The Grenada sentinel., 1906-01-06
RISE IN SOUTH.
ERN FARM VALUES
influence Of the Increased Price
OF Cotton and of Diversified.
ton upon Agricultural
Interests.


says: In the twenty-odd years of il
existence the Manufacturers Recor
has never published matter of NOR
profound and far-reaching importance
not alone to the South, but to th
business interests Of the world, thar
the symposium which it presents to
day giving the testimony of banker
and others throughout the South in
dlcating an advance In the value O
farm lands OF such magnitude that it.
influence can scarcely be Overestimat
ed. From the depression and slough
OF despair under the low price of cot
ton which prevailed for some years ur
to 1S98-99 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, it is nevertheless true
that, by virtue of the extent Of the
agricultural interests Of the South,
agriculture is yet the foundation of
the business of that section A
change from poverty to prosperity of
the farmers, and change from land
without a selling value to land in de-
mand at an advance of so to $50 per
cent. over the nominal price Of one or
two years ago, is the most far.reach.
ing development in Southern advance
ment of the last quarter of century.
1t is far-reaching in many ways. 1t
means that within the last year or
two Southern farm properties have in
creased not less than 1000, 900, 900
in value, probably at least 81, 500, OOO,- :
600. But more than that, it means
that under 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 staple. Having
won this fight, the entire handling of
cotton from the field to the factory,
whether the factory be in this coun-
try or in Europe has entered upon an
new stage in its history. 1t
also means that land VII Ls more
cultivated, for the success
ful man, whether he be a farmer. a
merchant or a manufacturer, is al
ways better able to work to good ad-
than the one who is fighting
/ lOOSing battle. During the last six
years the total value Of the cotton
crop, including seed, has been $780,
300, 900 against 81, 100, 900, 900 for the |
preceding six years, showing gain in |
ne last six over the preceding six of |
)ver 81, 400, ,0OO,00 1t is not, how.
ever, due to this great increase in cot
,on alone that the Southern farmer is
n better shape. More and more has
he diverSifcatiOn of agriculture gone
~; more and more have fruit-grOw-
ng and truck-raising, hog and hon.
n.y. with the meat house at home
ather than in the West, been develop
ID throughout the South.
In response to a letter Of inquiry
rom the Manufactures Record, bank
rs and business men throughout the
otton regions Of the South have re-
'orted 4 remarkable advance in the
gricultural lands Of this section, to
which attention was briefly called in
he Of our recent issues. A study of
hese letters develops many facts of
cry great interest. Many Of them,
ell an advance in the selling value OF
arm lands ranging from so to 100
er cent. within the last two years,
cry few report less than 25 per cent.
,crease, and the average reports
'Ould indicate an increase Of conSid-
rably over so per cent. in two years, /
nd the larger part OF it in the last 5
2 months. One correspondent in
outh Carolina says: I'm many in
,ances lands are selling for three and
,ur times as much as they would
ave brought four or five years ago.
mother correspondent in the same |
tate writes that in his county there |
-e seven banks with deposits aggre-
lting l,00O,00 most Of it belong
X to farmers, whereas 10 years agOl
lere was only one bank with depoSits
1925, 900. Another in the same
ate seports sales Of farms in his C
ction at heavy advance, and gives c
Illustrations one case where a farm r
creased in selling price from $4,000
$8O75 and another from $1,000 two t
ars ago to $50, 900 a few months ago &
indicative Of the general conditions.
In Alabama land which sold five a
ars ago at %. so to $5 an acre is now s.
ported as bringing SIS to $40 an O
re, while another correspondent in
e same state says: "Our farm lands y
we advanced from Is to $50 per r
Mt. In value In one year, and in
any cases even MORE" while from d
other part OF the state reports come q
at there has been an increase in the
st two years of so to 200 per cent. n
Throughout the central south it is {
ry generally stated that this increase
due mainly to the increasing pros ii
rity of the farmers, and very large .,
brought about by the advance in o.
tton, cotton lands selling to con-
lerable extent on the basis Of the Fl
ice Of cotton at times rising or de- y,
ming as cotton rises and declines et