Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-08-27
ACcoMAc AND NORTHAMPTON.

to trot over them taverns by the roadside where Ii
oest fare tempis the epcure at every stopping place
a sky aud an atmosphere outrivahng those OF lal
in all that tempts to indulgence in dolce far nent
yet braced by breezes alternately laden with to
murmurs Of the Chesapeake and the roar of the Al
lantic bright sunshine scarcely dmmed by refresh
ing showers; moonlights cool and ballny-balm
enough to invite a sea beach promenade, YET cot
enough to favor the devotion OF an entire night I
those wonderful mazes in which young hearts an
tripping feet are sometimes surprised by the gre
dawn smiling faces dimped with the glee of girl
hood, or the serener beauty of perfected womanli
ness old, tried and trusted friends and crones vel
coming, cheering. joking, or calmly discussing tn
memory of by-gone daysi the mute friends q
boybood. too,-tbe forests of gigantic pines, skirt
cd with the brighter foliage OF oak and ma
pie, gum and beech hawthorn crab.apple, dog
wood and laurel; and then the wide views Of beact
and marsh, ses apd sky which to tpe into eact
other 10 ono upbroken prospect-pro.otypes of pic
lures like those which Hildebrand delights to paint
these and thousand other items must be counted, tc
make up the sum total of enjoyment in which we have
go lately revelled. Let those who are disposed to
doubt the accuracy of the picture, see it for them
| selves. Let even the stranger, who has no home
ties to endear spend two weeks in August among the
| same scenes and the same people-and we have nc
doubt of verdict similar to that pronounced by the
European tourist: "One God One SUM- One Swift.
! zerland! One, and but ONE"
We might continue this strain of plain truth indeh
niteIy but the fear OF being considered romantic in
our maturer years restrairs further indulgence of our
limited power of description. To descend TO more
coumun place matters. We have been surprised
at the rapid improvements in the agricultural line
manifested by the appearance Of crops aud the
growing wealth Of Eastern Shore farmers. There IL
no other part of the State where agriculture has &C
rapidly advanced during the last few years. The
| free use of guano and other stimulating maaures
deep ploughing and deeper draining. have don't
wonders, both for the health Of the people and the
productiveness of the roll 10 the former respect,
| very mistsken notion prevails amoog many OF ou'
upland people. Neither agues nor bilious fevers are
half so prevalent in the salt water counties az ii
/ generally supposed. In Accomac and northampton
very little care 10 sufficient to avoid these disease
! entirely. Let q farmer keep bs curtlage cssr O
weeds and practise some care 10 diet during the lat
t-r months of the summer and the frat two months o
|
tions of heat and cold Induced by rapid evaporation
which ooustitpte the real oource Of diseases vugarl]
attributed to that veriest of shams invented by th
medical fraternity, nalasrnd. The evaporation o
salt water counteracts, rather than induces, the ten
dency to diseass. 1t 10 olly the fresh water ant
bcackish swamps which to he feared. Foriu
| II ,tey the Improvement of lands for farming pur
poses demands that these should be thoroughly
drained. broad dtob, deep enough to strike II
natural springs, tscarcely more than feet hr
nssh the surfsce) is always sufficient for this put
pose and in every instance, insures both heah ant
! fertility.
| All the best and most Of the aruble lands ii
the Eastern Shore countless show light, sandy
| riabe superfc-s, not uncommoniy' however inter
spsrssd with tracts of toleraby sr pipe clay with
fine red clay subso. These lands arc susceptible o
tbs very highest degree of Improvement, and although
naturally sss fertile thau heavier upland coils cal
-asily be made 10 yied much more to the horse and
| hand The great and small expense with which
they can be pro6taby cultivated, the immediate re-
! turn which they yield to every iudcious application
of manure, aud the facility Of rendering every such
Improvement permanent by means OF green crops
offer very great temptations to enterprsipg farmers
How these facilities have hesn employed can be
Judged from apglo instance. Fifteen years ago
ths two counties of Acoomac and Northampton could
not bs classed at all among tho wheat growing coun
tes of the State. Small patches for domestic use
| were all that was generally attempted Even these
were comparatively unfrequeut. In 1857 the average
Weld Of wheat in Northampton was about 80 bushels
| per acre. gentleman near Eastvills informs us
that small field Of his, without the application
puano or any other manure, produced 40 bushels tt
the acre. This year. there ea leen partial failure
Of the wheat cvop not 80 great failure as among o"
Jsmeo river fsrms but averaging about ethird O
the expected crop. The oat crop was also cut shot
| by drought. But we have never aeen Indian corr
more lu1urisnt. Compared with the parched fields
bstween James river and the Potomac, the vigorous
appearance Of the Eastern Shots corn crop is very
striking. The ethsr great staple Of the Shore swee
potstoes are more than promising They are already
Welding ins returns to the early diggers.
The price of lands continues to advance, In splt'
of the fact that prices Of choice situations nave al
| ready trpled within the last ten years. we arr
happy to learn that hopes are entertained OF the no
vsry distsnt completion Of an air line railroad from
New York to the vicinity of Cape Charles. Thi
would at once raiss the price Of lands on The EasterI
Shore TO ons or two hundred dollars per acre. There
ia now no obstruction to the c0mplehan OF th'
scheme. The stats Of Maryland has granted th'
right of way, the books are open, and nothing but
little enterprise Oh the part of capitalists from New
York to Virginia is necessary TO open The sher'ss
possibls line of Northern and Soutbsrn travel.
revolution from agriculture TO horticulture would bf
F,tC n -
With the present facilities OF transportation the lat
ter branch of husbsndry is already the most proht'
able. With increased facilities, the two counties
must become one smiling garden Tor the supply
of the daily markets Of the Northern ctes In Inc
mainline. however, they will continue to afford sr
production of graiu and this reminds us OF
nout vhch shoud long since have been urged upon
thrifty farmers of this section. Why 1t that Eastern
Shore farmers will continue TO send the bulk OF the
grain crops to Baltimore, when they can clear some
thirty cents more on bushel Of wheat, by sending
il to Richmond Yes thirty and perhaps forty cenii
more ON wheat and proportional increase on other
spscies of grain Not only does the Richmond market
offer an advance on the gross price, OF from nVe to
fifteen cents the Baltimore price, on'' 'nanKs u
the comparative absence of sharpers ana
and The ebtirs absence of league among 'nese Reh
try tpoli.ely called in baltimore 'corn e1chanee
the farmer 10 alloved to sell his own gra'n w'toou
leug ofced to she out % per cent OF the proceeds
to middle men of various descriptions, who 'nterpo'e
to save him no trouble in the Baltimore market
Before the establishment of the Corn EIcoange IN
Baltimore, our Eastern Shore farmers would aenq
their grain to that city, sell It and collect the price
siply by paying low freight to an honest and trust
worthy nsighbor In command Of shallop. Sinos
the Corn Exchange has been erected, grain mas De-
come ss great an object for speculation and pecustlor
az the most "fancy' article of stocks. WE'LL wha
| Baltimore once was' hichmond s'|ii To- fy 'n.