The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-05-25

and in the most remote corner of tha
great sleeping Empire will be sold th
products of this and European coun
tries. Overproduction to-day is bu
little more than specter Of We'll street
and at most can he only temporary
The danger is that England, being tn
greatest sufferer from underproductior
in this country, will 50 encourage
cotton growing in India and Africa a
to develop serious competition. Al
ready the English spinners have thi
matter under consideration, with s
view to urging it upon the Govern
ment.
If increased production is necessary
to meet increased demands, let tht
demand be met by southern develop
ment. Having seen the great western
wilderness, with its hostile Indians, iti
scarcity of water, and other attendant
obstacles, pass, as if by magic, into
peaceful, thrifty Commonwealth, and
considering that this was wrought by
Immigrants in little more than quar-
ter of q century, we conclude that witt
this tide of immigration once turned
southwark we may look forward to ar
era of agricultural development which
will meet all demands upon US anC
allay competition abroad.
In the light Of experience it is evi
dent that great activity and concert o.
action on the part Of the southern
people will be necessary in order to
direct immigration southwark. Oi
700, 900 foreigners landing in this coun
try during the year ending June 30
1902, less than 10000 settled in the
entire South, and 5, 600 of that number
settled in Louisiana.
Let me digress little here to correct
two erroneous ideas which have
initiated very much against the South
in securing desirable immigrants.
The first error is that the South does
not desire immigration. This is utterly
untrue. While the South has never
exercised itself as other sections have
in securing immigrants, there is nc
place under the Stars sud Stripes
where the stranger finds a more
congenial reception.
The second error is that the immi.
grant fears he will be degraded by
contact with the negro in the same
line of work. In answer to this l will
say that to the southern white man
works in the field and elsewhere with
the negro and is fully respected
From personal observation may ado
that the immigrants who settled in
my own sections are not only at
highly respected, but are as thrifty ano
prosperous as the best of our citizens.
Let me say in this connection that
there is no disposition in the South tc
get rid of the negro. While he il
improvident touching his own affairs
under the Intelligent direction of the
white man he is unexcelled as s
laborer. When let alone by agitators
heis contented and happy and is well
adapted to the warm, southern climate
He will be found as useful to the small
immigrant farmer as he has proven to
be to US.
We will now review aome of the
opportunities which the South offers tt
the immigrants:
The land area of the South is 5S5, ,3l0
600 acres. In 1900 the total farm!
acreage was 3S7, $3.50, ,426 acres. The
total improved.acreage was only las, lSt
500. This leaves ABOUT 242, 100000
acres of farm lands to be put into
profitable cultivation.
The uuimproved farm lands of the
South give areater area fol
settlement and cultivation than the
total area Of Texas, Louisiana, aud
Arkansas combined. Over llO, ,O00, OO(
acres Of this land lies east OF the
Mississippi River, and there is com
paratively asmall mount oft which
is not available crops of somekind
For diversity, quantity, and quality
of productions the Southern States are
unsurpassed. Mr.. Wilson, Secretary
uf Agriculture, after touring the
South. said: mo section of the wo-lC
offers such inducements for diversified
farming;;" and he predicted future
for that section such as has not beer
witnessed before in this country.
That our people grow cotton almost
exclusively is due to the fact that al
prevailing prices it is the most profit
able and merchantable crop that ls
planted. Where the farmer turus bis
attention to diversified crops the results
compare favorably with the best efforts
of farmers without this region. A
Pennsylvania farmer settling in North
Carolina on lands which cost him s.
per acre, lands thought to have been
worn out, raised Is bushels of wheat pei
acre. An Illinois farmer settling in
Madison Comfy, Ala a few years ago
bought 500 acres of land at SIS per acre
Last year this land yielded 80 bushel
of wheat per acre on 175 acres planted
A farmer in Anderson Connty, my
district, realized this year on one
horse farm of ordinary land, from
cotton and other products, over 81 200
According to the figures of late year
book, good and bad wheat fields to
gether in South Carolina yielded al
average of $S.62 per acre, against $7.5
in Minnesota, $7.O7 in North Dakota
1854 in South Dakota, and 1915 il
Iowa; and the value Of land in South
Carolina is much lower than in any
of the States named. A few years agt
tobacco culture was not thought Of il
South Carolina. To-day, from a com
paratively small area in which tn,
experiment has been made, we sell
annually more than S2,OOO,OO0 worth
of tobacco.
In the great Appalachian belt, from
the Patomac River to the tennessee
line, the soil is peculiarly adapted t
fruit growing, and especially the appl
! industry. Virginia has been giving at
tention to this industry, and she is
now the third State in the Union.
with fair prospect of becoming tn
first, in the production of this. The
celebrated Albermarle pippin, fruit o
Virginia, is considered the finest expor
apple that this country produces, anc
practically the whole crop OF thl
vari ETY. is marketed in London at 5
ner barrel and more. 1t is said tina