Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-07-21
Letter From Mr.. Haddon.

| have not seen enough OIL brdIu u
write you what is being done in agri-
culture or the possibilities here. an
in republic that is 200 600 square
miles larger than the U. S. A, anc
the state am in (Minas Carcass is d
very large state. 1t is as large as ~
states the size of Mississippi, and has
a small mileage Of railroad, have
Travelled about 800 niles since | have
been here, but still I've seen so little
of the state that can't write in a
general way.
This is high plateau secti)n-3OOC
feet above sea level-with high hills
and very steep. Some of these hills
are 1000 to 5000 feet high The valleys
are small but usually very rich and
prod ctive. The steep hillsides are
valuable because they can be used for
pasturing sheep and cattle and for
growing coffee. Some of these hills
are wonderfully rich in iron ore. Just
about 8 miles from Ballo HorizCnte
there is a range of mountains that
have millions of tons of iron ore as
1ich, as reports say, as any in the
world. The range just beyond this
range is a range that is very rich IN
gold. An English company is working
the Moro Velho mine-the deepest
mine in the world. 1t is now about
5000 feet deep, 1t is very modern in
every way. They take from this mine
about an average of 81, 900, 600 a year,
which gives the company 10 per
cent income net. Beyond this range
come smaller ranges and these for
miles and miles are wonderfully rich in
lime. In this section the hillsi1es may
be cultivated and the valleys are
broader.
In this region Of lime there is not to
be seen airy native clovers. There is
no alfalfa grown, and melilotus and
melilatus would soon cover these hills
if introduced, for the spring and sum
mer months average ABOUT & inches of
rain and the maximum temperature is
about 80 deg. and the minimum
through the winter about IS deg, not
cold enough to kill vegetation. am
not sure that l should tell my alfalfa
story because some of you know that |
understand how much you love that
crop, and you will think that | am try
ing to get you to leave NoXubee
county. But-well, stay where you
are anyway until you hear from me
again. There is one small plot about
four acres-of alfalfa now here. The
man who now owns it is situated so he
can't get hay to the market even if he
wanted to. He cuts eight times year
and gets more than ton per acre at a
cutting. A Switzerland professor at
an experiment station told me he had
seen alfalfa so inches high at 80 days
from cutting. These hills and valleys
that have never been in cultivation
oh, how they would grow this great
crop! When | pass through that sec
ton | look out over those hills covered
with "Capim Gardura" grass,
splendid grazing grass and for hay
too, that is now about 40 inches high
and in seed, but don't see that grass
nor the scattered growth of 'lobO"-a
small bush about 6 feet high-but |
see the hillsides and the valleys YER
dant with alfalfa and | fancy | can
hear the cink of mower blades, and |
can smell the sweet fragrance of cur
ing hay. Some day this will be true,
Alfalfa hay is selling here for $50 a
ton, and a feeder in Rio told me two
weeks ago that good hay cost him $50
ton. Well, you alfalfa growers may
do your own figuring as to how long it
would take you to grow rich to your
hearts desire. When wake up from
my dream and see the wolf brush and
the Capim Gardura and the miles and
miles and miles of country without
cabin, not a COW, nor any living
thing | wonder how long such a sec
ton of wonderful possibilities will be
idle. | became almost homesick be-
cause of the passing fancies-I see
again the beautiful spreading fields Of
alfalfa in Noxubee county. Well. you
wouldn't want me to lose myself in
nv descriptions of cotton possibilities
and the cotton business as did about
alfalfa, would you Well, | shall not,
tho, what tell you about cotton may
sound as fish story also
Cotton fields are scarce here. have
visited number of Fazendas-farms
where cotton is grown The farmers
are lust beginning to pick the crop, so
| see it at a very interesting period of
the year. | was sent over 200 miles to
visit large cotton farm, or "Fazenda
da Algodao. The man has about 10
acres planted and he takes great pride
in pointing out over the large field of
cotton. | cut several stalks down just
to measure them and they measured
f.om IA to 1919 feet high and the first
hollis were about 6 feet from the
Ground No cultivation was given ony