308 
southern cultivator. 
certainly filled. When this is the case, the comparative 
distances to the sea board from Rome will be as follows: 
To Charleston, 386 miles; to Savannah, 370 miles; to 
Pensacola, 330 miles, making the distance shorter by 56 
miles to Pensacola than to Charleston and 40 less than to 
Savannah. When these connections are complete, materi- 
al modifications in trade in this section of country may be 
anticipated. 
Still greater changes may be expected from the opening 
of the Coosa River. That this will be done cannot be 
doubted. It would be questionable if this river passed 
through a region inhabited by Mexicans, Spaniards or 
Italians. But it is inhabited by Angle Saxons It is to 
their interest that this river should be opened— therefore, 
sooner or later it will be done. The sooner the better for 
the interests ofa considerable proportion of the three co- 
terminous States of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. 
Some instructive particulars as to the comparative cost of 
railroad and steamboat transportation were communicated 
to us by the very courteous and intelligent Superintendant 
of the Rome Railroad, Col. W. S. Cothran. 
The cost of freight on sugar from New Orleans to Rome 
via Nashville is $1.25 per cwL — the freight from New 
Orleans to Nashville, 1400 miles, is 25 cents per cwt, — 
the rest of the cost accrues between Nashville and Rome. 
Rome is but 800 miles by water from Mobile. If the 
river were opened to Rome, the cost of freight should be 
less than to Nashville. There are about 1000 hhds. of 
sugar annually sold in Rome. The saving of a cent on 
the pound freight would make a difference of $10,000 in 
that article alone and about half as much in molasses. 
A large shipment of bacon from Cincinnati to Augusta^ 
via Baltimore and Savannah, cost 63 cents per cwt. At 
the same time a shipment of bacon from Cincinnati to 
Augusta direct through Nashville to Atlanta cost 85 cents 
per cwt. — a difference of 22 cents per cwt. in favor of 
tke circuitous route, including the navigation of the Ohio, 
the voyage from Baltimore, re shipment at Savannah and 
freight on the Savannah River, Such items of saving in 
the cost on freight of the necessaries of life, and also in 
creased facilities of transportation of articlss of produce, 
the railroad freights on which now amount to a pro- 
hibition, indicate to the people ®f the section of country 
referred to, that it is their interest to see to it that the navi- 
gation of the Coosa is opened. Important to all other 
business relations, it is of chief importance to agriculture. 
It may be of interest to some of our readers to know 
the estimate which is placed upon the different kinds of 
Floyd land by an intelligent man. Etowah lands are es- 
timated at $40 per acre ; Coosa land at $35 ; Van’s Val- 
ley land at $40; Oostanaula lands at $30 ; Texas Valley 
at $20; Armuchee lands of uncertain value, but rapidly 
rising. 
The average product of the county, per acre, in corn 
was estimated to me at 25 bushels, average worth, 60 
cents; wheat 10 bushels, worth $1, Etowah and 
Coosa lands an average of 1000 lbs of cotton per acre. 
It is the superior cotton crop, which we presume gives 
these lands an increased value over the splendid bodies 
of land on Oostanaula river. The last are admirably ad- 
apted for meadow, and when th^ proper culture of the 
county comes to be understood, we do not believe that 
they will be exceeded in value by any lands in this 
country. 
It is gratifying to the State pride of every Georgian to 
observe the rapid advance of many of the interior towns 
of the State. Prominent among these is the growing town 
of Rome, Its position is one of unusual advantage. Its 
leading citizens seem disposed to avail themselves of this 
advantage. The pulpits of this place are filled by clergy- 
men of piety and decided ability, The schools are ofa 
high character and are well sustained. A Young Men’s 
Christian As ociation of more than 100 members (a large 
number in a population of 3000 persons) is exerting a 
salutary influence upon the morals of the town and its 
vicinity. In fact, when we consider the comparative 
recentness of the settlement of Rome, it is a subject of 
surprise to find buildings so costly and permanent, an in- 
dustry so varied, and a society so well ordered and re- 
fined. 
In our notice of the town of Griffin, in our last number, 
we expressed surprise at the extent to which the sale of 
carriages was carried on at that place. At Rome, we 
were equally surprised at 'the extent to which the manu- 
facture of elegant furniture is carried on at two establish- 
ments, Messrs Mills & Sumter and Mr. Ducker. These 
establishments employ between 40 or 50 men and do a 
business annually of about $50,000. This is as it should 
be. It is by an aggregation of these items of trade that 
we are to secure commercial independence. The articles 
of furniture, many of them very elegant and wholly of do- 
mestic manufacture, sold at these establishments, compare 
very favorably, as to quality and price, with those bought 
at establishments at the North. 
It is worthy of remark, that most of the recent brick 
buildings of Rome are covered with our own beautiful 
Georgia slate, from the B lance Quarries, in Polk county. 
The discovery of these quarries is an event in construc- 
tion to the whole of Upper Georgia within reach of the 
railroads, increasing not only the economy of building 
and adding to its permanence, but giving great security 
against fire. Prof. Shephard, than whom there is not 
higher authority, after analysis pronounces this slate to 
be equal if not superior to the best Welsh slate. 
We regretted not to be able to visit the promising nur- 
series of Mr. Lambert, near Rome. Mr. Lambert is 
an educated Belgian Pomologist, and is a graduate of 
the Belgian Agricultural School, the programme of study 
in which he has kindly communicated to us and which 
will be found on another page of this journal. We wish 
him a very great success. We should support our 
home Nurseries, The dose of “Malic Acid,” which has 
recently been administered to “tree peddlars,” will probab- 
ly have been found so distasteful, as to induce a whole- 
some dread of its repetition. It will be observed from ths 
Railroad returns that upwards of $10,000 worth of dried 
fruit were shipped from Rome during the last year. These 
statistical reports are often very instructive. The report 
