and town, as we'll as in
vesting in growing here Strawberries and
vegetables, all of which will require not
only capital but skilled help and will add
| much TO the revenue or the country. A
branch packing house for packing all
kinds of pickles will also be put up and
a large acreage of cucumbers and onions
VIII be grown for pickle purposes. My
prediction. made last winter when travel
ing over this country that some day the
| whole country between New Orleans and
| Birmingham would become a veritable
fruit and vegetable garden is coming to
pass faster than l at that time had ex-
peeted. Travelling again recently over the
same territory and noting the largely in
creased acreage in these crops and not
| ing the great acreage of strawberry
plants that are being set this fall, as
we'll as the great fields of cabbage which
are now ready to be cut and shipped all
go to prove what l have heretofore and
what l now repeat, that as fast as the
demands of an increased population can
consume the products of the soil of
the south, just that fast will this coun-
try be bought up and fine farms opened
up and brought into a high state of Gull
tivation and made to produce the food
necessary TO feed this population.
While engaged in writing this I am
seated in Mobile right in the center of
a territory that is being fast developed
and settled with monied men from the
north. Should | go from here over on
the east shore, what do find? First, per-
haps would be prosperous Fairhope a
colony of northern people settled on the
east shore where they have a beautiful
village and are proving what the soil of
the east shore is capable of producing.
Going further down the shore we find
Magnolia Springs, a fine winter resort,
and here the rich people of Chicago have
built many comfortable. winter homes.
and come here to spend the winter These
people are now preparing to engage in
fruit and truck farming on a large SCALE
)sshould we. go out from here west and