The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-02-10

extending its range, and in a few
years I think almost every farm
south of mine will be cotton farm
while fruit will continue to grow
in favor further northward, as the
character of the soil changes in my
vicinity, the land to the south
having a heavier clay basis and
that to the northward more sand
Other crops that are raised are
hay. in which we can beat Penn
sylvanla, corn, oats, potatoes and
sweet potatoes, peanuts and var
ious things.
The best section of the State for
a man to go depends wholly on
his individual likes. l like this
section better than any other. Up
toward Charlotte and Greensboro
more wheat and grain is raised,
partly because that section is out
of the cotton belt and partly be-
cause it is better adapted to'grain.
Farther south more truckingI is
done; largely because the sand is
warm and early. To my, notion
the best farm section of the State
is the land in the county adjoin-
ing my county or perhaps the next
county beyond, but as the ground
gets lower down that way l do not
like it quite so we'll
Then l like to live where l do
because there are a lot Of people
here from Pennsylvania, where l
came from, and l had my feet wet
too often in the muddy waters of
the Allegheny river to wholly for
get the land that grew up with
me. I wouldn't let my Pennsyl-
vania friend infer that l am not
content with my Southern neigh
bors, for he will never find a
more considerate and kindly peo-
pie than these about US who are
native to the State. And that can
be said of every Southern COM
munity was ever in and l have
been a citizen of two different
Southern States and a resident Of !
several.
Farms sell for almost any price,
from five dollars an acre for wild
land up to a hundred, or from
about the same price for pieces
with patches cleared up to thous-
ands. Good farms as a rule are
not for sale. The reason is OBJ
vious. The man who owns them
would rather have his farm than
be obliged to go out to make
new one.
Now this is the way l have an
swered the man. And in addi-
ton l told him that he must come
here, if he comes, expecting to
find farming different than he finds
it i'll Pennsylvania, and prepared
to learn new ways and new Gus
toms in dealing with his crops. III
he will come and see for himself
he will get the only correct ideas
of the possibilities for him. 1t is
not a question of what the .coun-
try will do, but of whether he will
like country different from the
one he is accustomed to and where
methods are different. Incident
ally he must also consider whether
his family will take kindly to
moving to new country. This
disease they call inconsistencies. |
have seen it in pretty severe torn
at times and while it does not Of
ten prove fatal, it does sometimes
but the worst form of it is where
it hangs on and leaves a sequel of
discomfort and encouragement.
y You recollect]'..so intelligent Z
man as General Sheridan said that
if he owned perdition and Texas
he would rent Texas and live in
the other place. Yet Texas is the
satisfied home of more people than
any other state in America with
just five exceptions. So you see
it is matter largely of where you
live and what you think of tie
country.
BTON H. BUTLER.
Southern Pines, N. c.