Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-04-11
CUI-OvER LANDS
 0f STATE VERY PRODUCTIVE Wm. R. Lighton Shows Ar. kansas Lands Superior
 Investment.

New Orleans, April 9.-Cut-over lands of Arkansas are today producing food products ot greater value per acre than are the high-priced areas of the richest Northern corn-belt states. This and other startling facts of the wonderful possibilities for de- veloping the South's vast unused em- pire left in the wake of the woods mans axe will be told here by w. R. Lighton, of Fayetteville, Ark, a prominent investigators and magazine writer, who will address the Cut Over Land conference of the South to be held in this city April Ill, 12 and IS, on "Cashing in Our Cut-Over Land Products"
 Writing to the Cut-Over Land Con- ference committee MT. Lighton says:
 "These unproductive cut-over acres of the South will presently be valued, as all other sources of wealth are val |ued, by their income producing power. "It is that power alone which has given high value to the acres of llll- inois and Iowa and all the Upper Mis- sissippi valley. What has happened there is bound to happen in the South, and in a much greater degree. The time is past for fixing agricultural
 land values by speculative "boom'' methods. The real proof of the pud-
 ding lies in the capacity of the lands to produce stuff to eat. . 2, l Here are the facts which will cer- tainly set the value of Southern lands liar ahead of those of the richest \ northern corn-belt states. Let me use Arkansas for illustration: Remember
 that practically every cultivated acre ] in Arkansas has been developed from
 cut-over lanc. s.e
 "In the ten year period from 19O(
 to 1910, the average value per acre
 of the staple food products on all cul' Itivated lands in Arkansas was $22.O4 | This statement does not include cotton
 rice or fruits; it includes only those staples which are common to tht
 whole Mississippi valley.
 "This average value of $22.O4 pel Iacre was greater than any other state of the whole Mississippi valley coule show. In Illinois for the same perio( the average value was only $1724 pei Iacre-$4.SO per acre less than in Ark ansas. In Iowa it was $14.52; in lndi lana $16.35; in Missouri $13.54; 1T Ohio> $17.62. ,,,. l "On the high priced lands of Hi Inois, this production of $17.24 pc tacre represented gross return O ll18.1 per cent upon the average acre l, value as given by the 1910 census. 1T Iowa the gross return was $l7.5 pc
 cent on the average acre-value; Il Arkansas, the crop-value of $22.O Twas 157.4 per cent gross on the aver 1age acre-value.
 "This state of things cannot con |tinue. It has continued to this tim simply and solely because the Sout \ has given the great facts no intelll : gent publicity"
 2 With 13,O00,O 900 acres of cut-ove Hands undeveloped within her terri :. -.itories, Arkansas is expected to take. 7 consicuous part in the. forth comm ,, Headed by Governo Charles H. Brough, who has long bee an enthusiastic worker in, the inter
 lest of utilizing cut-over lands, larg s sldelegation of Arkansas is expected t -}be present. Among these will be stat s ] officials, agricultural college author ities, land owners, editors, professor
 fal men, and citizens generally. GoN
 |ernor Brough will deliver one of tn
 principal addresses of the convention
 He will speak on Natural Resource nIof the South-Arkansas as Develop t-iing Factor"