The Green Forest tribune., 1910-11-18
HORf. IN DAIRY
 FRUIT AND STOCK
SEA9CY COUNTY CITIZEN TELLS WHAT IS THE MATTER WiTA
 THIS COUNTRY
So Long as Precent Conditions Oo- tai1 the Country Will Go Back
 H4rG Instead Of Forward

q ard while the conditions arc not alto gethcr the same in Carroll county as that described by Mir. Barr, yet the communication is replete with sugges- tions that fit us to t't, and we hore every Tribune reader in the county will peruse it thoughtfully.
 In this article MT. Barr says:
 "The Ozark region of the state of Missouri is thoroughly awake and the census returns show that it is the only rural district in the entire state that has gained in population in the last ten years. And all that increase was due to the new industry of dairying and stock raising The land in the Ozark region of Missouri is not nearly so fer tile as our lands and while their lands are more level than ours, we have a better soil fer road construction, and also better fruit country, and in my judgment the only reason that we do not engage in daifying, stock raising and the fruit industry is, first, because We are a very conservative people, and secondly, we have never given the matter any thought. We have now had a railroad for over six years. and today our county is no more prosperous or no more developed than it was six years ago. Our farmers haven | as many hogs, cattle, colts, or even poul- try; and they have, practically speak ing, no more land under cultivation.
 'Is it not time that we stop and think? And It us begin this way:
 For the last ten years Searey county has increased very little in population, and what little increase we have is con- fined almost exclusively to the towns along the railroad And in addition to l the decrease in cur live stock, many of our farms are now under mortgage. Non-resident3 have paid Us thousands of dollars for timber and mincs ! :. and all of this money has been spent and we have nothing to show for it. l In addition to these amounts, almost all of our merchantable timber has been marketed, leaving Us practically 10 more natural resources to dfs# ffoa, and all of this money has been spent and we are falling behind, Our mer- chants are in debt, our toWnspeople are in debt, and ouG farmers 2"c in debt in addition to the mortgages, and We still go on spending our money and exploit ing our resources without thought or care.
 ''Allnatives are conservative, that is, all people are conservative in the place of their birth and almost all of our population being native, and farmers more conservative than any other class of people, it is very evident to my mind that they are not going to try anything new unless strongly urged to do so hy the business interests of the county, and l therefore appeal to our business and professional men, and all conner cial clubs, to take a greater interest in the development of the county than they have ever done in the past. And I will say right here to our business and professional men, that you have tried to boom the county by building up the towns, but this will not add one dollar to our resources, or put single nickel more in the bank.
 What can we do to produce wealth?
 "Now let me tell you right here that of should be brought to such high state of cultivation and productiveness that it would produce twice as much as it now does, that would not bring us wealth or prosperity. Why? For the very good and unanswerable reason that there is such a small per cent of our land sufficiently level as to suit it to farm crops; that it is not sufficient in quantity to be of any real value as a wealth producing source. Have you ever talked with a man in Oklahoma or any other good farming country, but that he would tell you this country was no account for farming? And is not Oklahoma draining us every month of some of our best citizens? Why? Be cause the business men and everyone else will insist that this is a farming country, when that is not 6 fact. It is a lie, and every lie is poisonous and every poison is injurious. This is no farming country. It is a grass country, one of the best in the world. It is a fruit country, if properly cared for, and one of the best in the world This country is adapted by nature for grass and fruit Its soil, climate and water was intended by the Divine Architect of nature to be used and employed for the purpose of producing live stock and fruit.
 ''In the great race of life we are fali- ing behind. We are being outstripped by our sister states. We are being outstripped by our sister counties We are getting in debt. We are losing our citizens, and immigration is not oor,i o, o,,1. yvou Tbic iS a stock ana