Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-06-10
Correspondence Of the Free Press.
LETTER FROM THE ALLEGHANIES
STANDING STONE, June /, 1853.

STANDING STONE. June !, 1853.
Dear Free Pres,
The urgent claims Of bu-
sincss have compelled mo to suspend my letters
for a few weeks; and whether can be more OF.
tentive hereafter, is very problematical. Never.
thelsss, shall write enthusiastically, at any
rate.
For the last three or four letters, I have given
your readers some accounts Of the blood shed ana
suffering which marked our earlier history; doubt
less they would like to know something Of the
people who occupy the scenes and Of their pur.
suits, where once were enacted such deed. of dar
ing.
The valley Of the Juniata i. now as widely
known for its mineral products, 1t ever was for
its hardy, fearless, and adventurous pioneers.
Upon its banks, and upon the banks of its tribu-
taries, are now erected upwards Of seventy Manu-
factories Of Iron, FORCES, Furnaces, Foundries,
and Machine Shops The Iron has reputation
for superior qualities wide the civilized world,
of the peculiar characteristics of the un'ata
Iron making it Of great value in the manufacture
of umbrella spreaders and some kinds Of wire ;
almost the whole product Of some mine is dis
posed of for such purposes. The lower end of the
valley however is a grain growing region the
minerals being the product of the upper or Nor
thern and Western portion.
Your farmers have but little knowledge Of the
grain growing genius Of a Pennsylvania farmer
All the labors Of his year have but one object in
view-the cultivation, and securing crop of
wheat. Isay all the labors; should however,
qualify the expression pou. Agricultural pro-
gress has broken in upon the former never chang
ing system. They beginning to SEQ that there
is money in something else than in a crop of
wheat. Twenty years ago wheat was considered
tho only crop from which farmer could realize
mon,y. Every other product, every other crop or
creature a matter of secondary consideration.
From wheat alone could money be raisod-there-
fore they raised wheat.
The tilers of your soil have too long comba ted
with the short seasons, the cold and spring,
lands Of your northern farms, not 70 know that
,uerything be pressed into the service to Sc
cure substantial returns for their labor and care
As widely known the reputation of the
heavy draft horses of Pennsylvania here in this
valley, where our horses are among the best,
nf your Morgans would command almost any
price and so we'll is that stock known and ap-
preciated that know two three Of our citizens
who have contemplated and still sgitate the ques.
ton Of going to the Green Mountain state to pur-
chase Morgan of undoubted pedigree to improve
the stock.
Our farmers now begin to see also that the cease
less drain upon the wheat producing properties
Of their soil is fast changing the character Of the
soil itself This never varying round of wheat
from their fields, has left traces of faal and COM
plete failures. At FIRST it was supposed to be
failure because Of the continued return Of the
same seed from and to the same soil. This brought
A chan, % of seed,-but one after another kind has
'een tried. The bald or smooth wheat gave place
10 the red bearded, and the blue stem; and the
took their place, and SO on through
The list, and then over the list again but at last
he truth has broken in upon them. that the soil
,annot always be robbed Of its wheat growing
elements, and still yield its usual return This
las inaugurated new system with our farmers.
Moreover the readiness of the market nOp, be.
'ause Of our Rail Roads and canals, has given
promise Of rich reward for the cosrser grains,
md helped to hasten the change.
Some Of our valleys which run out from the
liver, are of the richest limestone but even these
rave given indications Of failure of crop, and the
verage yield has been gradually le,sening, Our
armers now are turaing their attention TO an in.
rease in the number Of their products. Wheat
Rye, Corn, Oats, Potatoes, Cattle Hogs and few
heep are raised and kept by all. The purse no
onger looks to the wheat crop alone to fill it,
Tho mineral resources Of our valley are never
aling, Iron ore is found in largo quantities in
lmost every Township; and the Coal Of our
Broad Top add Allegheny Mountains, is inexhsus
bic. In sinking Valley, valley which branch.
e from the Little Juniuta Valley, some fifteen |
allies northwest OF US, lead has been found in such
uantity, a to have been worked with cousijcrs-
lie profit.
Add to all this the wonderful working powers
I our springs aud streams, and we have treasures
not as gitterins, yet they are as substantial as
he gold diggngs in California, and less likely to
all the lsborer than they are. Traversing the
Ihole length OF the Junista Valley proper, We
ave the Pennsylvania Rail Road. Branching oil |
/ our town, We have the Broad-rop Rail Road,
hich runs to the South, and brings in the pro.
ucts OF the valleys vatered by the Rayston branch
'bove us at Tyrone, twenty miles west, another
,ail Road comes in from the tall Pines OF the
learfeld Forests. This is not yet completed
ut it will be, and this will also open new coal