Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-02-09

On newly cleared lands, the strong grasses,
such as timothy, clover and orchard grassSdo
best; but after few years, the winter grasses,
| such as the Kentucky blue grass, the Randall, or
as some call it English blue grass, the Mecqut
grass etc, if they once get a start, take pos
session of the GROUND, and become permanent
There is no doubt that the rescue grass, and the
sweet yernal grass viii also succeed With win
tor pastures, in this mild climatic cattle viii need
little dry pasturagc. Meanwhile, the woods af-
ford good pasturage during g or Z months ofthe
Year. Sheep and hogs can live all the year IN
the woods; the mast often keeps hogs fat during
the winter
! TheSclearing Of these mountain lands with the.
axe and mat tocI costs much labor. The Gus
tonl-is to girdle the large trees, and let them
stand, while crops are raised among them. For
pasture lands, tits found cheaper to cut down
and burn the underground, without gruhbing,
and to scatter grass seeds among them. Gradu-
ally the cattle and sheep kill the sprouts; while
the grass takes root and occupies the ground
In many parts, the fine oakland poplar timber
may be sentprOftably to market The demand
IS now great, and yearly increasing, at the Ka-
nawha salt works and coal mines, and along the
Ohio river. ias f5ss - -
Why the trees on these mountains could not
be profitably converted into potash, we know
not II is'not done But if northern farmers
have thus been paid for clearing their lands,
why it not be done here2 p1sa
The Inconvenience of cultiyating very billy
lands is great. The mountain farmer must not
use the heavy broatl-foOted horses in the pillow
and wagon, but oxen or mules BY the by,
mule breeding would be a very profitable bust
ness here as these hardy animals can getmuch
of their living in the woods, and on blue grass
pastures they would need little winter feeding.
IS
mountain sides, it may be a question whether it
is worse than working in the mud of rich low
lands.
What should recommend these mountains eS-
pecially to a farmer, is the pure, healthy air
which he and his live stock viii breathe. There
is not in America more healthy climate than is
found on the mountains ofthe Kanawha. The
small valleys among the mountains are healthy
quite so-but the stiles and tops Of thcmoun-
tains hayethe most pure and invigorating atmos
phere. He that lives on them, il he uses COM
mon prudence; will seldom need physician;
and here, if any where may an invalid hope, to
recover sound health, and healthy man hope
to live to an old age. Here too, live stock of all
sorts are healthier than they are ON most low,
lands; the writer of this article speaks from ex-
pcrience Five years ago, being advanced III
life and in such bad health as to be obliged to
give up his professional enploymehts, he set
tied on the mountains near the Kanawha river,
and commenced clearing farm in the woods.
In year or two, he felt that the mountain air
was renewing his constitution-tha summers
heat did not Cypress him, as it did in the low
grounds; that tatiguing exercise did not exhaust,
but strengthened him; and that he could expose
himself to the night air, and all weathcrs with
out injury. BY impruClence in cold weather, he
sometimes felt touches of an old complaint, the
rheumatism, but by simply taking better care
Of himself for few days. it left him.
Let me therefore recommend to farmers who
design to emigrate, that they come and fairly
examine this mountainland before they go far
ther, and perhaps fare worse.
HENRY RUFFNER.