Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-06-17
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AGRICULTURAL.
From the American Farmer.
LANDS IN VIRGINIA.
VIRGINIA, April 20lh, 1851

VIRGINIA, April Goth, 1850
To the Editor Of the american Farmer See
ing notice in some paper, of the intention of q
numerous body of farmers from the State of New
York, removing to the State of Virginia, and hav-
ing lately had an opportunity of travelling over
various sections of the State, and examining the
value and prices of land, hope you will give
place to the following communication, for the
benefit of those intending to seek home in the
cod Dominion"
The lands in Virginia may be divided into five
sections -
/. The Tide Water or Mari Region embracing
the counties North and South of James river be-
low Richmond, and those laying upon the Chesa-
peako and its tributaries to the head of Underwater
The soil of this section is generally sandy and
sandy loam-well adapted to grain, especially
wheat, rye and corn-capable Of indefinite i'm
provement by cacareous mari, green sand and
deep ploughing-the sub soil being usually an
aluminous clay. The mail is found in bottoms
from Is inches to ten feet below the surface-gen-
orally super stratum of to IL inches green
sand. The expense of digging the mari, is from
90 to 50 cts per hundred bushels From 100 to
aOo bushels are applied per acre, according as the
and abouads in vegetable matter
Upon land married clover f1ourishes as finely as
upon any lands. A great deal of land upon the
small streams. when properly drained, forms as
fine meadow land as any in the world, the soil bs-
ing inexhanstble-a rich black loan about two
feet resting upon the mari. The expense of get
ting up, dtching &c., of this land is about SIS per
acre. Herds grass and timothy succeed WE'LL
But little attention has been paid to the grasses
although these counties laying upon James River,
Richmond. Petersburg and Norfolk, woald afford
fine market for hay, at from 90 cts to ST. per cwt
Land In the Underwater region has not been suf-
nclently appreciated since the discovery of the
inexhaustible beds of mari it is worth from IS to
SID per acre, according to the improvements
neghborhood, nc. Land as susceptible of i'm
provement as any in the world, can be purchased
In Prince George County, at from IS to SIS, with
easy access to four good msrkets-Richmond
Petersburg, Norfolk and Baltimore The WELD
on ordinary land, first year after marling. is about
~ bushels wheat, IS bushels corn, 80 bushels
oucRwheat, Ter acre-but as has been proved, can
BIZ easily doubled.
and Underwater. Until you approach the Blue
Ridge, the land is generally poor and without i'm
provement. The counties of Orange, AIbemare,
&c, afford very good land-usuaIIy red or alu-
minons soil, capable of high Improvement: land
in this section sells for from ST. TO 100 per acre.
and is one of the best cultivated regions in the
State. Average yield Of wheat 10 bushels per
acre.
8. The Valley of vrginia-or that section law
1"s oo'"eeH He biue Itldne anu Alleghauy, COM
prisng some of as rich land as any in The State
The yield of wheat is about Is bushels per acre
1t is chiefly a grazing section-being peculiarly
adapted to grass. Land sells for from SO 10 l01
per acre.
q. Western Virginia, or that section LAYING
west Of the Allegheny. Owing to want of mar,
kets, this section is but sparsely settled-bat as
the great lines o: improvement are tendiHg West
ward, this is becoming rapidly settled. For graz
ing purposes this land is equal to the valley
Lands are increasing rapidly in value. Land in
original growth worth So to S.; improved, from
$40 to $50 '''''
s. The Tobacco region, or that section laying
between Tide water, the Blue Ridge and Norf
Carolina line. This land is very fertile naturally
but has been injured by the coarse cropping.
"Worth IS to S.; improved, from 10 to so.
10 settlers, but two sorts offer the sought for
ndvantaees-good and cheap land-Western Vir-
GINA and the Underwater sections. If the inten-
,on Isl grazlngg.then Western Virginia is the
best-if for profitable farming, accessible markets
the Tide-water holds out the greatest induce,
ments.