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

| seem To some a foolish declaration that
| even this section at present has too much
water, yet this is the case. After being
parched all the summer, now with only
comparative light winter rainfall, we
find that the country has already all II
not more water than is needed
This Is especially true where the soil is
of that hard pan, imperious formation,
and unfortunately we have so very much
of that kind of soil in the south. This
proves at once the wisdom of tile drain
age or other means of letting the water
down into the soil or rather subsoil, and
for carrying off the surplus water. But
the question of getting a fall sufficient
for carrying off so much water has been
and is yet a serious matter. But as
stated when our vast forests have been
cleared and a great part or nearly all our
lands brought into cultivation this sur
plus water will be largely absorbed by
! the growing crops and much will be TAX
en- up by evaporation, so that the sur
| plus will be far more easily disposed of
/ than it now is. So in view of all these
/ facts l can see no reason whatever for
/ having any fears of Florida or any other
/ of our southern states ever sinking and
becoming great lakes or seas. Instead Of
this condition of things I predict and
fully believe that in less than one hun
| bred years, yes, with the same spirit of
progressiveness we now see among the
American people in less than fifty years,
many of the great lakes and swamp
i lands not only of Florida, butai other
i southern states win be cleared up drain
ed out and be made into fine farms, pro-
ducing fine crops of cotton, cane, vege-
1 tables and fruits. Florida will be a land
of fine farms, instead of a lake. AS the
population of man increases on the earth
the greater becomes the dmeand for fnoo
products and the more land has to be
cultivated in order to produce food to
keep in pace with the increase in popula-
tion.
We know that in the east the popula-
ton for years has been faster than the
increase in farm products and this has
driven thousands to our country seeking
homes where food is more plentiful and
.eheaply produced Most of this tide OF
emigration has for years been seeking
homes in our great northwestern terri
tory The result of this Is that this part
of our country has become fully settled
up or nearly so, and so that there is nc
longer any cheap lands left in the west
and people now seeking new homes must
look elsewhere. for them. There are sew
raj reasons for the emigration from the
old country seeking first the western part
of our country for settlement The great.
est inducement being the fact that the
| great northwest was largely prairie
land where the farmer could commence
farming at once and not have to encoun.
ter the delay and hard work necessary
for opening up a farm in a timbered
country, so that it was natural, with the
description before them of the many adj
vantages of the northwest, for them tc
go there and first settle that country
suppose that most of our readers are
familiar or have read Of the great de-
mand for lands In the west, and of the
mad rush for claims when a few acres
of Indian reservation has been bought
and brought in for settlement. How peo-
pie camp on the border for weeks wait
ing for the advertised dates for opening
these reservations, and now they fight
scramble and run over each other In the
case for getting first on the lands, well
this state of affairs is fast passing away
and soon there will be no more lands in
the west to run after.
The Question Is Will the settlement and
the purchase of all the lands in the west
stop the tide of emigration to this coun-
try. The answer is no, by no means These
.people viii continue to crowd to our coun-
| try seeking homes and Ii is only a ques.