Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1868-10-30
8isIS anh Sarbrm.
THE BoRDER STATE FAIB.



climate, what shall we produce mainly
With sincere diffidepce l shall offer
few Suggestions in this regard |
In a country so sparsely settled as
ours, and where lands are held in such |
large bodies, the theory of a division of |
labor is not sound economy in farming
operations. Every farm should be as
nearly independent and self supporting
In all respects as it can possibly be
made. In mercantile parlauce, far.
mer should, if possible, be "a general
dealer to at least the extent of his own
consumption. Planting, therefore, as
contradlstinguished from farming-by
which we understand special devotion
TO cotton, rice, tobacco, or any great sta~
ple,-is liable to this objection, it is lot
selfsustaiuing. An imperfect and un.
wise arrangement, that's, by which 50
many of our planters expend the pro.
ceeds Of their staple crops for provisions
aud stock, thus paying double profits
and commissions, as we'll as shipping
away the fatness of their soils every
year and placing nothing back in lieu Of
it. Every man who tils the soil as
means of living should surely first pro,
vide himself with everything which his
farm will grow before he plants a single
seed for sale. Another objection to
planting, or special farming, is that it is
ruinously destructive of fertility and an
enemy to improvement of lands. 1t is,
l believe, an accepted truth that there
are no means of permanent improve
ment in our soils equal to the cutiva.
ton of some Of the grasses and the rear
ing of Aocks, which both retain and re,
turn fertility to the earth. We are
here directly Cd the dividing line he
tween the planting and the grazing re-
gions Of the United States, and by ju.
dicious and scientific intermingling of
both | give it as my unhesitating opin-
ion that we stand in better position
to secure wealth by agricultural means
than any other people on the continent.
To successfully develope the agricult-
ural wealth of our country deem it
not only necessary to reform our PLAN
ting system, but to open out new paths
and to diversity to the utmost extent
our productions. This will secure i'm.
munity, to great extent, against TIE
accidents of the seasons, enlarge our
markets, and bring into pro6tabI, en-
ploym much labor--as of women
and children--now so little used. Aud
here permit me to remark that | regret
TO see that your committee, in making
up their very large list of premiums,
have failed to offer any inducements for
essays or other information in regard
to msuy--to US new-departmeuts Of
industry A change in this respect is
imperatively demanded by our altered
circumstances. In rejecting upon the
many new fields of agricultural enter.
prise upon which our people might en-
ter, | am forcibly impressed with thu
opinion that the two most promising o
sure results, aud best adapted to GU
scarcity of capital and labor, are th,
cultivation of the vine 10 the lOwland
and the orchards and dairies of tn
highlands in these two States No sur
er road to fortune, it seems to me, cal
be found than lies here for iutelligen
industry.
The Scuppernog grape alone, with it
various crossings, Is source of i'm
mense profit. 1t is extremely hardy
its culture is simple, and since the clus
tiers of Eschol, it is perhaps the mos
wonderfully profile grape in the world
Its home is, too, in that sandy belt GOV
cred by the long-leafl pine, heretofor
enormously considered almost valueless
Here, without trenching at all upo
valuable grain soils, enough wine coul
be made from it to supply the market
of the werld, and place even in the cab
ms of the poor purer and healthie
drink than is now seen in the salons {
the rich and great.
A statecent of the yield aud the sale
of wine by few gentlemen WHO hav
recently engaged in this business
North Carolina would make many a ma
stare who continues TO gather ten bush
els Of corn, or five Of VII a., per acr
from bis worn-o out fields, after the maj
ner of hls fathers.
The capacity Of this grape is indeC
almost marvellous ! have derived son
information in regard to the subje
from practical and experienced grow
of it in Duplin county, North Carolin
VIII oh give as follows; An acre VI
bear tweniy-one vines forty feet apaI
At three years old each vine yields OF
peck of grapes; at five, two bushel
ut ten, twenty -tive bushels; at fftee
forty bushels many vines actually bea
ing Fifty bushels A bushel Of be
grapes, weighing sixty pounds, "
make four gallons Of juice, which W
yield about three and half gallons
wine, readily commanding in mark
$3.50 per gallon. The ponice will ma
five gallons of vinegar, worth fifty Ger
per gallon. We have thus Sll25
the proceeds of one busheI; $3.50
the proceeds of one full-grown viz
S9,A50 as the possible proceeds of o
acre. A resul; that almost excee
belief, and / state it with DIFF
dence on what appears to me reial
authority. Even reducing every il
by nine-tenths, it would still leave Il
grape the most prolific and mos pro-
able one in the world which | yer
believe il to be. And | am assured
the best authority in the State Il
$1,000 per acre is very moderate c
culation. The labor aud expendtu