The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-11-09
Virginia-The Fragments


We gather up a few fragments that lei
from the table during the proceedings OF tue
recent Fair. They will interest our people
aud swell the enlightened and weighty tes'
tinony in behalf Of the unrivalied resources
Of Virginia.
At one of the meetings Of the Pomologi.
cal Society several addresses were delivered
by experienced gentlemen-mainly upon
the superiority Of Virginia as fr'lit-grow.
ing State. Mr.. SAUNDERS, experimental
gardener OF the Government at Washing
ton, who was called out, and apologized FOL
his want of preparation on the ground thai
the call was unexpected, treated the audi
ence TO plain and sensible statement of the
relative advantages of Virginia. he con-
sidered that she occupied the true middle
latitude for the growing OF wine-makine
cranes. On the sunny slopes OF hef
mountains there was precisely the condl'
ton needed for that purpose. The ar was
dry, the warmth entirely sufficient, the SOL
suitable-so that there would be no MIL
dew, the fruit would ripen at the proper
time. and the crop would be abundant.
These were the conditions indispensable to
the production of the juicy wine grape.
The want of the proper geniaiity ana
warmth at the North disabled it from pro-
ducing the wine grape, while it succeeded
well in producing the solid table grape.
The efforts there to make wine had proved
this to be true. Even on the shores OF the
Ohio, where the grape was 80 extensively
raised. the conviction was gradually spread
ing that wne-making would not do for that
part of the country.
On the other hand, south of Virginia
there was danger of mildew from the dews
and fors. Mildew was the great enemy OF
the grape, and it could not flourish where
the causes of the disease prevailed. On the
sunny slopes of the Blue Ridge there was
no danger Of this evil, and there the wine
grape would be produced in perfection. He
alluded to specimens Of the grapes of Viz
ginia. which he had found to be juicy and
delicious. The country that produced such
must become wine-making country.
He was convinced that in apples Virginia
eycelled any of the States. He considered
the Albemarle pippin the finest apple he
had ever seen. and he doubted whether its
equal could be found in the world. For
peaches, he thought she was quite equal TO
any of the States; he could not say any
thing Of pears.
He urged farmers to 60 largely into the
cultivation of fruits. He thought it would
pay as we'll as anything else. He was here
to make up a list of Virginia fruit trees for
his Department, and in his examinations ne
had been amazed at the assortments he had
found. The display at the exhibition of the
Pathological Society was grand. he could
not have dreamed Of such sight before
coming to Virginia. More than hundred
varieties of excellent apples stood upon
their tables. There were thousands Of acres
of land in Virginia, especially on the noun
tain slopes, now uncultiyated, that would
produce the finest fruits, and he appealed
to Virginians to direct their attention to the
subject.
Mr.. WILLIAMSON, of New York, men,
Der of the well-known Fruit-Growers' So
ciety of that city, made very interesting
speech. Tie had been for large portion Of
bis life engaged in the South American
trade. but had returned home, and meant to
give his influence and his efforts towards
building up. his native State, Virginia,
whose advantages he eulogized in glowing
terms. He concurred in all that Mr.. SAUE-
DEns had said, and especially praised the
Albemarle pippin, the price of which in
Liverpool was SIG per barrel. He urged
the people Of Virginia to 60 vigor-
o1lsly into the cultivation Of fruit.
They need not fear to overstock the mar
ket. Demand kept pace with supply. He
illustrated this point by many instances,
and he showed how fruit that could not be
sold might be made profitable nevertheless.
Last year the cultivators of blackberries in
New York gathered immense quantities,
which they could not sell, and they pressed
the juice out of them. This found ready
sale at one dollar per gallon and since then
orders from abroad had come for all that
these people could make at that price. He
praised the trees which he found at the Fair
in this city, and stated that he had given
orders for r large number of them,
and knew that there were thousands Of
them ordered from New York last year. He
knew that the people of Virginia had sent
orders for trees to New York, which were
supplied with those that came from Vir.
ginia.
Mr.. WILLIAMSON expressed his surprise at
the manufacturing enterprise in Virginia,
and especially in this city, whose rapid re-
covery from the calamities Of war had both
astonished and delighted him. He was
deeply interested in the subject of agricul-
tllre, and expected, when he came. to re-
commend to Virginia farmers northern
ploughs. But to his amazement he found
here better plough at sixteen dollars than
was furnished at the North for twenty dol
lars, and he had ordered some Of these
ploughs to be sent to New York, and antici-
pated that thousands of Virginia ploughs
would be sold in that city.
With these examples Of Virginia energy
and fortitude under misfortune any one
could foretell her destiny. With her fine
soil, her mineral wealth, her delightful and
genial climate, she must become one Of the
greatest if not the greatest State in the
Union.
These gentlemen were both experienced
md practical men, and their remarks were
based on actual facts.
The same afternoon DR.. OLIVER, OF Char
lottcsville, who has recently emigrated to
this country from Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
made very interesting speech. He came
as sort Of commissioner to look over the
Union and find place suitable for his peo-
pie. After travelling $1,000 miles he came
into Virginia for the first time on the Fir'
Yinia and Tennessee railroad al Bristol. lie