The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-10-05
~ From the Richmond Wing
The Richmond Nnrsery-The Virginia MUIR
Sery and Wine Company.

sery and Wine Company.
There is no employment in which human
hands can be more agreeably engaged than il
planting and cultivating the products of thu
earth which furnish supplies of wholesome
food to mankind. Apes, peaches, pears
grapes. strawberries, raspberrics, etc, in tht
ripe, preserved and dried states, give us thu
year round u suficiency to constitute chic
part of ubsistence, and it would be better fol
us to use them more extensively In the rapid
progress which is going on throughout the
entire country, not only with respect to Tho
cultivation of and taste for fine fruit, but il
the requirement Of large incomes from the
occupation of t-growing. it is with pecu.
liar satisfaction the fact can be stated that oul
own community is behind none. Somewhat
famous in past days for the choice fruit trees
to be obtained from the nurseries of the good
old Mr. Sinton, Richmond knew not then Of
the reputation TO be secured to her in that in
| teresting department OF industry III SO short
period Of time. When a great good has
been accomplished. and it is reasonable to be-
licve that our predecessors pou,ed out the
| way of its realization, VIC are of those who
| ike to refer to it and crown the memory OF
| tie worthy, who have passed away with testi-
| monials Of our gratitude Whether it was
| the reputation OF predecessors or the excel
| lent judgment and clear perceptions OF those
who occupy the field or both, which induced
| the selection Of Richmond as the great ecu
| tire of
AN INDUSTRY OF THE HIGHEST VALUE
and Importance are views which can be in-
dulged in with pleasure as the reviewer may
| turn back in tho history when he comes toes!
innate the present value and the future
wealth this Interest will be to this city and
State. fr
The Richmond Nursery was commenced
by Eranklin Davis i Co, in the fall OF 1865,
Franklin Davis aud S. G. Kent constituting
the firm.
One and twenty years ago Mr.. Davis, then
quite young alan, departed from his home
III Adams county, Penn, with such a stock
IN fruit growing preparation as could be
crammed into a one-horse wagon aud nude
his way up the Valley Of Virginia When
he reached the county Of Rockbridse his
Judgment decided on location beside the
great Valley road just above the ancient seal
Of the McDowells, swharc he commenced aud
his two Or three acres in that day were co.'s
sidered by some marvel in magnitude Al,
forwards he located at Staunton, aud cstab
i'shed the fac nursery which, we believe, IS
nov conducted by MIR. Tannehill From
Staunton he came to Richmond He is thor
ouglly practical and not lacking in judi
cious enterprise. liz writes well upon bus
favorite subjects and read an essay in 1867
before tho Virginia horticultural and Pomo-
logical Society upon Apple Culture" which
gave the highest satisfaction to those who are
informed in such matters. In his practice
III pruning trees he differs with some fruit
growers This point he discussed viii. great
clcarpess and with excellent reasoning. There
are many persons in the Valley who have
practised his plan with success
TIE VIRGINIA NURSERY AND WINE COM
PANY"
The establishment now known as the ''Vir
gina Nursery pud Wine Company was COM
menccd i'll 1864 by Capt John NJ. Allen, OF
Winchester aud his brother, Col. VIM Allen,
now professor of mathematics in Washington
and Lee University. The father OF Capt.
Allen owned and conducted the splendid
nursery at Winchester, and in addition to the
literary requirements Of his son, prepared
Vim practi,a ally for the work Of his choic;.
beautiful square OF orty acres, havlnga
grove OF venerable oaks i'll its centre, Vas Sc
cctcd just beyond the FAIR Grounds, where
Messrs. Allen commenced, aud gave their en-
tcrprise the somewhat tavorate name Of the
Hermitage Nurseries "-the name Of the
family seat OF the Mayor, now owned by the
Agricultural Society. Some OF the old build
ings are still standing, but rearranscd and
adapted to the purpose o! the Secie.y. Suisse
puently the establishment WIS put into stock
company and organized as follows; President
Jacok Fuller. OF Richmond Secretary, John
D. H. Ross, Rnckbridge, and Ro. Z. Rich
ardson, EeidsviIle, N. c.
All Of these gentlemen have some exper
fence as practical fruil growers; and Capt
Allan, as before stated was educated aud
trained to the business. Since his residence
here he has been a constant contrib lspt q our
agricultural publications. enriching hem with
highly entertaining aud instructive produce
t'ons OF his pen, especially IA the department.
OF horticulture
TEMPER OF New YoRK.-The New York
Evening Post, of the 22nd. says editorial
ly :-"fhe city is in danger Of violence. and
the sooner our citizens are deeply impress
ed with this fact the better for the pu.lic
safety. There are demagogues who appear
on both sides Of the political contest over
reform, who have organized bands Of men
under their control; useful in case of civil
war or riot, and useful for nothing else exs
cept repeating at the polls. There is lit
tie doubt that the arrest of any one of the
leading conspirators at this eime would re-
suit in a riot on a large scale. We hope
to see such arrests made very soon, but
they ought to be accompanied with ample
preparations for keeping the pence" The
Evening Express thinks that warnings Of
this sort tend to provoke the temper wIicl,
they deprecato.