The Harrison times., 1917-04-14
REFLECTIONS ON SEEING SOUTH.
Harrison, Ark, April lst, 1917.

months in southern cline, am home
again. and glad to be back to gooc
old Harrison.
From the congratulations | have re-
ceived, and expressions Of apprecia-
tion. and comments on my letters pub
lished in your paper, feel that have
not done justice to your readers, and
my friends, since some OF them said
they had read my letters over two or
three times, which prompts me TO
write more on Seeing the South.
As TO Southern Florida, think the
winter climate far excels any other
section OF the United States. ! have
not tried the summer climate, but
those who have say it is as good. |
expect to spend next winter there.
There are no pulmonary diseases, and
colds are almost unknown there, and
with a hoe and a little capital one can
get rich, growing garden truck" all
through the winter months when veg
etables are high.
The Good Lord has given them the
best climate on earth and an abund-
ance OF water, and Armour the fertil-
izer-but Armour does not give them
the fertilizer by long shot. The
question of fertilizer (as in some of
the Southern states, the doctor bilD
cuts big figure, but they make it
pay.
While at Miami, where they claim
they had seventy THOUSAND tourists. l
the great majority were old
people, and in answer to MY inquiry
why this was so" | was told by one
of them that the younger people had
not lived long enough to accumulate
the amount of money needed here.
They have the Japanese carpet grass
there, which very much resembles, and
| am inclined to think excels our blue
grass. On the road from Miami to
Jacksonville we passed hundreds of
acres OF pine apples; it made my
mouth water since in Cuba found
them 80 delicious; but they say they
are not as good as the Cuba grown.
/ was surprised when saw my first
pine apple growing in Cuba. l had al
ways thought they grew on trees
but not so-they grow right out Of the
ground, in white sand; the plant re-
sembles a very small century plant,
more like it than any growth l can
think of.
The rubber tree of Cuba is a curl
Osity; the branches send down long
roots, which if allowed to reach the
ground, takes root and grows; but
they keep them trimmed just high
enough to walk under, and they are
great.
l saw my first double trolly wire in
Havana, and was told it was one o.
the many precautionary requirements
Of the city to avoid injury to life and
limb; quite in contrast with the Chi
cago interurban deadly third rail.
1t is claimed that every cocoanut
.ree drops one nut a day the year
round, providing meat and drink suffi
3ient for one man { did not inquire,
Dut suppose it would require about
.wo trees for woman).
| did not know why they servec
warm milk for coffee In the restau-
rants in Havana, but was told that it
vas goats milk and was boiled to avoid
then | recalled having seen
goats, goats, goats, everywhere.
On my trip south through the swamp
| asked what do you do for
1 living in this swamp country, and
vas told (as stated in a former letter.
hat 1--WE skin aligators in summer and
ourists in winter. On my return trip
asked what do you live on, and was
old, ION meat skins and taters in sum-
ner, and sick yankees in winter, but
We skin them first"
On my return trip daylight founG
ne near Atlanta, Ca, en- route to Mem
)his, Tenn, among the hills where |
earned much by observation, as to
low the farmers by systematic trel
acing, conserved their soil | was lead
% believe every farmer was a civil
engineer, from their methods Of con-
rolling the water and then | realized
hat the great majority of these farm.
ers were negroes, made me wonder II
t was true that the "niggers" OF this
were smarter than the farm
ers of our country, who are all white
people, and wished our farmers could
earn how to conserve their soil III the
lilly country as they do in Georgia.
have another trip planned. II the
Kaiser, the Good Lord land my cred
tors) permit, | will 20 back to the