Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-08-12
X ENDALLS MILLS, Me,

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KENDALLs MILLS, Me,
July %, 1870.
Messrs. Editors Before leaving
Bristol you requested If / saw anything
of interest during my absence that |
would write. l am now on the Ken
nebec River, above Augusta; the coun-
try here is more level than ] had sup
posed, resembling some parts of Vir-
ginia. Farming Is carried on here on
different plan 10 that which / have
been accustomed, and in noting the
difference between this and other char
acteristics North aud South, l hope to
prove interesting to your subscribers.
The land here Is not so fertile as in
Virginia or Tennessee, and requires
much greater care to make il produc-
tive; i'll many places the ground is
covered with small stones of lime
stone character which cause much eX-
pensc in the removal. They are used,
however, in the manufacture of fences,
and this partly balances the cost OF
transportation. a comparatively small
portion of the land will produce corn,
and even this requires the use of fer
tiliZers. The corn does not grow so
high as at the South, rarely ever reach
vored spots. Barley and rye are used
much more than with you. Wheat is
grown here, though not so extensively
as farther south and west. a larger
amount of hay is cured in proportion
here than in Virginia, and moro attcn-
ton is paid to ito production and quail
ity. No rail fences are seen here, the
fences being constructed of good plank
or stone, or are made of poles laid
straight between stakes. Cattle of all
kinds are kept up close here, many
| fine fields of grass or grain being left
| open to the road. Instead of the diff
| ferent varieties of the oak, poplar and
hickory as at the South, the pine, ash
and birch predominate. Peach and
pear trees are seldom seen; cherries
are but little more abundant; and the
apples are inferior to those grown in
| New Jersey and New York. Arbor
vita trees, which are so scarce in the
viyinity of Bristol, grow wild here in
great profusion. The water Is excel
lent and easily found. The season is
much shorter here tEan in Virginia
this will probably account for the in
| feriority of all kinds of gain. One
horse wagons are used for a greater
variety of purposes, and except for
! ueuNy WOIh iWO-AOlsC NdBOlls uIt Iulc-
ly employed.
Labor is carried on more easily here
than Mt the South more machinery is
used, and many labor-saving con
trivances in operation that Virginia
farmers do not seem to appreciate. FoI
| instance: n man with Ono-hOrse
mowing-machiue can cut down three
acres of grass in half IA day in two
hours man aud boy with horse
rake can lay this up in neat winrows
few minutes more with IA hand rake
to gather the hay passed over by the
horse-rake in rough places completes
the job. Three men aud as many boys
would have done the same work In the
same time. This experiment came
under my own observation; other ex'
amples might be cited,but this IL sufii
cient. Southern farmers are gradually
learning the great advantage of ma
chinery, but the information rarely
extends far from the line of a railroad
A prominent citizen of Bristol, who
took trip out West sometime since,
will echo these sentiments with regarC
TO labor-saving machinery.
A most distorted view of men and
things at the South Is sometimes ad
vanced here by apparently intelligent
men, but not one whit moro absuro
than have heard equally Intelligent
men in Virginia advance respecting
Northern affairs. The most erroneous
opinions are entertained here with re
gard 10 the slaves at the South, botl
as TO their physical and moral condi
ton before and since their emancipa
tion. In my humble Judgment thu
late war was not so much war o
principles as it was a war of misun
, derstanding. OF course principles hat
to be held up--as men viii not begii
war of such magnitude without al
, object; but had the people of botl
sections been better acquainted will
, the institutions on the opposite side !
might possibly have been avoided
J Party leaders inflamed the pride an,
! prejudice-two potent weapons for evi
: ON either side, until neither woul'
listen TO reason, the time for comprO
mise was lost, and war was the result
: Being at the South during the wa
and at the North sometime since TIL
war, | had an excellent opportunit.
for observation. In the South TIL
term "Yankee" was synonymous will
> all that is contemplate in humanity
= In the North the term "Southerner'
: or "reben was equally synonymou
with cruelty. and oppression. Wit
{ this opinion OF each other and ambi
, tious men in power how could tn
{ result have been otherwise? a bette
knowledge of the little characteristic
+ of the opposite party would have ten
= ded TO remove sectional prejudice, an
. so this gigantic revolution might haV
4 been restrained merely by the goo
r feeling of the masses.
I These points of difference are note
= with no desire for invidious distinction
= for the South possesses many adVal
o tages in soil and climate which th
: North has not and never will have; o
n the other hand the North has power
p and means of wealth which can neVS
l. exist at the South. They are merel
g given that your readers may be bett'
e informed rs 10 the people, aud bett'
}. acquainted with this portion of the
v ~own native land" Hoping that IL
+ above will induce sonlo of your farms
subscribers 10 try 20 improve ON the