The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1866-10-17
What are our Lands worth, and our
nutieS2

What are our Lands worth, and our
Dutiesf
The Virginian turns with pleasure from
the disgusting details of the late elections
in the North to give its readers few ex-
tracts about the value of their lands, from
the American Farmer for September.
This able journal truly says :-"The real
value Of Maryland and Virginia lands is
not yet known, and present prices do not
pay for them, except SO far as the sale Of
a part serves to enhance the value Of the
remainder, by developing its intrinsic
worth. We would not have these lands
held SO high as to discourage settlers, but
their owners should consider well their
real worth, that they may be prepared to
advertise it well to buyers, and that they
may be encouraged to hold on, SO far as
they may be able to do SO, for that appre-
citation which, sooner or later, must come.
They may sell alternate sections, but they
should reserve the remainder, and reap the
benefit Of the increase in value which will
inevitably follow the influx of an indus
trious people, with means sufficient to cul-
tivate well the surplus land now owned in
Maryland, Virginia and other Southern
States they should, as we have before ur-
ged, keep their old Homes, and SO keep
themselves in position to form, to direct,
and to give expression to public sentiment.
This is the highest duty now, Of the land
holders of the old slave-holding States"
In speaking of our advantages in point
ofclimate, the Farmer quotes from North
ern Agricultural Journal, which says that
labor in the latitude Of Washington, will
produce as much in four days as it will in
six in the Western States and New York
Making the value ofour lands so per cent
greater than those in the most fertile re-
gions North. It says, estimating our
lands for ordinary farming purposes, they
are held far below their intrinsic value,
and this value is by no means duly esti-
mated by those who would buy. The re-
mark above alluded to, as to climate, puts
their value up fifty per cent, but it was met
by another, intimating their iaferiority in
point Of actual or possible fertility. The
same writer, in another communication
from Washington, says, that having trav-
elled recently through the best portions Of
the States Of Tennessee, Illinois and Ohio,
he has seen no field of clover equal to one
he had visited on the Potomac, below
Washington, that had not been MANFRED
in fifty years. The fertility Of this field
had been maintained through a course Of
cropping, by shells found on the land, and
clover grown by means Of the Shells
This was no rare case. We know, though
strangers do not know, how many thou
sands Of acres in Maryland and Virginia
have been fertilized by the same cheap
means and our people themselves do not
know how many other thousands Of acres
might in the same manner be enriched
sWith such means Of Improvement, and
their we'll known facilities for reaching the
best markets, their natural fertility Of soil
and genial climate, what reason is there,
but our own want Of appreciation Of what
belongs to US, and our consequent apathy
in bringing the true value of our posses
sions to the notice of others, that keeps
down the price of Maryland and Virginia
lands We had better almost give away
our surplus lands, than have them lie waste
or upimproving, but If our people had
some of the Yankee enterprise which has
been so often exhibited in the sale of wild
western lands, they would soon find the
means of bringing in population which
would buy from them at better prices,
while they would have the satisfaction of
knowing that they rendered fair equiva-
lent"
~ a. L.,