Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-11-29
AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS. The Com mis

AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS. -The Coma
sioner of Agriculture in his annual report ex-
presses the qualification of representing as
prosperous and productive 10 high degree,
the agricultural interest Of the country: lie
says It is gratifying TO believe from evidence
that the examples OF rational and recupcratlvc |
culture are relatively increasing, however slow.
". and gradually making iDr0ads upon the dc
structive and irrational modes 50 generally pre-
vaIeut These examples are most numerous IN
the Middle States, and are seen with COMPARE
tive frequency in the older sections or the
West, and are found occasionally IN New Eng
land, and are beginning TO be noted ia inc
Southern States, but there is 10 State IN which
exhaustion and Irrational culture Is not predou',,
inant. Industrial colleges, uader the ianu
grant of Congress OF 1862, hago progressed du'
ripg the past year, but the land scrip has been
issued to most OF the Southern States. and
norton Of il has been sold, hut tho Commits
sioner has heard OF 10 action toward tho CT
oanization of colleges and fears the scrip has IN
snn, instances been FILTERED away by sales 1t
nominal nrices, as has been the case Ii Dany
rs tho Northern and Eastern States The
| Commissioner speaks OF steam plu%ng, sllE
cu}turc. chincona trees, Statistical! DIVISION, cat
tIe disease, the library department., grounds,
&C., making suggestions designed to DC Valua-
| bic iu tie future.
The number of packages Of seeds Issued du-
ring eleven months OF the year number 3oS'
sci. The distribution inc uded seeds OF cereals
| grasses, hemp, jue ramle, OPIUM, poppy
sugar beet, tobacco, sorghum, forest anu snauc
| tress, and many Of the species or plants ohgi-
| nous. edible, medicinal and tlbrous Inc TO-
| tai amount expended by the Department eiIce
| November 80, 1869, IS Sl69,l13, Including
salaries, leaving total balance uncXpehueu VI
the appropriation or ti'a current lScl' year u
$l07:31
ST. JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK. -Cu1lous it
il TO be remarked how their Sca-iarlng haolts
tinee the speech OF tic people Ct New Bruins
wick. Servant men and servant girls are said
to ship" when they hire Tor month, or Tor
six months. A fine, stout lass Will ring at
your hall door and inquire whether you want
to "shp girl" and, when 4 Young coupe
| are engaged, they are said to Do siipped.
| a congregation vii! talk oil "shlpplns nc"
clergyman. The master OF the house. what,
ever his calling, is invariably The skipper;
Even parsons are "skippers Of the churoh'
familiar designation: The best society is call
| ed "merchantable that being tho term tor
fish Of the first quality; while the io9esL stra~
tum is ''scruff," or dun" Flags are IN UNI
yersaE request Every merchant has his nag
at his storehouse or wharf; a vast number CT
| nrivato houses have each flag stall, aud o.
HOLIDAYS or occasions of rejoicing the flags are
hois,et, When the schoolmaster desires 10
| indicate that the school hour il at hanG, nc
eIsvates his hag-haung it down "haII mast
| when but five minutes remain 10 ordcr TO
! quicken the steps OF the oiterers. When, IN
| other lands "hogy bells would knoll 70 church, .
the "beade" here ra!5as, on stall IN the
| churchyard, standard, on which Is dtu2la2on'
| cd the Inire and the cross.
"MAMMY" IN OLD VIRGINIA. 1t used to
be pleasant thing III Old times (hesor1 recon
struction) to see the little ones 60 out LOT
| walk with "mammy." Such clean dresses,
nicely brushed hair, and such = general odor ct
sweet SOAPS, Yiolot powder, and cologne water
for tho babies and the NANNY? herself, Il
costly bandana tied with . grace Eugene her,
self couldn't surpass, dignifed carriage, and
q general air of we'll beiog and se'E-respec5 that
was delightful to contemplate. Often she had
been the 'mammy' Tor more tilan one genera
ton, aud ia that case, truth conpcs Iii to say,
was occasionally little bit despotlc. But
what loving despotism Watch her IS she
casts an eye over the little flock. An acqualn
lance of the family goes by, aud says IN pass
ne, "Ah these must be Airs schldren.
Could Mrs.---herself be more anxious than
"Nlammy" is that the children should appear
we'll bred? No, indeed. At her,blddIng zach
one performs some little act ot courtesy taught
by "Mammy," and is commanded Or !ccturcd,
as the case may be, when tho lady has passed
on and they aro alone again. Aud Sc, taking
| l. A. oil
| and "Mammy" briggs the lirtie folks home
safe and sound, and puts them i!ie2? to b"d.
All, happy babies, to have Il sc";i ''hiammy!
l-Lylchburg Ne1cs.
! hIART1NsBURu AND POTOMAC Il. R.-We
| learn, says the Bcrklcy WEST Virginia. Unor
from Mr.. Faulkner, that his recent visit to
PENNSYLVANIA has been satisfactory and that
the Pennsylvania Companies are acting IL
good faith in their co operation with our In.
provcment. He expects to have the roaC
under contract before Christmas. and much Of
the work done during this winter. DC has ne
doubt the section from the river to Martins
burg will be completed by tho close OF next
summer, and cars running to this place. 1t /:
the intention of the Northern Companies Sc
soon as the road is completed to Martlnsburs
in addition to the regular mail train, to have
an express train, leaving Martinsburg every
evening, with all the comforts OF sleeping cars
and landing the passengers IN New YORK OF
Philadelphia that night.
| SHENANDOAH VALLEY ROAD. The Ro
anoko West Virginia. Times contains car
respondence from Giles county, from which
We CODY the following extract The extension
of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad through
out Southeast Virginia is the theme. OF specla
interest. Tic formation OF the Valley be
tween Brush and Gap Mountains renders 1t
the most practical rou tc for raiiroad that car
be found. Tho people ara olive 10 the lmpor-
lance of the road, and are willing to lend any
reasonable aid which may be asked, The nigh
of way is certain. This route will take the
Shenandoah Valley Road through Craig, TILES
Bland, Tazewell and Washington countles'
missing Roanoke entirely.