Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-11-24
For the Staunton Spectator.

unns OF the Spectator, TO congratulate the
citizens OF Augusta county, and vlcnage, On
the great success Of your first show of the
Augusta County Fair.
Through the kindness Of its Secretary, Major
Hotchkiss. have received copy Of the
"Spectator, containing the full report of the
exhibition and the very appropriate and inter
esting addresses of the worthy President, the
Hon. A. IL. Ii. Stuart and Commodore Maury.
A more happy selection of orators for the oc
casion could not have been selected. hope to
see Commodore Maury's address extensively
republished in the North, especially that por-.
ton Of it pertaining to statistical matters on
'.poputation, ''production" and export.
Although the statistical data quoted by the
Commodore is within the reach of all who de-
sire to investigate the subject, not one man in
thousand of the population of the North are
familiar with it, hence very erroneous opinions
are entertained which would be corrected, if
his address could be generally read, and the
individual interests of many, both North and
South, would be promoted. There are various
other opinions entertained by residents of the
North with regard to Southern men, Southern
climate, products and influences that are equal
ly erroneous.
But these errors, or incorrect impressions
have been in a great degree corrected through
the means of the late war. Many good, hon
est, intelligent citizens of the North, were, du-
ring the war, placed in circumstances In which
they could see for themselves and compare the
natural advantages of the respective districts
for the prosecution of various industrial inter-
ests especially our great national interest, that
of agriculture, and as natural consequence,
great numbers are deserving the land OF their
nativity and settling in the Sunny South,
which will greatly increase with thorough re-
construction, which [ believe majority in the
North tn hr,p oh aC
the residents of the South. The writer was
reared in North Eastern N. Y, where he was
engaged in farming to the age Of IS years. and
he has subsequently had superior advantages
for comparing climatic influences on this most
important of all the industrial pursuits and he
has decided from a comparison of the relative
advantages of the climate of the Northern and
Southern States, allowing the soil of both dis
tricts to be equally fertile, naturally, that there
is vast difference in favor Of the South-a
difference of fully twenty five per cent.
This difference ARISES from the advantage of
the longer season favorable to vegetable growth,
by means of which two, and even three crops
| may be raised in the South on the same land,
the same season, whilst in the North rarely
more than one crop can he grown, and on an av-
erage, one year in five the corn crop is not
full one in consequence Of the shortnesS of the
season.
There is difference of fully two months of
every year between Northern New York and
Southern Virginia, in the duration of suitable
weather for proftably prosecuting the work of
| the farm, whether of tillage, or in work Of i'm
provement Of the farm, by drainage, removing
stone &c
| The comparative length of the foddering
season is equally great in the two districts.
| There is a vast difference, also in favor of
| A. IL
the farmer can perform his out Of door labor
| A greater variety of the most valuable fruits
can be produced in the South with less loss and
less labor In their production, though the eli
mate of the North, the writer considers, more
favorable to the growth Of the apple, cherry
and plumb, than that Of the South, but this is
more than balanced in the greater variety
which can be produced in the South, both of
fruits and vegetables
There Is, however, difference in favor of the
North in the greater durability of all destruc>
tible material in fences, buildings and the like.
which is fully 25 per cent between the two dis
tricts that | have compared. There is the
same difference in the time required for the de-
composition of vegetable matter, manures &c.
This difference is favourable in some instances
and adverse in others. e. G: In light porous
soils, which are leaky, if an excess of stable
manure is applied to given crop, the thorough
and rapid decomposition Of it, in consequence
Of the longer season favorable to it, subject
| that excess to waste ere it can be utilized,
whilst in the North, it would lie in the soil I'M
changed to another season, when it will be
available again. This principle acts adversely in
the North when it is desirable to thoroughly
decompose sward Of blue grass or couch or
quack grass, las it is called, in some districts J
in single season-the season is not long
| IL = ~
benefit from the decomposed sward cannot OBJ
tanned in a season, as could be- if the decom
position was more rapid.
The writer has observed marked difference
in the formation of muck beds in the North
over the South from the cause above stated,
viz: The annual decomposition Of vegetable
matter being incomplete on account OF the
shOrtness OF the season. Leaves, grass, and
weeds, partially decomposed, are carried by the
heavy flow of water from heavy bodies OF
snow rapidly melting, and deposited into the
swamps, where they are deposited layer upon
layer, successfully, and where they remain, I'M
til the writer has seen the accumulation to the
depth Of 20 feet These muck beds from ex-
haustless stocks Of vegetable matter, which, il
hauled back to the higher ground and compost
ed with quick lime, or spread thinly on the
surface of the land to lie year or more, add
materially to the productiyeness of the SOIL
These muck deposits are not found in the
| South to so great an extent, IN consequence OF
the more perfect annual decomposition of the
substances of which they would be formed. In
this decomposed state they are more soluble,
and consequently are carried into the streams,
thence into the ocean, where they are lost.
The writer does not recoect to have seen
this phenomenon mentioned by any agrlcultu-
raj writer, but having been in the practice OF
annually greatly augmenting his manure pile in
the North from this source and being unable
to do so in more Southern districts which have
been his field Of labor, he was struck with the
marked difference IN amount OF these deposits
of wealth to the enterprizing farmer.
The effects of the shorter foddering season
in the South as compared with the North, is
not only in the vast saving of provender, but
in the more rapid growth Of the young live
stock of the farm The writer has observed
that animals Of the same breeds of horned cat
tie, horses, sheep and swine, with the same
care, will grow more rapidly and mature earlier
in the South than in the North. There is a
difference of nearly year, or about Is per
cent. The great economy Of the favorable in
huence OF climate on both the stock and crops,
as it becomes generally known, will have pow>
erful influence in inducing the farmer OF the
North to change his location to that most IA
vorable, and great influx in the rural districts
OF the South from those of the North, will be
the result
The nominal price for which good farming
lands, well located for marketing the products,
have been selling in many districts OF the South
since the close of the war still continue to pre-