The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-08-24
LUMBER FIRMS To
SELL SMALL FARM
TRACTS IN FUTURE


hatchie county. He Is not only a grad
uAte agriculturist and soil expert but
an experienced land salesman. He viii
have headquarters in Memphis.
In announcing the marketing OF the
Mississippi acreage, Vice President
Dick said that tenants who now are
farming some OF the company's property
in Mississippi will be given first oppor-
tunlty to buy, The company win ask
10 per cent in cash, the remainder In
nine equal payments through as many
years.
I'VE want to get the land into the
hands OF farmers who will handle their
places personally" said Mr.. Dick
''There is enough absentee ownership
In the South already, and it is not con.
tributing as much TO the development Of
the country ms we want to see. We
feel that farm operated, managed and
looked after by the owner VIII soon be
Of big value to the community. That
means development Of the old farms as
well as idle tracts. And il means pros
perity for the little fellow"
No land will be sold for speculation
and only the best land will be sold
this with an agreement TO take II back
at the purchase price II Tor any rca-
son IL is not satisfactory to the pur
chaser Two thousand OF the 10 90
acres are In cultivation and an 'ort
will be made TO lay out the small farms
so that each tract, II possible, will con-
tain small acreage Of land ready 10
work. The remainder Is timbered land
from which the large saw trees have
been removed.
The establishment Of forest products
plants in Memphis and Charleston
Miss, makes the clearing Of ut-nver
land much less costly than formerly
for the forest products plants now are
taking cordwood at 80 per cord. Iut,
over land win yield enough cordwood
TO cut the purchase price TO very low
figure, for the wood can be taken off
al a good profit, either by contract or
by day labor.
Another Company.
Another of the big companies owning
many acres OF land which will market
the property In small tracts is the
Lamb Fish Lumber company, OF
Charleston, Miss. II previously has sold
small farms, as has the Chicago Min
and Lumber company hut more atten-
ton will be given the work in the fu-
ture. The Lamb Fish company, cred.
tied with having the largest hardwood
lumber mill In the world at Charleston,
Miss, adopted n novel scheme in mar
keting the land IL had ready last sea
son. Every acre was cleared OF every
thing save the stumps, Farms were cut
out In 40, so and ld0-acre tracts. On
the smaller tracts the company erected
fiye-room bungalows, modern insofar
ms the average farmhouse. IT the owner
desired the company built several negro
tenant houses instead of the bungalow.
on the larger tracts 1t built both. With
out advertising and without agents, the
company sold these small farms at an
average OF Sl25 an acre and could not
meet the demand. The company owns
upward of 900 acres in the rich bot
tom lands or delta OF Mississippi, and
Il plans eventually to cut all of IL into
small farms
Division OF big tracts of land in the
lower Mississippi valley is OF tremend-
Gus Importance to the development Of
the region For years the land has
been owned in great bodies largely by
hIinbermen. Years ago IL was OF little
value except for the timber. But leVees
have stopped overflows and drainage Is
making the land suitable for intensive
cultivation. In the old days 1t was con-
sidered "A fine joke when n man sold a
dozen or more sections OF land for a
few dollars an acre, to throw in an
extra section on the unsuspecting pur-
ohasers. The owners wanted 10 escape
paying taxes, The same lands today
Arc bringing from $40 to $500 an acre
That portion of big tracts which is
cultivated now usually has been handled
by renters, tenants OF share choppers,
They have done little development and
Improvement, getting what they could
with the least expense. This will be
completely changed as the big tracts are
cut into small farms. II win mean
faster conversion OF the idle land into
producing land; IL will mean better
methods and improved methods; 1t will
mean greater production ana surer pro
duction. 1t will contribute as much to
the growth of the great area OF rich al.
luvial lands OF the lower Mississippi
Valley as any other one thing