1880.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



57 



tance, therefore, cannot be given to the sub- 

 ject of the cultivation of the soil. Cvilization 

 and culture had their origin in the south of 

 Asia, in the country oxtonding from the Eu- 

 phrates river to the Mediterranean sea, in- 

 cluding that lovely agricultural section, 

 Palestine. Thence these hand-maidens of 

 Progress continued into the countries of 

 Europe, spreading their gentle iulhienees 

 through Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, Spain 

 and Portugal ; also through the north of 

 Africa, including Egypt, Algiers, Morocco 

 and other countries. Now coining to our 

 cotintry, the United States is possessed of all 

 advantages which marked tlio.sc countries of 

 the old world in which agricidturo and horti- 

 culture first spread their civilizing induences. 

 For diversity of surface, fertility of soil, and 

 attractiveness of climate no country possesses 

 greater advantages than the United States, 

 and of all the different sections of our beauti- 

 ful country, none present better inducements 

 to agriculturists tliau that portion along the 

 southern xVtlautic coast and the (Julf of 

 iSexico. The first discoverer of this conti- 

 nent, Christopher Columbus, landed on our 

 southern coast, and other adventurers of the 

 same period landed among the West India 

 Islands, or the coasts of Florida or Georgia. 

 The French settled Louisiana, and the Span- 

 ish, Florida. The original forts erected by 

 the Spaniards at St. Augustine, Fla., three 

 hundred years ago, are still in existence. 

 These original settlers had no idea or desire 

 of going North. They considered the soil 

 and climate as satisfactorj', exceeding, in 

 fact, their most .sanguine expectations, and 

 their reports promulgated throughout the old 

 country created a tremendous excitement, 

 particularly in England, where religious per- 

 secution was in full sway. Sects like the 

 Puritans were the victims of continual perse- 

 cution, and they left in large bodies for the 

 new world. In order that they might strike 

 land early they took a northern course. The 

 " May Flower " was the first to land at Ply- 

 mouth Rock. However, their destination 

 was Virginia, or some point still further 

 South, but on account of their supply of beer 

 having run short, the vessel was run into 

 Plymouth Harbor, where a landing fol- 

 efteeteu, to await the comingof a vessel was 

 lowing after them, which contained an ample 

 supply of beer. The latter vessel, however, 

 encountered storms, and the passage was a 

 long and tedious one. The voyagers of the 

 " May Flower " would not risk their voyage 

 further South, without having an abundant 

 supply of beer, so these early settlers con- 

 cluded to remain at the spot where Boston 

 now stands, and iu the year lfi37. Captain 

 Sedgewick erected a little brewerj' for the 

 purpose of supplying the settlement with beer. 

 The facts here stated can be verified by re- 

 cords m the Congressional Library at Wash- 

 ington, D. C. it will thus appear that the 

 cause of beer settled the Yankee States, and 

 the South was deprived of the settlers who 

 had intended that section of our country as 

 their destination when they left their homes 

 iu England. 



However, the Huguenots and other perse- 

 cuted sects of France, adopted parts of North 

 and South Carolina as their destination, 

 where they established colonies and local 

 governments. A great many Huguenots em- 

 igrated also north and east of Pennsylvania, 

 and many even found their way into the east- 

 ern counties of this state, as is apparent from 

 the prevalence of the French names of their 

 descendants — the Bertolettes, Levans, De 

 Turks, De Longs, Delaplanes, and many 

 other families whose names might be men- 

 tioned, and who are among the most honored 

 citizens of the county. On account of the 

 sparsely settled condition of the country, and 

 the productiveness of the Southern soil, the 

 New Englanders and Spaniards opened the 

 slave trade, which, however, proved a serious 

 barrier to the rapid settlement of the country, 

 owing to the odium with which slavery was 

 regarded by the emigrants of that period. 

 Most of the emigrants of that day came to 



this country to seek freedom, and they ob- 

 jected to locate where slavery confronted 

 them on every side, but, now that slavery is 

 no more, there are insuperable oppoitunities 

 in the South, and room fiu' fifty millions of 

 settlers. I jiredict that in fifty years hence 

 we will lind the beautiful gardens of th(! 

 world transferred from the countries which 

 they have made famous— Italy, France, 

 Spain, and t\\v. whole south of Europe — to 

 the productive territory of North Carolina, 

 South Carolina and (Jeorgia. All along the 

 Blue mountain ridge, or Appalachian cMiain, 

 we find the finest region for grape culture on 

 the globe. All those superior varieties of 

 grapes from which are manufactured the cel- 

 ebrated wines of Spain, P(u-tugal and France 

 can be grown in the salubrious climate and 

 upon the sandy soil of the South Atlantic 

 States. The millions of the over-populated 

 countries of Europe, miaware of the innuense 

 advantages of this country, hesitate long be- 

 fore they aI)andon their mother countr)' — the 

 homes of their youth— but when they do 

 arrive upon our shores they i)rove to be 

 among our most useful and industrious citi- 

 zens. Upon their arrival they are usually 

 worn out by their tedious sea voyage, and are 

 averse to a further journey of eight or ten 

 days, so they direct their course to the West, 

 wliich can be reached hi less than one-half 

 the time than if they were to go South. In 

 the West, however, they find that lands have 

 already advanced to a high figure, and that 

 the soil is best ada{)ted to the cultivation of 

 cereal crops. In the South, on the other 

 hand, there is greater diversity of soil. All 

 the crops can be produced that are usually 

 grown in the West, while sui)erior facilities 

 are aflbrded -for the raising of fruit and the 

 grazing of cattle. A number of valuable 

 crops, such as cotton and tobacco, can also he 

 cultivated, which cannot be grown in the 

 AVest. If such southern seaports as Norfolk, 

 Wilmington, N. C, Charleston and Savannah 

 possessed the advantages of lines of ocean 

 steamers, plying between their ports and Eu- 

 rope, much of the foreign emigration which 

 is directed towards the West, would find its 

 way to the South, and that section of our 

 country would be rapidly built up. Emi- 

 grants upon their arrival at these southern 

 ports could be conveyed to their destination 

 in from eight to twenty-four hours. The first 

 settlers of the eastern counties of Pennsylva- 

 nia came in colonies from the Palatinate and 

 the Rhine, Germany. They wisely took ad- 

 vantage of the cheapness of the lands, and 

 secured large tracts, which are now occupied 

 by their descendants. The wisdom of their 

 action is apparent. As the South may to a 

 certain extent be looked upon as a new 

 country, the same advantages may there be 

 found, as were presented to the early settlers 

 of Pennsylvania, particidarly since the aboli- 

 tion of slavery. 



The State of North Carolina offers many 

 advantages to settlers. The climate is un- 

 surpassed, being tempered on the one side by 

 the Atlantic Ocean, and on the other by the 

 high peaks and tab'e lands of the Appalach- 

 ian mountains. As the State has so great a 

 length from East to West, as well as so con- 

 siderable an elevation towards the interior, 

 the range of climate is very great, from sub- 

 tropical on the coast, within the intluence 

 of the Gulf stream, to cold temperature on 

 the table lands of the West. Emigrants can 

 thustake their choice, and enjoy any climate 

 they please. Since my return from the South 

 I have been asked as to the healthfulncss of 

 the country, and have found that there exists 

 an opinion which is pretty general, that a 

 residence of a number of years is necessary to 

 become thoroughly acclimated, and that ma- 

 larial diseases are frc(pient. I am hai)py to 

 be able to state that the.se impressions are for 

 the most part erroneous. It is true that ma- 

 larial disea.ses do occur during the .summer 

 and autumn, but they are confined chietly to 

 a few localities in swampy regions, and along 

 river courses. The middle and moimtain 

 sections are, however, remarkably salubrious. 



The statistics of the la.st census show that 

 one of the two or three most healthy localities 

 iu the Unitid States is found in the Western 

 part of North Carolina, iu tlie Blue Kidge 

 region, and it may be indeed said that a more 

 hi'allhy climate cannot be found in the world. 

 Tlie soil and natural appearance of the coun- 

 try is nmch like that of this section of Penn- 

 sylvania. Land is cheap, and great induce- 

 ments are offered to emigrants. 



In South Carolina are i)re.sented many of 

 the advantages to be found in North Carolina, 

 the country In the interior of both States 

 being very siuillar. South Carolina offers the 

 additional advantages of great plains sloping 

 toward.s the Atlantic coast, most favorably 

 adapted for the cultivation of cotton. In 

 both States there are immense areas of tim- 

 ber, the pine predominating in the eastern 

 portions, and splendid opportunities are pre- 

 sented to capitalists desiring to engage exten- 

 sively in the lumbering business. The State 

 of Georgia is one of the most fertile of the 

 Southern States, and shoidd be especially at- 

 tractive to Pennsylvanlans, <us all the crops 

 usually grown in the Keystone Stale can be 

 successfully produced in Georgia. In the 

 northern portions of the Stale the soil is a 

 mixture of clay and s;i,nd, forming a fertile 

 loam, easily worked, while in the northwest- 

 ern portioni there is a large admixture of lime. 

 The valleys are remarkably rich and produc- 

 tive, -while there are many line farms on the 

 very summit of the Blue Ridge and Lookout 

 range of mountains. There is scarcely a crop 

 of any kind which cannot be grown in north- 

 ern Georgia, and no more beautiful agricultu- 

 ral region exists in the United States thau 

 that in the vicinity of the cities of Atlanta 

 and Rome. The surface of middle Georgia is 

 rolling, and the soil generally red, with here 

 and there a liberal admixture of^ gray, and 

 very strong and jiroductive. This middle 

 belt presents many natural advantages. Em- 

 bracing a territory about two hundred miles 

 iu length from east to west, aiul one iiundred 

 broad from north to south, intersected by 

 numerous rivers and smaller water courses, 

 the amount of water power available for man- 

 ufacturing purpo.ses is simply incalculable. It 

 constitutes the heart of the cotton region, aud 

 the material is consequently at hand to be 

 worked into the various fabrics. Ten rail- 

 roads cross it at various directions, so that 

 the transportation facilities are all that could 

 be desired. Its drinking water is excellent, 

 and the health of the coimlry uninterrupted 

 throughout the year. The southern portion 

 of the State consists chiefly of saudy, piuo 

 land, with many fertile openings. 



Besides the great stai)les of wheat, com, 

 cotton and tobacco, which can be grown with 

 great profit in the .Stales of North Carolina, 

 South Carolina and Georgia, there are splen- 

 did opportunities for the cultivation of .special 

 crops, which cannot be grown in the North, 

 and which yield handsome returns to the pro- 

 ducer. There are millions of acres along the 

 Atlantic Coast and (iulf of Jlexico which arc 

 specially adapted for rice culture, and from 

 which a profit of ?'20(J per acre can he realized. 

 The crop will always command a ready sale 

 in this country aiuI Europe, and the market 

 cannot be overstocked. China alone feeds 

 over ■200,000,000 of her population on rice, 

 and the failure of the crop in that far distant 

 country is the occasion of di.sastrous famine, 

 resulting in thousands dying daily, as was 

 the case lass than a year ago in China. As 

 the soil of our Southern States is more pro- 

 ductive than that of China, how many more 

 millions can we feed V The cultivation of 

 sorghum in the three States mentioned is also 

 destined to become a great industry in this 

 coimtry, and all the sugar needed for home 

 consumption can be produced as well as largo 

 (luanlities for export. The State of Florida, 

 south of the St. John's river, is cai)ablc of 

 sui)plying the whole of North America with 

 tropical fruits, such as oranges, figs and other 

 varieties, at a profit of several hundred dollars 

 per acre. The streams of the South contain 

 fish in great abundance, and a profitable 



