Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1856-06-04

the richest low grounds. hollands
arc better adapted to wheat and to-
bacco. The crop is heavy, Inequality
excellent, and injury from excessive
moisture am from insects. less apt
to occur, than on fiat lowslands. The
kanawha Mountain tobacco, as cx-
perience has proved, ranks with the
finest qualities in the Richmond
market. The @stecpest hill-si'les OF
ordinary soil may be proftably APP
piled to the cultivation Of this yalua.
Ae stable. Z -.
l. Iurnips find here very congenial
soil. Sown early or late they flour
ish. even on the toughest, half cleared
lands and may be lett in the field for
Sheep to feed on during the winter. I
= For all sorts of fruits, nuts, berries
and vines, whether gape-yipes or
mellon vines. these mountains are ex-
cellent. Apples, pears. peaches, cher
rics and Plums, each find here, about
every mountain, or on its top. the
soil AMI exposure that. suits it. The
itruit is Of better quality, and less liz:
Die to injury from springirosts, damps
ahl insects. than in the low valleys.
Here the mountain farmer, lining his
fence rOws,F and covering inarablr
knobs. hooks and corners, with fruit
trees and nut trees, can have Il plenti-
kul resource of nutritious food for
hogs and other live stock. besides
the. other profitable uses to which
these cheap pro,lucts may be applied.
The chestnut, hickory nut al but
ter nut trc YES are annual bearers, when
they are not(crowdel by other trees.
| The valuable oak and beech mast
would also come more regularly an |
plrntitully, if the trees hal not to
share their nOurishment below, AN \
their sunshine above, with so niany
useless ncighbors. great and small -
But even now the mast is; often sui
ticient to keep hogs tat all The w,nt.r
Here on sunny hill-silrs, whrry
the soil is mellow. can the grape br
cultivated with the utmost success.
The best species of Will grape: r'a' m
these hills rs its. native sol. In the
dcnscst thirkets. and even where the
soil is poor. it climbs and spreads
lover the bushes. The cultivated vine,
wherever tried, is louu +" be health
sier. AMI to bear fruit ora better qual-
Iifn an with NOR" ce t4in'r. thah IN
low damp Situations wh'rn tn 4rapG
is liablc<to diseases and injury from
Iins0cts.>. h +
But it is>to grazing, that the X an
awlia Mountains arr ta be chiefly llc-
vote+:~ When \thr hu Is are first
cleared of their will growth, the
Strong grasses, such aS> timothy. ch'-
yer and orchard grass. SHrcccd>best.
On the loos. rich soils. the blue- grass
does not succeed well, until th(Nsoil is
consolidated by culture or by the feet
OF clftie. anil the dpa vegetable mar
ter is incorporated with the soil. -
Then the brrlnaucnt winter grasses
take hol t. AMI IRA lnallr sol TIA
gr,unI. The Kentucky blur.grass
an the English blue gr.Isc(or Ran.
dial graSS) have been sufficient y>trie |
to prove their ss+aptation to the s6A>
The mesquit grass, the sweet vcrflaI
grass. AMI the rescue grass have been
IkAely sown, AM promisewtll. When
IQnce farmer has his pastures set
whitewater grasses. his grazing ami.
mails will need little drv food in this
mil, i climate. Meanwhile the wild
woods afford good pasturage during
six or seven months in the year.
Sheep and hogs can live in them dur.
ing the winter. But whenl live stock
runs at large in the woods, care~is re-
quisite to prevent loss from .straying
and depreciation. -
|, Twocircumstances detract from the
value OF these mountain lanls;-the
difficulty of clearing them, and the in
teonveni4nce Of cultivatingthem with
the plough. H., ... " y
10 rid the, ground Of such massive
trees, and such multitlplinous inter
wovenroots, and perscverIng sprouts,
requires much labor and no little time.
Where the forest trees are dense. there
is little brush-wool; but if the whirl,
winds or fires have thmncd the trees,
thickets or bushes, vines and briers,
make fearful work for their grubber.
Generally tn 9 richest land has the
least underw4oi. :. .....
The custom is, to save half the la.
Dor Of clearing i'll advance, by grid
ling the large trees, and'leaving them
to decay standing, while crops are
raised among them. The work Of
clearing is then finished BY degrees,
from year to year, with the axe and
with fire. But when a great dead
tree is left sta nding, till his roots no
longer prop him up, he falls, and in
falling tears a great hole in the ground
and makesa glsat heap Of earth and
roots, a deformity and obstruction Tor
many years.
When the mountain farmer has
once got land enough open for his
n,nsnnt lneed. he can gradually pX.