25 



meu will work for wages, most of them renting laud and working an ox or cow. Con- 

 sequently they make but little crop and raise no stock. Most of them move every 

 year. AVith few exceptions the stock of every kind is raised by white people here, and 

 not being able to hire help they have been compelled to reduce their stock, and are 

 likely to continue to do so. 



rerry, Ala. — Horses and mules range very low in price on account of the scarcity of 

 money and unprecedented emigration of the colored laborers to Mississippi. Unless 

 white labor comes into this county and into the prairie belt of lauds, an unheard-of 

 decrease of acreage in cultivation will take place the coming year. To show the pros- 

 pects, I will refer to two rentings for the present year : 800 acres of prairie lauds, as 

 good as any land in the county, rented for $75; 500 acres of good prairie laud rented 

 for $80 ; good improvements on each place. Kents will not pay taxes. 



Frairie, Ark.— The financial troubles have compelled speculators to throw their lands 

 on the market, and the consequence is that land is nearly as low as in 1850. Immi- 

 gration seems to be coming in rapidly, and all appear to be satisfied with the country. 



Attala, Miss. — The agricultural prospects of Attala are pretty good. The agricultural 

 industry is mostly made up of small farmers, who are themselves inured to labor and 

 are doing very well under the improved prices of all products— though " the panic" 

 has now greatly deranged the prices of everything, reducing them nearly oue-third, 

 except of corn, which remains the same as last year, that is, $1 to $1.25 per bushel. Our 

 corn, will have to be supplied from other States. 



Freedmen are purchasing all kinds of property and the most industrious prefer farm- 

 ing for themselves. The refuse and jobbers can only be hiied by the day or week, 

 and must have their pay each day or week, as the case may be. Labor is scarce aud 

 commands high prices, the jobbers making as much as $3 per day in many instances, 

 which is spent for groceries and liquor. The incoming year promises to be one of great 

 hardship and distress among the more opulent debtors as well as the poorer classes. 

 Among agriculturalists the remedy is to be found in strict economy — make more money 

 and spend less. « 



Hempstead, Ark. — The agriculturists in this county devote all their attention to 

 c®tton as a market product, aud only a small percentage attempt to raise any farm- 

 stock beyond a meager supply of milk-cattle. Hogs cannot be raised on the range, 

 owing to their being stolen by the freedmen. Corn is too costly a crop to feed them 

 much with that. Planting is evidently about " played out." The old rush for hands 

 is all past, and land-owners seem to be indifferent as to whether hands, that is, negroes, 

 occupy their lands or not. There is a growing demand for white men, and a white man 

 who is honest aud will work can make his own terms. A few negroes seem to be 

 making some money, but by ftir the larger part, as it seems to me, are retrograding. 



Cedar, Mo. — The failure of banks and the almost total absence of money in this 

 section have compelled farmers to hold their stock aud produce. Many who have pur- 

 chased with a view of selling the past fall have to hold and feed over, notwithstanding 

 the great scarcity of feed. This state of affairs has produc'ed a stringency and hard- 

 ship upon the masses, the like of which has never been known here. The farmers 

 in the, i)erhap8,^vain hope of ousting those in high places to whom they ascribe a 

 great part of their calamities, are organizing granges in nearly every school district, 

 and their strength is only limited by their ability to get means to pay an initiation 

 fee. 



Box-Elder, Utah. — Since the branch line of the Utah Northern Railroad has reached 

 Corrine, on the Beaver Kiver aud on the line of the Central Pacific, our trade in pro- 

 duce with the far west has greatly increased. Prices, however, have changed but 

 little, though we have a little more money than formerly among our population. 



It becomes more apparent every year that satisfactory crops of wheat and other 

 email grain can be raised here without any irrigation at all, which in time will be- 

 come a matter of grea-t importance to surrounding sections that hardly know rain. 



Holt, Mo. — In the northern end of the county apples aud i^eaches were destroyed by 

 the severity of last winter; the first failure of apples for thirteen years. The southeru 

 end produced a tine crop, owing to its peculiar position. It is evident that lands 

 there will, in time, become invaluable for supplying fruits to the bleak northwest, 

 though now the price is almost nothing — not exceeding $5 per acre. 



Antelope, Neb. — The first white man settled in this county in August, 13&S, The first 

 plowing was done in the spring of 1869. Now we have 300 farms opened, 2 saw-mills, 

 1 flouring-mill, and another building, and enterprise and thrift on every side. 



Clinch, Ga. — Sugar-cane is planted extensively here, and will produce 10 barrels of 

 sirup per acre, 40 gallons to the barrel, worth 50 cents per gallon. Upland rice is also 

 planted here, and the average yield per acre 20 bushels, worth $1.25 per bushel. 



York, Me.— The season now closed has been a favorable one for farm-labors. A large 

 amount of fall-plowing has been done ; most of the summer manure moved ; fields 

 smoothed, &c. Since the era of high taxes, capitalists have not been willing to let 

 money to the farmers; few expensive improvements have been made, aud the result 

 is that the farmers of this county were never so free from debt as now. 



