The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-07-18
CHESTERFIELD.

II
Chesterfield, which has Petersburg and Rich
mond on either hand and in contact with her
boundaries, should be the most hostile of all
the counties to the cause of internalimprove-
ment We believe no representative of hers
ever gave an internal Improvement vote un-
til last winter, when Col HANCOCK had the
boldness-we may say courage-to east
vote fo- an appropriation to complete the
connection of the canal with tide-water 1t
was a remarkable occurrence and excited
much remark. The Colonial gained much
eclat for his marked display of personal bra
very in venturing to do so much tor the
State
Chesterfield seems to be operated upon in
an inverse ratio to her interests. The more
important measure is to her, the farther off
are her sympathies from it Hence various
public improvements which are calculated to
accumulate wealth, population and commerce
on both her northern and southern borders,
| and thus contribute intellectually to her own
| benefit by the increase of the value of her
lands and the increase of the demand for her
| productions and the labor of her people, have
| always found her an uncompromising enemy
opposed to them tooth and toe-nail. What
makes this still more surprising is, that she in
| cludes within her limits the chief portion of
the great coal basin of this section of the
State, so remarkable for the fine quality and
the great extent of its coal. How is it that
county with two such cities as Petersburg
and Richmond almost part of it, and with
such a grand commodity of commerce, in her
COAL should be amongst the most bitter anti
internal Improvement counties in the State,
| and so perfectly Indifferent to all the marks
and movements of Improvement in and
around her We know of no other example
ofthe kind. The cause of this-the secret of
this political anomaly, is one beyond our re-
search. We confess we cannot imagine it.
| Is this to continue to be the case? VIII
nothing move her ? If she cannot be infu
enced by the progressive spirit Of the day, if
steam nor electricity can wake her up and
produce in her public some interest, some
sympathy in the events transpiring in and
around her, then there must be some peculi-
1
peoples philosophy Their eyes must be
inpervious to the drummond light, and an
earthquake ought to be incapable of disturb
ing their equanimity. Have they heard of
the telegraph Are they aware that three
railroads pass through their territory These
are questionable matters
Well we shall not despair of old Chester
field She will yet wake up. A Judgement
has been made in Manchester and the illumi-
mating principle of the day will be helped a
little by the diamond recently found in the
ancient Rocky Ridge. The combined rays
may be enabled yet to penetrate the dense
thickets of the "yellow. Jackets, and con-
vert them into Young Americans. Where
will old fogyism go then?
| Wharf.-The Petersburg Intelligencer has
some remarks upon the subject of what is
| the best time for the farmer to sell his wheat
The Intelligencer very justly considers that
it is delicate responsibility for a Journalist
to undertake to give advice upon this sub
ject. To the farmers, it says should be left
| the matter of forming their own opinions as to
| what is best for them to do. The task of the
journalist properly being only to keep them
informed of the state of the markets. If,
however, says the Inteligencer, we were to
give advice at all in the matter, sit would be
generally to sell when prices afford liberal
| or adequate remuneration for the labor and
expense of production.
Our contemporary exhibits very proper
| prudence in his view of the question and his
conclusion is wise one. In our experience
of many years, as reporter Ofthe markets, we
have found that it was generally best for the
farmer to get out his wheat as soon as posi-
BILE, and to sell it as quick as he could get it
to market; and as the prices have been gene
rally such as would compensate for the labor
of production, to sell early has not been in
conflict with the very good advice of the In
telligencer The prices first paid for the ear
hest in the market have generally been as
high as any given later in the season, and Of.
ten they have been the highest. Then, too
the farmer, by an early sale of his crop avoids
the various losses and risks incurred by hold.
ing it: such as rattage, loss in weight, yer.
min, fire. rain &C., to which we must also add
interest of money. These items would cover
a considerable sum per bushel, and would
compensate for the failure to obtain smart
advance by holding some months.
The habit of promptly getting up the wheat
from the fields and threshing it out at once,
is an excellent one and one that seems to be
more vigorously followed by farmers of the
Valley and the West than those of Eastern
Virginia. In late visit to the Valley we
discovered that although harvest was later
there by some weeks, there was less wheat
standing in fields that had been reaped than
in our route East of the mountains. There
must be hazard as long as the wheat is out of
doors and the longer it stands, the greater
| the loss from the SCATTERING out of the grain
in handling it.
"THE ORATORS TouCHsToNE" is the title
of new book protesting to give instruction
to orators on some very important points of
| their vocation. We have not had time r.