The Green Forest tribune., 1903-03-21
WAS A GOOD INVESTMENT.
Investigation Proves that the Cum1ninS Farm Is All Right.

Little Rock, March IA, 1908. The special joint committee to investigate the convict farm con- sisting of Senators Cotton, Hin l1le and Brown, Representatives Chesnut, Parks and Campbell, of Randolph, Thompson and Cook, of Chicot, are now getting ready to make their report. The com mittee, with the exception of Mr. Parks visited the farm last week and were accompanied by your correspondent.
 The committee is neither a Davis nor an anti-Davis one, and every member thereof is deter mined that his report shall be absolutely correct and exhaust i've.
 The governor gave the com mittee list of twelve specified tions on which they were re- quested to make findings of facts. So far seven of these have been acted upon and we know of our positive knowledge that six of these are positively against the governors position as enunciated in his message.
 The committee was unit in declaring that the farm was much better than they had been led to expect, and a new surprise met them at every turn. The only finding of the committee this far that agrees with Jeff's message is that there is some Johnson grass on the plantation. Where the crop of last year was properly cultivated it is hardly noticeable, where the crop was neglected there is more of it. On the 2, AGO acres of open land We saw one patch of heavy John son grass that might contain 40 acres, another patch covers nearly as large an area. As a rule the plantation is free from Johnson grass.
 AS to the accret1OnS.-Ih are probably the best land on the. farm, being alluvial soil. From the river bank back to the levee, instead of being a sand bar, as Jeff states in his message, 1t Is 8 splendid tract of land and covers ed with a magnificent growth of timber from 50 to 75 years old. Two hundred acres of the accre- ton has been cleared this winter, and the cottonwood timber on this tract will pay the expense Of clearing. If there is a sand bar on the state's property the com- mittee failed to find 1t.
 The farm proper is on the river front. Back of the farm is the terrible cane brake mentioned by the governor. This brake is from 50 yards to quarter of 8 mile wide. The "cypress knees," mentioned by his excel lency are not visible to the naked eye. Every witness testifying to this matter has placed the acreage in this brake at less than 500 acres, and some of them as low as 400. The committee will include this in their report. Back of the brake is splendid body of land lying "high and dry," containing from 5000 to 4000 acres. Most of the cypress and much of the oak on this land was cut years ago, but there is enough first class timber on the land to supply the needs of the penitentiary for years.
 The unanimous opinion of wit i nesses before the committee has been that the Johnson grass is not a serious detriment. In fact. J. B. Avery, who is one of the largest planters in Lincoln county, states under oath that the states pur- chase is the best plantation on the river and has always been so considered by planters who know it. He testifies that on cash basis the open land is worth $50 and the wild land S1O per acre.
 The levee, which Jeff states is leaving in, is an old levee abandoned after the flood of 'SS or '89 when the levee was broken. A loop was then built back of the brake to protect that end of the farm which connects with the old levee. It is the best work of the