Connecticut western news., 1922-06-01

l anu Olu were all nlC together. N1f-
 ginia, North Carolina, and northern Georgia show more improvement l than does the rest of the south. The
 best cities for sales are Richmond,
 Va, Greenboro and Charlotte, North
 Carolina; Charleston and Columbia,
 South Carolina; Columbus, Augusta
 and Atlanta, Georgia. Each one of
 them will show much better business
 in 1922 than 1921.
 'Florida is not included in the
 above list as-with the exception of 1 the northern part-there has been
 no real depression in Florida. If Flor
 ida were in the western part of the
 country should say it will surely be
 hit by the depression wave some time within the next two years. But con-
 sidering the fact that the present
 depression started in the east and
 that the south has already received
 it's blow, the southern part of Flori-
 da may escape this time without be- ing hit. This, however, doesn't mean that Florida will always be immune from business depression. Some day there will be real estate collapse in, Florida just as there has always been in every state after a period of great prosperity. Central and south ern Florida today, however, is one of the most prosperous sections of the country. It is truly a wonderful state with superb climate, very strategic location, while it's drained lands are wonderfully fertile. Flori- da would be, the Empire State of the Union, capable of feeding the entire country if it's soil werer titled effi- ciently. Why its people fail to grasp their great opportunity-is beyond my comprehension. Miami some day will be big city. Tampa has great commercial possibilities and some large places will also develop in the center of the state. The center of Florida with it's high altitude, rolling country and vast quantity of lakes, lies almost unknown to the average American.
 "When a statistician visits the south he comes to the conclusion that cotton is a weed and not crop. OOIIOh S1OWS II1GNl dlly anu easily III the south as a weed would grow in the north. If the southern planter at tended to his work as does the nor thern farmer, the south would be today the richest part of the country. The boil weevil which is fast making the raising of cotton unproftable may turn out to be the South's best friend by forcing the southern plant CT tot break up-the land into small holdings and diversity the 3rop.
 "The south has many, advantages over the central west. It possesses great natural resources, such as coal and iron, unlimited water power, and splendid means of communica tion. In addition the products will be in greater demand as the country be- comes more prosperous. The per capita consumption of wheat, the main product of the northern agri- cultural states, does not increase much as the people become more prosperous. The demand for cotton, sugar, beef and legumes, increase very much with the prosperity of the country. As the people become better off they eat more vegetables and less corn bread and bacon. Hence, the great opportunity in the south lies in diversified farming, breaking up the large tracts into small farms, the introduction of good stock, and the planting of more le- gumes. Statistics show that with the finest agricultural opportunities in the country the south today does not even feed itself.
 "I am especially impressed with the religious interest found in the south. This shows that there is a good moral foundation upon which to build.
 'Tt is debatable as to whether at present the negro is an asset or a liability. Some good European immi- grafton to teach him how to work efficiently and speed him up would help.
 Besides stimulating the labor the soil must also be stimuated by the much more liberal use of fertilizer. Just now the fertilizer industry of the south IS very much depressed. Fer l tilizer manufacturers neeG, not worry, the fertilizer business will come back in good shape.
 'Tf space permitted I should also like to write of the wonderful Foreign Trade opportunities possessed by New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola, Jacksonville and other southern sea ports. Trade with Mexico and South America is quiet now but some day this is to revive. At that time the south will greatly benefit.
 Personally I am distinctly bullish on the south. The young man of the north I should advise to go south l rather than west. Certainly our South Atlantic States offer agriculturally, industrially, and commercially better