The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-30
ARE COMING SOUTH
THE FARMERS OF THE CoUN-
 TRY HEADED THIS WAY.
Figures Covering the Past Twenty Years Analysed by the South ern Farm Magazine of
 Baltimore Prove It.

Baltimore, Md, Aug. 29.-(Special. J. Farmers of the country have moved South, are moving in that direction and will continue to move in increasing num- Der. Their chance today Is in the South. Figures covering the past twenty years, as analysed by the Southern Farm Magazine of this city prove it. The advance of the South agricuturally in comparison with that of the rest of the country appears in the following per centages of increase between 1880 and 1900: Rest of the
 The South. Country. TOpuldtlOn ....5.6 50.0 Number of persons engaged
 in agriculture .... ........36.8 31.1 Value of farm property ..72.5 66.7
 After deducting the value of products > fed to stock and the amounts of money spent for labor and for fertilizers, the proceeds of the farms represented at the close of the twenty years period, 25 per cent. returned on the investment in farm property in the South and 142 per cent on the investment in the, rest of the coun- try.
 These are the conclusions of an elabo- rate survey of Southern farm progress in an article in the September issue of The Southern Farm Magazine, which says:
 Tn the twenty years under review the value of farm property in the South in creased from B. ,321 to s. ,631. .6S2 or $1, ,661, Pol .311, an advance of r per cent and in the whole country from $l2, lSO5Ol.- 53S to $20 439. .9n 164, or $S,259 399, ,626. or bt per cent. The values of farm products as given are the value of gross products They include the products fed to stock. A clearer idea of the relation of products or the income of the farms, to the value of forp investment to be had by deducting from the gross value of products not fed to stock the amount of money paid for labor and tho amount for fertilizer. which in manufac- turing might be classed as the free capi- tal. The remainder, in the absence of figures for insurance, taxes. etc. may be regarded as fairly representative of farm incomes and the proportion that it Is. of the value of farm properties may be con e sidered the rate of interest," on the in vestment.
 Here the showing made by the South Is eminently satisfactory on the whole, for upon its fixed investment of $3,95l,- 6S1, ,632 it received $9SS. 905.595, or 25 per cont while the whole country on an in vestment of $2O, 439,164 received $3.Ss1 .3O6,- 6l7, or 16.2 per cent. The percentage in but one State-Maryland-w below the percentage for the whole country, the District of Columbia hardly being con- siderable in this connection because of the investment represented by Govern ment properties. The percentages in other States were as follows: Mississip- pi. 42: Alabama, A.; Georgia, 34.6; Ar kansas, 34.5; South Carolina, SS.S; North Carolina, 29.6: Louisiana, 273; Tennessee. 24; Florida, 23.s: Texas, 20.4; Kentucky, 20; Virginia, 19.1; and West Virginia. 16.7. The rank of the States in net value of products was: Texas s196SS9.S13; Ken lucky, S94,616 ,675; Mississippi $S5,S94,So4; Georgia. SPLICE 636; Alabama, $74,37T,969 969; North Carolina. $69,276.769; Arkansas Ss2 7s3. .02O; Virginia, $62. O73, ,225; Louisiana, 4,Sse, ,232; South Carolina. $5l ,92S,S52 West Virginia s34,161.2 .2s9; Maryland. S26,l9,lls; Florida, S13, ,969 064, and the District Of Columbia, $625.sS7.
 "In every one of five typical groups Of States in other parts of the country the percentage on the investment as thus estimated is below the average for the country. and of the nineteen States in those groups. but four-Maine, with l9.S per cent; Vermont, 16.9; North Dakota, 17.5: and Kansas. 17.S-are above the average. the percentages for the other states. including two below the lowest percentages in any State in the South. heinz South Dakota. 15s; Nebraska, 1S.6; Ohio, 15.S; New Hampshire, 15.S; Connec- ticut, 15; Rhode Island. 14S; Indiana, A.7; Missouri, 14.6; New York, l4; Mas sachusetts 13.7: New Jersey, 1s.7; Iowa, l3.4; Pennsylvania, 12.5; and Illinois, F.
 "The value of lands with improvements increased 67 per cent in the South and 6 per cent in the whole country: of inn plements, 120 per cent in the South and S4 per cent in the whole country, and Of live stock. sS per cent in the South and s5 per cent In the whole country. Of the total increase in values in the South. Sl,- 6s1 .267, ,31l the increase in the value or lands. H.237. .24o. .62O, was TAT per cent; live stock $332574,735. was 19.9 per cent, and implements, $91, ,45l,s56 was 5.4 per nsr cent roughly calculated Of the in- ccease in the whole country, $s,259, ,399, ,o26, the increase in the value of lands, $6,4l7,- 52o15 was 77.6 per cent; of live stock, Al 49S 592, ,996 was 1S2 per cent, and of im- p,ements. $34S, ,2559l5 was AZ per cent.
 Gratifying is the exhibit here made It reveals the capabilities of the agricul- tural South 1t is the golden side of the shield. But there Is another side. It is reellv just as golden. Circumstances however. for which the South is not en- tirelv responsible have blurred 1t and re- duced it's attractiveness temporarily. Up- on it Is written the story of half-culti- vated or neglected opportunities.
 ..The cue to the proper situation for the South is given in a study of the value of certain crops per acre. The total for the country was S14; the highest for the