The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-01
From the Manufacturers Record.

T
 @ ROM the depression and slough of |" despair under the low prices of cotton which prevailed for some years up to 1S9S-99, the southern farmer has risen to height of prosperity and thus of optimism, which has not been known since 1860. While it Is true that the industrial development of the south is going forward with amazing rapidity, 1t is nevertheless, true that, by virtue of the extent of the agricultural interests of the south, agriculture Is yet the foun- dation of that section. A change from poverty to prosperity of the farmers, and change from land without a selling value to land in demand at an advance of 50 to 150 per cent over the nominal price of one or two years ago, Is the most far reaching development in southern ad- vancement of the last quarter of cen tury.
 It Is far-reaching in many ways. It means that within the last year or two southern farm properties have increased not less than s1 900 ,000 in value, prob ably at least s1,5OO.OO0, ,oOO But more
 
 proved financial condition the southern farmer has gained new courage, new backbone: that he has learned how to marked 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 his fight. the entire handling of cotton from the field to the factory, whether the factory be in this country or Europe, has entered upon an entirely new stage in its history. It also means that land will be more thoroughly culti- vated, for the successful man, whether he be a farmer, a merchant or manu- facturer, is always better able to work to good advantage than the one who is 1 fighting losing battle.
 1 During the last six years the total value of the cotton crop, including seed, has been sS.6O0O0o,oOO, against $2,1so,oO0,0Oo for the preceding six years, showing a gain in the last six years over the pre- ceding six of over $1, 400, 100000. It Is not, however, due to this great increase in | cotton alone that the southern farmer l is in better shape. More and more has the diversification of agriculture gone on; more and more have fruit growing and truck raising, hog and hominy," l with the meat house at home rather than in the west. been developed throughout the south.
 In response to letter of inquiry from the Manufacturers Record. bankers and business men throughout the cotton re- | gions of the south have reported a re- markable advance in the agricultural | lands of this section, to which attention was briefly called in one of our recent issues. A study of these letters develops many facts of very great interest Many of them tell of an advance in the sell l ing volue 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 average reports would indicate an increase of consider ably over 50 per cent in two years and 1 the laregr part of 1t in the last twelve months One correspondent in South Car olina says: 'In many instances lands are selling for three and four times as much as they would have brought four or five years ago. Another correspondent in the state writes that in his county there are seven banks. wfth deposits ag- gregating slO0o,O00, most of 1t belonging to farmers. whereas ten y9ars ago there was only one bank, with ddposits of sl25, 900. Another in the same state reports | sales of farms in his sectiot at heavy advance. and gives as illustrations one case where a farm increas4d in selling price from sssoO to sso75 bnd another from s72oo two years. ago tof s2o,ooO a few months ago as indicative os the general conditions.
 In Alabama land which sold live years