The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-23
SOUTHERN PROGRESS
THE FOUNDATION
 STONE OF WEALTH.
Farmers of This Section Have Within short Time Passed From Condition of Poverty to
 Prosperity.


 Condition of Poverty to
 Prosperity.
 Baltimore. Dec. 22.--(SpeciaL)-In pubIishins this week six pages of let tsrs from bankers and others through out the South indicating wonderful advance ia the value of farm lands, The Manufacturers Record says: awhile it is true that the industrial development of the South is going for ward with amazing rapidity, 1t IS new ertheless true that, by virtue or the ex- | tent of the agricultural interests or | the South, agriculture Is yet the foun- dation of the business of that section. Al change from poverty to prosperity | of the farmers, and a change from land without a selling value to land in de- mand at an advance of 50 to l5o per cent. over the nominal price of one or | two years ago, is the most far-reaching development in Southern advancement of the last quarter of a century. Tt is far-reaching in many ways. It means that within the last year or two Southern farm properties have tn- creased not less than Sf,0o0,000,000 In value, probably at least $1,500. 900. 900. But more than that, it means that un- der this improved financial condition the Southern farmer has gained new courage, new backbone: that he has learned how to market his cotton crop; that he has fought to a finish the great battle as to whether the producer or the speculator is to control the price of his staple Having won this fight, the entire handling of cotton from the field to the factory. whether the factory be in this country or in Europe, has entered upon an entirely new stage in its history.
 Tt also means that land will be more thoroughly cultivated. for the success full man, whether he be a farmer. a merchant or a manufacturer. Is always better able to work to good advantage than the one who Is fighting a losing battle. During the last six years the total value Of the cotton crop, includ- I ing seed, has been s3,600. .00o. .00e, | against $2,190, ,000,0 900 for the preceding | six year showing a gain in the last | six years over the preceding six of | over s1,4o0. .oo0.ooo. It is not, however. | due to this great increase in cotton | alone that the Southern farmer is in | better shape. More and more has the S'-- yriculture gone On;
 fruit-growing and
 and hominy" with
 home rather than
 velopsd throughout
 bankers letters de- 1 veIops many .,se.s of very great inter 1 in the selling value of farm lands ranging from 50 to 100 per cent. within | the last two years, very few report less than 25 per cent. increase. and the av- craze reports v ould indicate an in- crease of considerably over 50 per cent. | in two years, and the larger part of 1t in the last twelve months. One corre- spondent in South Carolina says: Tn many instances lands are selling for I three and four times as much as they | would have brought four or five years | ago.
 | Another correspondent in the same | State writes that in his county there | are seven banks with deposits aggre- l gating $I.000, 900, most of 1t belonging | to farmers, whereas ten years ago there was only one bank with deposits of $125,000. Another in the same State reports sales of farms in his section at ! a heavy advance. and gives as illustra- 1 tions zone case where farm increased in selling price from $3.000 to ss,070 | and another fl ofn $7,200 tive years | ago to $2'.000 a few months ago as indicative of the general conditions. Tn Alabama land which sold five years ago at s3.5o to 8 an acre is now reported as bringing s15 to s2O an acre, and in one part of the State there has been. it Is reported, an increase in the past two years of 50 to 200 per cent.
 Throughout the Central South, it is very generally stated this increase Is due mainly to the increasing prosperity of the farmers and very largely brought about by the advance in cotton. cotton | lands selling to a considerable extent | on the basis of the price of cotton. In | some parts the increase is also in part due to immigration. but this has as yet been a comparatively small factor ex- | eept in Arkansas, Texas and other of more southerly and southwestern States
 Tn the tobacco districts of Tennes- see. where the growers have made with equal success the same character of l fight for better prices that the cotton growers have made. there is reported realization on the part of the farmer that when banded together they hold a whip p-handle against all possible Combinations to beat down the prices of their product, and that with this has | come new courage and strength. Throughout Virginia there has been a very considerable advance. due in part to improved cultivation, increased di- versification and the raising of live stock and in part to the purchase of many farm properties by people from other sections.
 "The realization by the people of the entire South, bankers, merchants and farmers, of the power of cooperation in the proper handling and marketing of the two great staples. cotton and to- | bacco. has brought about a community of interest which is destined to exert | a very great influence upon the entire | business interests of the South. and of l that portion of the business world which is in any way dependent upon these staples or upon the general pros perity of the South" ..~