[12]

11

life has been infused into all clases and into both races. The distinctive feature of this phenomenon is that it has brought into requisition as most profitable, the poorest soil in the state, and wrought its improvements on the poorest farming classes. It has also enhanced the value of such lands until they actually sell for more than the most fertile bottom lands, and the spectacle has actually been witnessed of a contention between counties as to which would show the most poor land. The effect of this is practically to increase largely fertile lands. The amount of this enhancement cannot be given with even approximate accuracy, because nothing deffinite can yet be known as to the area of fine tobacco lands, contained value of poor lands depending on also the stability of the demand of such tobacco.