Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1876 — Arkansas Letter. [ARTICLE]

Arkansas Letter.

Caiuslx, a**., July 23, 1876, Friend Horace : While sitting in my room this morning it occurred to me that perhapa some of my old friends in Jasper county would Hko to hoar what I now think of tho country. Oar party arrived here on the 2d day of July well and hearty; having had a very pleasant trip, with the exoeption of a short time in Illinois when some mud and rain were encountered. At St. Louie we went on board of a boat which bore os down the Mississippi river to Helena, where we landed. From this point we traveled in wagons through Phillips and Monroe counties to White river at Clarendon, twenty miles east of this plaoe. I never saw a better.prospect for oorn than in Phillips county. It was then in the latter part of Jone and corn stood on an average fhlly 12 feet high ae nearly aa I could judge without actual measurement, and was in eilk. I could not see why it should not yield ae much per acre as any land in old Jasper county. The ootton crop looked fine, though of course I could only judge from what people say who have had experience in raising it. It looked fine. I never before saw '

in a travel of thirty to forty miles I and so clear ot woods and grass as 1 in Phillips and Mouroe counties. It would not do to say as ole an as a garden, because perhaps you might go down and look gi my garden In Rensselaer, but I may, say that miles upon miles ot oorn and ootton fields are as clean cr Norman Warner’s garden. # ln these counties was a population of negroes about as numorous to the acre as the settlements in the vioinity of your own Nubbin Ridge. It seemed to me they might be able to produce cotton enough tor the Whole world. And their fields are not small ones either. I enquired of one man, who looked as though he had not suffered much injury from the war, how much oorn he had planted. He answered that he had 150 acres ot corn and 250 acres of cotton this year, and reoently bought 100 acres more of land, which was now being cleared for a cornfield next year. After crossing White river we atruck into prairie oountry. Here darkies are seldom met, but there are plenty of very fine fields of corn and cotton. Yet it was not so forward nor so clean as in the timber region. The reason of this is be. oause the latter fields were tended by white men. If there is any thing a negro takes pride in, it is his cotton patch. In this county the land ia rolling and the oonntry is very pleasing to the eye. It will make good homes for those who want a farm, or to raise stock. Itis healthy here, thoogh at this time of year people are subjeot to chills and fever the san!e as they are in Jasper. I like this region very much, and think I never saw so large a traot as that contained in these two counties ot Prairie and Arkansas in which there was so little poor land. In these counties the land is mostly prairie, beautiful and rolling, and bandy to timber. Land is cheap, the price averaging about $3 per aore. There are some homesteads yet to be taken. Those who desire to farm or raise stock will find plenty of range for eattle and horses, and need not cat grass to keep them over winter. There is a splendid opening here for that class of people, and I have no hesitation in advising them tecome and look at iu Fruit ot many kind* is grown to perfection. I would live here if it was only for the enjoyment of eating the luscious peaohes which grow so abundantly. If one does not feel disposed to work they may be idle from about the Ist of July to the Ist of September. IJay is needed only /or cows that give milk, and cotton

teed ii preferable to either hay or oorn for thia dais of stook. People are friendly and appear pleased to have ns oome among them. The olimate does not seem hotter to me than it does abont harvest time in Indiana, though most everybody seeks the shade from about 10 o’clook in the morning until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I have seen here the largestgrowth of timothy, millet and oats I ever saw in my life. They oome very nigh raising three crops of potatoes a year in this region, and gardens are planted both spring and fall. I never was in a country where all kinds ot produce known to us in the North grows so large, aa abundantly and with eo little labor. They seem to plant only what is wanted at the time it is harvested and the surplus is left to rot on the ground. Irish and sweet potatoes are successful crops. The oouutry is now settling up rapidly with a good class of people ; and will certainly be dearer here each succeeding year; and those who would avail themselves of present prices and opportunities should make no unnecessary delay. Yours truly, E. T. Hardin o.