The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-02-22
Correspondence Of the Vermont Ifanscrq
Letter From West Virginia.
KANAwHA. c. IL. Feb. L

DEAR TRANscR1Pr: Constant occu
patton has forbidden me time to write
you before, but as l promised ! will
write devoting a letter dealing main
ly in cold facts, as l really wish to in
form truly Of the peculiarities of this
country.
The curse Of slavery which has de-
graded the negro race, has also degrad-
ed the white man, and the disgrace
which has attached to labor, has left
what l really believe to be the richest
country on earth, unproductive, and
this valley which should now contain
a million Of people, at least, and more
productive wealth than all of old Nir
ginia now holds, is a quiet place with
barely fifty thousand residents
Several have written me enquiring
the price and quality of farming lands,
and permit me to answer them here
The quality and price vary widely
In the mineral belt which lies main
" on the waters OF the Elk, Gauley,
Coal and Guyandotto rivers, there is
but little first rate land except close
on the rivers, where some OF the lands
are exceedingly rich But the belt
including the counties of Revans,
Jackson, Mason, Putnam, and per-
haps another, is in part limestone
formation aud very good grazing lands.
Here farms, such as You have there,
would sell for from six to sixteen dol
lars per acre / saw n nice farm Of
three hundred acres in Jnckson sold
for $1,000, recently The blue grass
region Greenbrier, Munroe, Fayette,
&c, is better grazing country than
You have there, and farms can be pur-
chased very low, but it would not be
very pleasant there for Union man,
as the feeling is very bitter This OBJ
lection does not apply to the tract
first mentioned. The region of the
coal measures is ona sandstone forma-
ton and very billy. | have seen, per-
haps, forty thousand acres sold here
at auction, bringing from twenty dol
lars down two fifty cents an acre.
have seen as good unimproved lands
here, as the average of lands in Fair
field, sold for two dollars an acre.
On the Kanawha, lands are higher
for there are richer lands here than
| ever saw before Perhaps l cannot
better Judge of the price than from
advertisements.
J. S. c. offers the tract of land once
owned by George Washington. lying
eight miles from Charleston, consist
ing of 1000 acres, valuable for stool
or grain, including dwelling houses
six tobacco houses, and other out
buildings, for $4,000 A. w B Of
fers farm opposite this, 1850 acres
and 200 acres interval, and the re
mainder uplands, we'll suited 70
stock purposes, for $4,000. s. offer
300 acres for $4,000 NJ. S. w. offer
l 1900 acres for $4,000.
1 The hill lands are not generally a
D good as those in Vermont, but tn
= bottoms will produce from 30 to 81
! bushels of corn to the acre, and wi
= support crops of English blue gras
e that cattle will get lost in.
r Cattle are not housed Mt all here
:. though think it mistake. 1t j
G difficult to keep the hills facing tn
# south in turf, for though it freeze
d nearly every night in winter, it thaw
b every day, and this constant actio
J. greatly Injuries the roots. thin
i there are great inducements here 70
e the farmer, that is for one who
II neither afraid or ashamed Of worl
4, not in growing grain, for labor is to
r. expensive, as | consider one of you
], good farm hands there at $40 pc