The Weekly Floridian

Southward! The March of Empire, Etc.

The New York Mercantile Journal says no one can well doubt that the region of most rapid development, in the decades upon which we are now entering, will be the South. The West has risen, like a giant and surprised the world; and the West has a wonderful career of progress yet before her. But the regions of the South are only beginning to attract the attention they deserve, and at no distant day, perhaps, they will cause more wonder by their hitherto unobserved extent than the West has ever done. Agricultural productions there are more varied, unoccupied or partially improved lands more extensive and cheaper, while there is little doubt that the mineral resources yet to be developed are more abundant. As for manufacturers, no such financial success is attending works for this purpose have been reported by the ventures made at the South the last few years.

Special report of the Department of Agriculture for February fixes the cotton crop at 6,800,000 bales, of which Florida produced 61,000 bales; Missouri, 25,000; Virginia, 24,000; Mississippi, 1,042,000; Texas, 1,326,000; Georgia, 920,000; Alabama, 784,000; Louisiana, 539,000; Arkansas, 687,000; Tennessee, 337,000; South Carolina, 616,000, and North Carolina, 452,000.