The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-10-21

livening in our own county who met here the
tomahawk and savage yell, and now they be-
hold the wilderness converted into cne of
the most lovely countries, that the eye of
man can look upon. BELMONT COUNTY
assumed its name, and civil distinction, as
early as Sept. Z, 1902. We now have 10000
of population, 5s23 dwellings,. 1859 cul-
tivnted farms, about $500 farmers, s34,604
acres Of real estate valued in 1853 for taxa
tion at $1,000, 554. We have over 40O, 1000
bushels Of wheat for annual expectation, and
the whole amount Of our taxable property is
Sl3,oo0,0o0j the increase in value of our
real estate in the last six years has been over
thirty one per cent. One of the greatest
blessings of our country is that our lands are
divided up into small farms, and we have
here no large land-holders and land monop-
olies to crush the enterprising spirit of those
who are seeking by honest toll just reward
for their labor.
To own the land we live on, to improve the
soil and plant with our own hands the fruit
trees, to behold as the reward of our Industry
the green meadow and the r:pening harvest,
with the right and fee-smple of il all vesting
safely it's easy transmission to "blood of our
blood, and bone Of our bone," is a cohsola-
tion that gives vgor and energy to life, and
brings peace and plenty around the fre-side
of the domestic hearth. The debtcr is to a
great extent the slave of the creditor, and
the poor tenant of the large land-holder. In
Europe it is the most accursed of all tyranny,
it not only takes the bread out OF the chill
drens mouths, but denies the millions the
cultivation of their intellects, because it robs
them of the means. Think oft, men with
strong muscles, and willing hands and hearts,
struggling with famine, and their immortal
minds unable to spell the name of their Gre
ator. Attribute all this to the scarcity of
food! No, no! Break down the land monop-
oily o! Europe, give her people the means Of
education, and they will rise up with the
strength OF new manhood, and health and
prosperity will brighten up their emaciated
countenances.
The prospect Of Land reform is one of the
cheering evidences Of the upward progress Of
the times; and here in OLD BELMONT where
land is divided into quarter and half.1uarter
sections, with warranty deed or a paten,
from the government in the pocket of him
who lives upon it, Within The sound of the
church bell, and The sight of the school house
with an inexhaus,ible soil that grows every
variety Of grain and every variety of fruit;
with climate free from the visitation oi con.
tagious epidemics, and with population as
yet living neatly all in the country, should
be itself matter OF annual rejoicing.
But let US examine little closer into our
agricultural resources and commercial advan-
tages. We have about 20i ,45O acres of ar
able land, capable of producing on an aver.
age thirty-tive bushels of wheat to the acre
and from eighty to ninety bushels of corn.
Fifty bushels of wheat lave been raised in
our county to the acre, and in England where
land has been farmed four hundred years in
succession, forty-fve and fifty bushels of
wheat to the acre is the average crop. This
can only be brought about, LIST, by a proper
preparation and analyzing Of the soil; I'd, by
proper selection and planting of the seed,
and cultivation of the crop. think the old
method of selecting the seed was the best,
and doubt the economy of threshing seed
wheat with our present machines. Every
grain OF wheat that is sown should be perfect,
and unless farmers pay greater attention to
this important matter they need not he sur
prised Il about one fourth Of the grain they
scatter in the field never comes up.
The farmer that will let this rich limestone
land OF ours wear out, has not learned the
first principles of agriculture. Poor crops in
nine cases out OF ten is the certain penalty
paid for negligence or stupid ignorance. We
oil recollect the great drouth in the month of
June last. advised neighbor of mine TO
keep his corn we'll worked, that IL was a good
time TO kill the weeds. AID frequent stirring
OF The grounds would keep the moisture in
the soil to the roots Of the corn. His reply
was-'if work my corn now it will kill il,
} must wait until 1t Tains." you would see
his eornfield now you woeld think his corn
had died without any working, there scarce
y being good cart-load upon u ten-acre
field. Farming is here only in its infancy
aud the agricultural productions Of our coun.
y ID twenty years will be four-fold what
they are now. The time is lust upop us
when our fruit, milk, butter and epps and
poultry will find II ready mark It in the cities
ot Baliimore, Philadelphia and New York;
and the revenue a. no distant day Fl ON these
products alone will be greater than all the
balance OF our agricultural productions now.
We have not only untold wealth in our soil,
and al that grows upon it, but mineral wealth
mere valuable. than the gold mines of Cali.
lorna-our coal and limestone to keep in
perpetual richness our soil. Our coal is the
cheapest fuel and 80 located upon our river
hills and creek valleys as to open up the lar.
gest inducements in the who.e State for the
establishment Of manufactures. Already is
this subject engaging the attention of our
people, and we have in operation 1856 man.
utacturing establishments, | venture the
prediction that within the limits OF our own
county, upon the banks Of the beautiful Ohio,
when the census Of 1860 shall be taken, YOU
will behold town OF three thousand Of
population furnishing with great prosperi.
ty, and in time out-r'valling our near neigh.
bor of the Old Duminon. Look ut it! how
can II be otherwise, with river and every rail.
road iacility--tbckly settled country, healthy