Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-06

such increase of its business, those most san
guine Of its success as an industrial enterprise
would have voted him ct candidate for q
straight jacket.
THE BLUE RIDGE
Ats point some thirty five miles from Alex
andria, peaks Of the Blue Ridge in the dim
distance burst upon the eye, and the road
gradually nears its base, until before reaching
this point though still twenty miles distant,
their grim vastness gives those mountains the
appearance of almost overhanging the traveller
as he is being whirled rapidly along. At this
season, their deep mantle of unbroken green,
looming up in the clear blue sky softens the
grand picture they make, so that one is
soothed, rather than awe striker, by their ap.
pearance. To look on them from the car win
dow, at such time, puts q man with clear
conscience at peace with the world, and in
clines him to imperturbable amiability.
THE REGION AROUND CULPEPPER COURTHOUSE.
As one ascends to this altitude, the soil
gradually becomes better for agricultural pur
poses, until here, with the imperfect system
OF culture in vogue, embracing what, in the
vicinity of Washington, one would term very
slight dressing, indeed, CT guanO, the wheat
crop averages twenty bushels per acre. The
corn crops, on falow, yields from thirty to forty
bushels without stimulation Of any sort, and
with plaster alone, the yield of clover is very
fine, indeed. If sown in clover, and left in
grass, in four years this soil seeds itself with
blue grass, making as fine perpetual pasture as
the celebrated Kentucky blue grass farms af
fords, or those of Fauquier or upper Loudon.
AS yet, the farmers of Culpepper do not gen.
orally appear to be aware of the enormous
profits in store for them through the business
of fattening cattle fer the nsighboring markets
on tide-water. Stock cattle range from SIS to
$40, here in June and with the run of their
almost natural pastures and winter feeding
with wheat.straw and corn blades and stalks,
command in July and August following an av-
erage of S33 per head Indeed, those who
have gone systematically into the business do
not think it paying unless yielding one hun
dred per centum upon the investment in the
purchase of the stock, low in flesh, driven
hither to be sold for this purpose. But must
not fatigue the readers of the Star with lee
ture upon the subject of my idolatry-agri-
culture.
The scenery, for many miles around this
point at this season, is the most captivating
my eyes ever beheld; so picturesque and yet
SO harmonious is its blending of the sublimity
OF nature with the suhdued aspect of man 8
handicraft in husbandry visible everywhere
here, turn as one may. 1 rode around
the country this afternoon for a dozen miles
or so-diving into valleys and climbing
mountain spurs, from which in all direc.
lions, one can distinctly discover objects
thirty miles distant-the Blue Ridge fading
away in the mist of the clouds, the Rappahan-
mock ten miles off on one side, and the Rapidan
as far distant on the other, each vending its
course amid checkered fields of bright red soil,
studded with plow.men, cottages, groves, and
here and there stately mansion. Such a
sight is to be seen no where else in our coun-
try except in this Piedmont region of Virginia
to be reached in two hours and a half from
Alexandria, and at cost of but two dollars
and half for the trip up.
w. d. WI