204 The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 



Cut-Over 

 Lands Poten- 

 tially Finest 

 in the World 



Method of 



Colonization 



Suggested 



subsoil and sandy loam top soil, and I stand here to affirm that 

 there is not potentially a finer soil on earth, one more capable of 

 being made to produce abundantly — but it takes time, money and 

 much labor to put it into condition to do so. 



I firmly believe, however, that it is feasible to colonize the 

 cut-over land of agricultural value. There has never been a 

 time when so many people were looking with longing eyes 

 toward the South. Thousands of letters are received at the De- 

 partment annually from ail parts of the world inquiring about 

 different sections of the South and many of them making spe- 

 cific inquiries regarding colonization projects in the cut-over 

 land sections. As the majority of these letters find their way to 

 my desk, I have endeavored for years to keep in touch with 

 such developments in this section. Wherever I have seen ad- 

 vertisements of colonization projects I have written for their 

 literature. I have carefully noted such advertisements in all the 

 agricultural papers and in other ways have tried to be in position 

 to give intelligent advice to such inquirers. I am sorry to have 

 to say that in the great majority of cases my conscience would 

 not permit me to recommend such projects to intending pur- 

 chasers. Most of them, as shown by their letters, were people 

 of small means who were dreaming about building a home in 

 the South and expecting to invest the savings of a lifetime in 

 the undertaking. Notwithstanding my interest in this section 

 of the South, I have felt compelled, as a rule, to advise against 

 the investments contemplated, and I shall continue to follow this 

 course as long as conditions surrounding the average coloniza- 

 tion scheme remain as they are. 



What, then, should be done to make this section attractive 

 to homeseekers and to render it possible for the man with small 

 means to succeed? 



First — The owners of this vast domain should themselves 

 undertake the handling and disposition of it. As a preliminary 

 step the land should be surveyed and classified into agricultural 

 and non-agricultural lands. 



Second — Then you should put a reasonable price upon it — 

 a low price — get down to bedrock. It is unreasonable to expect 

 to sell such lands at the prices which have been asked, as a rule, 

 by the colonizers and promoters, prices ranging anywhere from 

 $20 to $40 per acre. Consider for a moment what the purchaser 



