The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-10-21

! from pasture not at all fne-by sending his
| milk to the factory and exchanging it-a gal
| Ion of milk for pound OF cheese-made from
| that source alone about $3.50 in the season clear
| money-more than from ali his farm besides
! These facts IRE highly suggestive
| LITERALLY, hundreds of thousands of acres of
this rich and fruitful highland-pastures of
the sky-await the hand of enterprise in the
| bosom of our southern Alps.
| Ofthe fruit grown there-especially the ap-
| rles-I confidently affirm there is not their
equal in the United States either In quantity
or quality. Eighty bushels are not unfre-
| quently gathered from one tree, and in size
| and flavor have never met with any in the
markets OF, our northern cities to equal them.
This under r. very poor and unscien tific system
of cultivation. Says Professor Kerr: " There
is probably no better region for fruit in the
fUnited States Apples grow almost sponta-
| neously, and there are many Seeding varieties
which have originated here that are equal to
| the most celebrated exotics. And have seen
| apples ofgood quality growing wild on the
! tops of the mountains, nearly five thousand
feet high, where the seed had been accden tai
ly. probably, dropped by the hunter"
| In the bosoms of these highlands is also OBJ
| served phenom omenon ut oncecnrious and sug-
gestive of most important results. Extensive
| zones are found in certain localities, and at
certain elevations almostentirely exempt from
| frost or dew. These frost tless reaches, called
| sometimes. though scarce properly, isother-
mSl belts. are becoming we'll known and APP
| preciated there. Professor Kerr: suggests the
| following theory in regard to this phenomr-
non but premises by saying he had never yet
investigated for himself, and says he does not
! give t. with. confidence. This phenomenon
| of frost, limited to certain horizontal line
along the mountain slopes, is of course only
witnessed in calm weather In such circum-
stances the atm nos pheres arrange themselves in
horizontal layers according TO their different
specific gravities, jnst as in elastic fluids.
water and aichohol, or water and spirits of
turpen!ine. This fact is rendered patent TO
the eye by the horizontal smoke strata which
you have seen in n calm evening at sunset
arranging themselves along the hills, or fog
strata in Buncombe. Now, each O these belts
has it's own peculiarities of constitution-spe
ciGc gravity, humidity, and emperature-dim-
uishipg upwards. The deposition of moisture
from any OF these zones in the form OF frost Tor
dew) will occur as soon as the temperature of
the soil is reduced by radiation to the dew
point, which, of course, is always 4 point OF
temperature beIo,1 that Of Tie air itself. Suppos-
ing the radiation land rate of reduction of the
temperature of the soiD to be sensibly equal
ut dfferant elevations, it is plain that the dew
sDoint will be reached in these different strata
of atmosphere successively from below up
wards, and for any given elevation may not be
rea ached at all during the whole night. Ac-
cordingy You may hear Of such frostless re-
gions in any of our mountain counties, the belt
being generally narrow, varying from few
rods 10 several hundred yards in width, eX
tending often quite around the sides of cove
or valley enclosed between mountain chains.
The elevation of the lower limit of such zones
above the plains is said to vary very little for
any given locality. As far as my information
goes, it is generally from five or six hundred
TO q thousand feet" ..-........
Here the delicate fruits-aS the peach, the
grape, and, imagine, the pear-can be grown
with absolute certainty. 1 have stood myself
and gaZed with wondering admiration over
the lovely valley Of the Swannanoa, the pret-
tiest daugh ter of Mt Mitchell, NJ the effect
of a hard spring frost upon the half opened
vegetation. Up to certain line in the noun
tnt, cir lYn, wit m n ia
spirit level, the tender leaves were black and
frost. charred, whilst all above were still green
and untouched. Snch are Natures efforts 10
teach her children her hidden mysteries. 1t
was her voice crying ont, Plant here, plant
here. and thy fruits shall never fail."-
Having promised by referring only to the
daries and orchards of the mountains us n
new and profitable source of enterprise, !
shall say nothing of their adaptation TO other
productions, to manufactures Of their mineral
wealth, the progress of railroads, or OF their
scenery and healthfulness; and if have said
more in regard to the resources of the noun
tain regions of my own State than of Virginia,
It is only because know them better. doubt
not but that the two regions are very similar,
and that hints in regard to the one may be
equally applcab BILE to the other.
. In regard to labor, don't permit myself to
doubt but that the candid historian will be
compelled to say that in the existence of
sou thern slavery the slaves were vastly more
benefited than their masters. In 4 hundred
ways it was II drawback upon our material
prosperity. 1t drove all the immigration to
The North, and that tide, of which we should
have received q share but for slavery, has
made the free North rich and great. Fully
conscious of this, as southern statesmen have
ever been, they resisted abolition, not because
they doubted the superiority of free 1ohite Ia
bor, but because they knew the utter worth
lessness Of free Jhlck labor. They believe, and
truly, that as this population was here 1T would
retard our prosperity less in 4 state of slavery.
Here is the true cause OF our present condition.
With slave labor in our midst there was
little or no room for European immigration,
which could not compete with it. Nop that
the foreign labor can compete with the negro, |
political causes of still greater weight in ter
pose to prevent his coming. The negro, Tor
whom there is well-known repugnance in all
classes Of European society, is not only still
here, but he is, under our present anomalous
state of things, the master of the situation.
1t will be next to impossible TO get any con-
siderable quantity Of intelligent immigrants
TO cast their fortunes In Il land cursed with |
|sthe African domination. The first duty OF
the agriculturist, then, is political one-to
remedy this evil and secure Il stable govern
ment, controlled by intelligence and pro-
perty. l have confidence that this will soon
BIZ done. 1t is 4 law of nature that the
superior shall govern the inferior. Know
ledge is power and not all the acts
of Congress supported by all the bayonets
within the power of insane men TO apply can
!ong succeed in reversing the DEGREES OF God
and keeping COMO and Dahomey on top OF
Virginia and North Carolina. When our po- |
litical relations are properly adJusted-ano
not till then-Inay we expect an influx OF
white labor. Nor epe1l then need we expect IL
unless we can offer it inducements. What can
we offer it 7lOt12 What have we to pay In
what department of agriculture do we hold
out promises of profitable labor ?-enough so
10 direct immigrants from the rich, cheap |
lands of the great West 7 / am decidedly of |
the opinion that we shall not be wise in either
bringing or attempting TO bring Europeans
here to raise cotton or tobacco. feel well
assured such a thing would fail. The true
character of the labor we should seek for is |
that which will enable US TO diversity our pro-
ductionS and deuetope neto sources 9f losdMt-
0pen ne1o fields Of enterprise. We need herds
men and cheese makers from the Alps, |
shepherds from the Scotch highlands, Vine-
dressers from the Rhine and the Pyrennes,
hop p-growers from Kent and Herfordshire
Will such come upon an experiment merely
How many vineyards, how many cheese fac
tories, sheep walks, and hop farms, have we
in operation among US to which we can REFER
them as evidences of our country's capacity
We must make these experiments and estao-
lish the success of these enterprises ourselves,
without which we might fail in making proht-
able the hired labor we should import, and we
shall surely fail in getting here that Independent
labor of the farmer immigrant, by far lhe most
desirable. ~.
But, with all these conditions accomplished,
Ii remains for US TO consider the best means OF
encountering the vast appliances and great
inducements held out by the people OF Inc
Northwest our rivals for this stream OF Euro
pean immigration, which annually seeks our
Shores. Nineteen -twentieths Of 1t, landing-at
New York, never sees the South, and never
will 1t will travel westward IN the same pa
rallels of latitude in obedience to well-known
laws, aided and encouraged by capital, specu.-
lation, and organization, devoted to this pur:
pose. Nothing can change this but direct
trade with Europe from the South ana tne
,ty~a. Sh hNoCy
ports not north of Norfolk At least. Then,
with your aid societies, land companies, and