162 THK ALABAMA OPPOKTUXITV. 



CHEAP LANDS. 



The lands in the Valley are cheap, but not because of lack 

 of fertility, but because of scarcity of labor, the negro having 

 swarmed to cities', the mineral fields and government works. 

 Therefore lands can be bought here, fine lands, which produce 

 in great abundance either wheat, oats, rye, corn, cotton, sugar ^ 

 cane, from eight to twenty-five dollars an acre, according to 

 improvements. We here clip from a letter written by a former 

 citizen of Minnesota for publication a man of character and 

 intelligence. 



SMALL GRAINS. 



"Small grains of every description will do well here. It may 

 be a surprise to our readers to know that the average yield 

 of winter wheat in Madison County will equal the Spring 

 wheat yield of Minnesota, — that with proper cultivation we 

 raise as much corn to the acre as Illinois, that our broom corn 

 yield is equal to that of Wisconsin; that our yield of tobacco 

 will equal the far famed Connecticut \^alley, while our tame 

 grasses of every description when well cared for. will equal 

 those of Ohio and Indiana." 



MARKETS. 



The limited space compels the writer to' avoid detail, but 

 convenient markets are matters of great consideration to pro- 

 ducers. The Southern railway passes through this valley 

 from east to west, traversing every county in it, excepting 

 Marshall. This' county has the N. C. & St. L. railroad pass 

 through it. The L. & N. crosses the Southern at Decatur, 

 near the central of the valley, hence we find, that Memphis. 

 Nashville, Chattanooga, Birmingham, four great cities of con- 

 sumers of farm products are in four hours run from the centre 

 of this section and of course nearer the outer limits. These 

 cities can and should be fed from this garden of fertility, and 

 furnish a ready market for all produce. Then for local mar- 

 kets. There are the cities of Bridgeport. Scottsboro, Hunts- 

 ville. Decatur. New Decatur. Courtland, Tuscumbia. Florence, 

 Sheffield and Athens, with populations ranging from two 



