206 



HilN, a piece of land of the size of 3,400,000 bouvvs lying on a 

 height of from 500 — 800 ft. of which 66% is farm-land, five percent 

 of it being planted with cotton. Its share of the cotton production 

 is 1.6%. 



The Prairie Territory, includes the black prairie land of Alabama, 

 Mississippi and Texas and further more the coast prairies of Ar- 

 kansas and the red clay soils of the prairies of West Texas. This 

 territory consists of an area of more than 37,000,000 bouvvs of which 

 55% is farm-land with a contribution of 20.6% to the total cotton 

 production. One has to deal here with clay soils. The land has a 

 value of from 24 to 53 guilders per bouvv. In this part the most 

 use of implements is made the planting year begins with the first 

 of December, one month earlier than in the East. The ploughing 

 of the cotton land is done mechanically. The ploughs are chiefly 

 drawn by two horses. The ground here is so much heavier than in 

 the Pine levels. The more or less hard prairie soil is ploughed 

 with 4 — 8 horses when I — 4 bouvvs are able to be ploughed to a 

 depth of 5 — 20 c. m. in a day. 



The soil here is so fruitful that it is on the whole not necessary, 

 to use manure. If the soil has been worked for some years, it be- 

 comes easier to manage. 



The plucking requires a gre~t expenditure. The best pluckers 

 gather from 500-600 pounds of cotton per day. Children from 6-9 

 years pluck on the average 100 lbs. per diem. 



The cost of production amounts to from 12-16 cents per lb. The 

 Held labourers' wages are high, in Texas. 



On the 250,844 farms, there are about 57,042 labourers. These 

 get on an average including food and housing/"33 per mensem. 



The Oak and Hickory Territories, lie on the Eastern, border of 

 the Black Prairie lands of Texas having an area of 24,600,000 bouws 

 of which about 52% are farmed yielding 14.4% of the whole cotton 

 harvest. 



Of its farms, 31-34% consist of less than 30 bouvvs. For 20 

 bouws, one draught animal is considered sufficient, The value of 

 the ground is /25 per bouw. 



The Bluff and Brown Loam Table Lands, lie towards the East 

 of the Mississippi river, with an area of 6,300,000 bouvvs and a pro- 

 duct of 6.8% of the total. The value of this ground is on the aver- 

 age 40 guilders per bouvv, and the average cost of production is 

 estimated at 1 7 cents per lb. 



The Alluvial Strips, are met with in every southern State, gener- 

 ally, the low lands along the Mississippi, the Red and Brazos rivers 

 are meant with these. These consist of a total area of 17,000,000 

 bouws, of which 34% is farm land. Six percent of this is cultivated 

 with cotton giving 14.6% to the total 



The ground is chieflv let out at from 13 to 23 guilders per bouvv, 

 the while the average value of the land is estimated at /64 per 

 bouvv. 



The Red-Loam Lands, lying on the east and west consts of the 

 Mississippi River and the valleys of the South East of Tennessee 

 and the North-west of Georgia, produce together 6.8% of the 



