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the Mississippi bottoms. Its agriculture was progressive, and the planters were 
active, energetic men, though they had adopted a system that must have 
resulted in the complete exhaustion of their soil. The soil and climate will 
induce a more healthful system of farming, and there is no reason why, under a 
judicious system of cultivation, it should not rank among the first States of the 
Union in wealth and population. 
Wheat—There has not been much attention paid to this crop, though there 
are large quantities of excellent wheat lands. The breadth sown last fall was 
not large, both for the want of seed and of labor. The census reports only 
1,208,444 bushels in 1860. As the average yield has been good, and the 
quality excellent, the crop will not fall far below these figures this year. 
Corn.—Like Georgia this can be made an important corn State. The year 
the State grew so large a crop of cotton, it also produced 33,228,282 bushels of 
corn, placing her first among the cotton States in corn-growing. The farmers 
have planted largely this year. There is now seeded in corn nearly double the 
breadth of last year at this time, and it is generally looking well and promises 
a good crop. 
Oats —This was considered an insignificant crop ; only 682,179 bushels were 
reported by the census. The probability is that the crop will largely exceed 
these figures this year. 
Rice and tobacco—These crops were not important in this State before the 
war. Only 989,955 pounds of rice and 232,914 pounds of tobacco were 
reported in the census, and but a very narrow breadth of land this year is in 
either crop. 
MISSISSIPPI. 
If the river could be restrained within its banks, so that the danger of the 
annual floods could be avoided, this would be the most valuable agricultural 
State inthe Union. In 1859, as reported in the census of 1860, on 5,065,755 
acres of improved land she grew over a half million bushels of wheat, 29,059,682 
bushels of corn, some oats, rice and tobacco, and 1,202,597 bales of cotton. The 
destruction of the levee along the banks of the river by both armies during the 
war, and since by the floods of the river, has rendered the lands so insecure in 
regard to the floods, that a large portion of the finest lands in the Union, not 
surpassed even by the Nile lands of Egypt, is being abandoned, and will soon 
be given up to a cottonwood jungle. As this subject of the condition of the 
bottom lands will be alluded to in another part of the report, I pass over it for 
the present. When I saw these lands there was a strip of the best of them 
ten to forty miles wide submerged by an unusually high flood, and if it sub- 
sided in the usual time, even then it would not be possible to make a full crop 
either of cotton or grain. 
The suffering by reason of the inundation has been very great. The loss of 
life among the freedmen has been serious. Even if they escape the usual June 
overtiow, there will not be the usual breadth of land of last year cropped, and 
it must depend upon the uplands and poorer portions of the State for any con- 
siderable crop. 
Wheat—But little of this grain has been grown—only 587,925 bushels. 
Theré has been made this year a crop fully equal to that reported by the 
census. 
Corn.—Though this crop is ordinarily an important one, there has been a 
scarcity since the war and the partial failure of the crop last year. Only a 
small crop was harvested. Large quantities have been brought down the river 
to support teams and laborers in making the present crop. Owing to the high 
water the breadth of land planted will uot be as large as last year, and a dimin- 
ished crop will be the result. As a general rule the plant looks well and 
promises a good yield. 
