The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1865-10-05

Sheep husbandry fourishes here, mum
oering lo,s3s animals, producing 23,ql
pounds OF WOOL and cattle abound.
The total value of live stock is 1923, OO2.
The production of l2l $40 pounds of but
ter and s. 25 pounds of cheese, in addi-
ton to liberal supplies of milk for pro-
life households, indicates no mean ca
pacity for dairying. OF Indian corn the
product is 1920 bushels; rye. 1O,77S
bushels; wheat, 1898 bushels; flax fibre
for the supply Of the old spinning wheels,
1 1854 pounds; and of homemade sweets,
5,725 pounds maple sugar, 1853 gallons
molasses, and S66 pounds of honey. The
value of their animals slaughtered is
81, 554 of their home manufactures,
$l4,s46. These few figures are given
mountain tops, among the most remote
and inaccessible portions of West Nir-
ginia, may and do contain the homes of
| comfort and plenty, and sturdy indepen-
| dence.
| The mineral resources of Poeahontas
are valuable. Iron ore is found, said to
produce SO per cent. of pure metal and
| lead, copper, and silverexist. Coalcrops
out along the ranges f mountains on the
western boundary, which is the eastern
border of the great coal basin.
The heavy and valuable timber of this
region, and abundant water-poWer eve
rywhere at hand, will at some time COM
bine to add materially to the wealth of
this mountain region.
Randolph is the next county north,
upon the western declivity of the Allie
ghanies. 1t is still large, though its
former proportions are much reduced,
having now, in farms, As, 249 acres inn
| proved, and 27S, 0S3 rnimproved, with a
population little less than five thous-
and. 1t has, of course, immense tracts
of wild lands not included in farms.
| The soil is productive in grasses, and the
few patches in cultivation support s, 1O3
cattle and 1866 sheep. The live stock
is valued at S244,s57. OF maize there is
produced 90, 225 bushels, 20, 24S bushels
of oats, besides wheat, rye, pota toes, &c;
of maple sugar, 1862 pounds, and | 1851
gallons molasses, and 1870 pounds of
honey.
The headwaters of the Cheat and Ty-
CARTS Valley rivers drain this county.
The valleys produce good wheat and
corn, and the mountains make fine pas
turage to their SUBMITS when denuded
of their heavy timber. Coal, iron, and
| limestone are abundant. and other min
erals exist.
Tucker county lies between Randolph
and Preston, south of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad has small area, contain
ing farm lands, II, 101 acres improved
and 1860 unimproved, with but AS
| houses, and producing 1885 bushels of
corn, 900 Of oats, 4,3l6 of potatoes, land
even a few sweet potatoes 2,4S3 pounds
of honey, and other products in proper
ton.
Preston, the most northern of these
mountain counties, wild and compare
lively inaccessible as it is, and undevel-
oped i'll its vast mineral resources, still
shows, from slight beginnings of inn
prOvement made in the last few years
and the recent opening of railroad COM
munication through its borders, what
comfort and beauty and wealth will one
day be added, by labor and skill and
enterprise, TO the wild attractions ofthese
highlands. Let the reader compare the
facts of its progress and production with
the exhibit made by other mountain
counties equally favored by nature.
Tho population is 1882 1t has o.
351 acres of unimproved worth 50, 257 ,314
nearly eight dollars per acre. Its floclSs
number 1904 sheep; cattle, II ,430; hor-
ses and mules, i, i67; animals slaughtered
yearly, $50, 407; wool, Al ,-i93 pounds; but
ter, $40, 9SS pounds; cheese 8, 142 pounds;
and value Of live stock, $46l 1873. With
all these twenty-thre thousand domestic
animals, so mild is the winter of these
mountain valleys that but 5,30S tons of
nay are cut, and l0l,3l7 bushels of oats
harvested. of corn there is productivity
O63 bushels; wheat 1888 bushels. Flax
is grown to The extent of $3.50 pounds of
lint; maple sugar, 1923 pounds; honey,
l5,474 pounds; maple molasses, 1,72l gall
Ions; and (strange us it may seem for
mountain regions) sorghum strip, $50
gallons.
With abundant water power, there is
yetlittle manufacturingd done. Thereare
four small wooden factories, several shops
for the manufacture of ''shooks,n (stuff
for barrel staves,) tanneries, &c.
10 be cog,titped
q -Anpi.I..s EI.RR4, ANaaSr Y