Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-01-21

or themselves are regarded, an lncrea,e VI W.,
" is desirable. OF these many should 90 "e''
and that right speedily. soo ..rss
Here is Virginia farmer owning ooo az
worth, with Improvements stock, inpienensss 200
saw { S 600 and his negroes are worth say Soooo
more. Suppose he sells, and TO gel his properly
into cash has to discount Is per cent, leaving
SIS GOO. which he axes West and buys iarn
Of like size, which, if pretty we'll improVed "ou'u
cost say $40 per acre, o,o
500 acres al $40 ''o00
Expenses oljourney of exploration and am
removal , 80
$500 acres Government land al 81 70 o'!So
60. ;n,nle,ronis mach mes and fixtures 34T5
S o' 'p 5000
$4,000
How many Virginia farmers, with capnal,
as above, of $4,000, can make living on 'he',
farms ami lay up 200, or 6 per cent? rev.
think, and there is litIe or no chance lot lhe't 'anu
10 Increase much in value. 49,
Present prlf on Southern md western Id I"
ins will b., compared in the articles On corn,
wheat, wool, cattle, &c; but, would ash' "nal
probable difference would The change make I'D
only len year>2 In the first place, ne Se'I 'niih
as large as he SELLS asd oi better land, anu winch,
Tor .o!ucing wool, butter, cheese, pork, oe' upon
which trans porla,ion is noItoo heavy an tAp'"'e,
= worth ,hsoiuiely as much as the OLD one, acre
tr acre. He has besides his $3.50 acf' 10 oiins
radr. cultivation, as his means VIII nefmil,
maj! .ns six farms as large as he sells. ne al
l.@.nce :or stock, implements, &c IS iQgte hdh
can usually be found on such afms 10 virginia
and still So 900 is LETT as spare capital u use III
the employm OF hands. believe 10 hlle laour
in the Tree States which really requires ll'iIe ca
pal, is as profitable a. TO own slaves IN Virginia
a.; /
So OoO. which is fully eqna 10 s. 600 10 negroes.
The future value of The 3 00C acrss in the West
NAV be estimated BY considering what lands ale
TO be worth in Virginia. One fact you may con-
slider fixed which is, that gradually comparative
eouaiily in the value OF lands is 10 be established
from the Atlantic TO The Mississippi. Not that
farm adjoining the city oil Richmond is to be
worth no more Than one in The midst otan Illinois
prairie; but The difference is to he greatly, very
greatly rcduCed from what ii now is.
The constantly increasing means OF inercom-
municalion are rapidly diminishing The advan-
lagc OF farms near the scaboard, in their CONT
gritty to market. New York is The great centre
whher all lhiogs tend, suppose from Virginia
IS well as here; and not beng acquainted with
The expense Ct transporting from Rlchrcnd 10
that market. will estimate il at one third what
il is from Chicago The average cos. 10 Us OF
sending bee! and pork 10 New York is about 81 per
bb, -four about 81 IS per bbl., wool abonl 81 %
per 100 lbs. thai mess beet is worth $50, the
Virginia farmer has the advantage OF his Illinois
brother about Is. per cenl; on mess pork worth
Sl4 81 per cen'; on -four atS6, ii per cent; wool
al 25c, about per cent
This gives qniIe an advantage 10 farmers
near the seaboard, but TWO important Items in
the account should be also siaIed-wiIh the in
crease OF the lake marine, the enlargement OF the
Erie Canal, and the completion OF The New York
and Erie, and The Boston aud Osdensburs rail-
roads, all oil which are in progress, the cost OF
transportation OF western produce will be greatly
diminished; and even 1.-THE preeenl rates ottrans.
poralion were 10 be continued, we have al lcasi
an equal Offset in The ease OF lilage and slesef
produclivene,s Of western lands
From these views, which appear 10 be sound
and fair, | conclude The value Of land in the
South and West cannot always be so unequal
That western lands can soon appreciate 10 any
thing like the value Of yours, is not 10 be eIpec-
ted while so much government land can b.
bought al 81 % per acre. Ten 10 fifteen dollars
for ordinary farms will be as mnch as can be
reasonably looked for; and il is absurd 10 suppose
that YOUR impoverished and worn out lands Will
continue to sell for thirty 10 fifty dollars or more
per acre, while Our virgin soil, rich enough 10
manure your lands, can be bought for one fifth
10 one tenth The sum.
The price OF farms in the vicinity OF large
towns and cities might be sustained, were il not
that railroads bringing ia mers, for one or TWO
hundred miles, directly in competition with those
near by, in supplying city market with fresh
| meals &c. That The retail markets OF The towns
and cities are To afford adequate support for the
| farmers oil a whole Stale, Will mol be commended
Tor; and can see no o;her result but very con-
siderable reduction in the value OF country pro
perry in Virginia within lew years.
This reduction you would have experienced
ere this, as in many sections OF the North, had
there been as large an emigration from Virginia
! OF laudhoders. OF those who have migrated
| from that Stale, but a small proportion nave been
| owners al land and in consequence no more has
been offered than the:e have been purchasers Tor.
| More would probably have been sold, but Tor The
little knowledge OF The Wfst-and whenever one
or Two lines OF railroad shall BE- opened 10 the
! Ohio river, so that journeying westward shall be
! made easier and Virsinians after while, learn
there NAV he something desirable ont OF The "Old
Dominion" one alter another of the larger land
holders will begin 10 SELL il not for the purpose OF
removing 10 The West, al least 10 invest portion
| OF his capital there. If one man sells, others
will also; and land being heit in large tracts, the
selling of three or tour larms in county, or even
less 10 some sections, would be as much as could
well be done; and to crowd one or two more upon
the market, would materially reduce the price
And | shall be greatly mistaken, il within five
years even il will not be found difficult 10 sell
land in large quantities al present priccs-and
before ten years are gone, there must b, quite a
reduction.
tn Investment of Capital III The Ucs'.-Ths
| No is too long already, but would tTespass sull
cenly 10 make The suggestion, whether some Of
your large capitalists, whom | would not and
could nol advise 10 conc West 10 reside, might moi
10 themselves and US favor by purchasing pro-
peny in this region. Next 10 settlers do we need
capital; and money judicously invested in good
farming Lands must be safe, aud in the end profl.-
able; and those who wished 10 obtain a yearly
income, could buy lots in some OF our well esab.
shed cities, which will yield certain ground rcn
ofsix to nine per cent, payable quarterly, with an
almost equal certainty OF doubling in value within
ten wears, perhaps much less This can be dont
with M ,ist n ioss; and when wise men see a civ
grow upas Cincinnati has done, increasing in %
years from 10000 TO 100 600 nha bianls, and dout.
ling in the last seven years one would suppose they
would rQuire whether there might not be as good
oppouunlues 10 bny property 10 o'her places
which must srcw as rarily and will suaran
| " rhey NAV Ire found with little effort.
Chicago, Dec. 29h lo47. J. S. w.
RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY