Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-08-29
The Lands i'm Virginia and the Lands
.s'0gf Wpst,c

'e'OW Hfsls
Those who have lands IN Virsdtnia. seldom
better their condition h. lisDosing of them,
to engae. III farmih9 in the West. Money
has doubtless been made there but not With
out marry sacrifices. and great deal of la
Dor and exertion. The same exertions with
out the sacrifices, would have secured SEC;
cess here, and given them competence
which they cannot more shan obtain in Mis-
souri,, Illinois or Iowa. The lands7jf Vir-
ginia are sqral in fertility TO the laads of
any of the States of the West, and proper
cultivation will ensure more certain reward
here than there. Hcw many are there who
have disposed of comfortable homes here,
and gone west in pursuit of #9alth, who
would nov gladly return, if they had it in,
their power to do SO.
1t is true lands may be obtained at less
price elsewhere than in Virginia, but does
that make them really cheaper? We think
not, and this view, if we had time and space
re could substantiatc. FOR instance, a man
may purchase all improved farm here, at, pri-
ees ranging frori forty to seventy dollars per
acre, aud when &c gets this he has home
with all the improvements in the way of
building and fences, necessary 50 iasuse
comfort, with his land III condition to re-
eeiye immediate cultivation Generally he
is able to make tiyis land produce EoM if
Eteefs 10 thirty bushels of wheat to the acre,
with c ready market in which to dispose Of
it; whatever he may be able to raise in the
way of pork, poultry, eggs, butter, &C., he
ca, easily sell q. fine prices. Everything
he ra.ses brings good price, aud that in
cash.
Now let US contrast this with the condi-
ton Of things in the western States. Good
unimproyed lands, with anything like a toll
cradle location, cannot be had for less than
ten or fifteen dollars anyhow, and in nine
cases out of ten, they cannot be procured at
t csc rates. We know that it is often as
serted that lands can be bought for one del
lar and twenty five cents. but when you get
them, they are destitute of any advantages
without any market for the products Of the
sell, if ecu arc ifortohsse enough to raise
anything. But lei rs return to those lands
that are supposed to have location near a
market, and which, as we have stated can
not be had for less than ten or fifteen dollars
per acre, and enquire what advantages they
possess. Have they houses suitable for the
residences of our wives and daughters, our
mothers and sisters? They have not. Have
they barns and granarics in whi3t to depos-
it our grain after re have toiled to make the
soil produce il" No they have not these,
/, either. Have they fine fruit, and good wa
ter Sometimes, these may be found. hut
the are fe.7 and far between, (. Have they
good fences, TO prevent crs 'a,cck from wan
dering where they please, Is liber'y to de-
stroy what we are ehdcavoring to cultivate
Cor the sustenance of those dependent upon
} Us No, they have no fences. Lastly, have
they timber upon them, with which 80 erect
dwelling houses, to rear barns and crana-
ries, and 70 construct fences to prevent the
depreciation of stock q? This is the most I'M
portant question, for where we have mate
rial 20 do with, we can get along, but if we
lave '.olhing with which I'VE can work, it is
difficult to succeed But ths sane answer
must be given to this question, thai Jhe pre-
eeding one has received. There is no wood
, on many of these tracts Of land, and If yoa
build houses, barns and fences, you a.e sub
) ject TO an outlay OF money to prccaVe tie
necessary material When di4 i ever oc-
cur i'll Virginia. tint .a.u engaged in fagm-
: ing had to buy TN simser ct Wt,ca his rails
were made, eud If he hGd 70 1''so. imagine
how his profits would be eaiiai.ad. Or o.
the Other hand, suppose that the farm. LAM
, of Virginia were left without fencing. It's
many of the market lands low in the west
are, and what would they be worth, if an
? nually, the farmer had to buy his fire. wool
and rail- timber Would it not divest then
: of their value, and bring them down to /
standard not higher; il as high, as those O
the wcst2 We think Il Void.
We heard an intelligent farmer. recently
returned from the west assert that an ac-
]. dnaintance of his had gone thereto better
: his condition, owned farm Of one hun
dred and sixty acres Of land, upon which
there could be found but one single tree
But this restitution of timber was not the
worst feature Of the case, for the farm wa,
without fencing Or farm buildings, or even
, house fit TO live il, Now shat is, there il
; such situation as this, 10 invite the desir,
of any man, woman or child in Virginia
, If we toll here, we are sure TO get something
, but there, there is no certainty, for there il
? much greater danger ofe crop failure In thu
, new lands of Missouri AID Iowa, than there
iaein the fertile soil of the Valley Of Nir
cin'a. But we must close this article, hop
. iag % refer to it again at some other time
p Charlesto~n SPIRIT n Jefferson