The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-13
NEW YORK FARMERS. CLUB.

VIR@INIA.-H. @. Sherman, Chicopee: |
am farmer in the Connecticut Valley, in
the good old State of Massachusetts,, and
have no thought or desire of changing my
occupation; but as the health Of some of
my family requires residence in a milder
climate, | have very reluctantly concluded
to sell my farm and make a change of base,
and to that end | have been spending a
couple of weeks travelling in the State of
Virginia, examining her soil, climate, social
and educational advantages, modes of doing
business, and the manner in which North
ern men are received there.
The region lying between the Underwater
and Piedmont districts is mostly known as
the gray lands, which have been long culti-
waited with wheat and corn in a most ruin
Gus manner, seldom or never being seeded
to grass. The farmers in this district keep
but little stock, except the teams necessary
to carry on the farms, and take no pains to
make or save the manure from the animals
which they do keep. The farming here is
one continual system of exhaustion, with
nothing done to restore the fertility of the
soil. The lands of this district are not usu-
ally as highly priced as the red lands-upon
which less exhausting system of culture
usually prevails-the lands there being kept
in grass portion of'the time. tbs great
wonder that these gray lands continue to
produce any thing to repay the labor of cul-
ture after so long a continued system of eX-
haustion. | find great many Northern
men have settled in The vicinity of Freder-
icllsburg, and along the line of railroad
from there to Richmond; and all that
| have seen are well pleased with the
country, and / have heard of no dissatis-
faction, except from those who have
purchased more land than their means
would warrant. think that no one should
invest more than one-third or one-half of
his available means in Virginia farm the
balance will be needed in improving the
fertility of the soil, the erection of suitable
buildings, and the purchase of farm stock
and implements, and the support of fami-
ly until an income shall be derived from the
farm. There are no Ku-Klux in Virginia.
As good order prevails there as in any of
the Northern States. The uniform testi-
mony of every Northern man whom have
seen is that they are well treated by the
native Virginia inhabitants, who are anxious
to have good inhabitants come from any
country to buy their lands and help de-
velop the great resources of the State,
which the institution of slavery has hereto
fore seemed to hold in check. All seem
glad that the institution is abolished, but
the loss of their slaves, the loss of their
stock of all kinds, the destruction of
their fences, and the expenditure of
their available resources in the re-
bellion, have left them so poor, that
the only hope of speedy relief is
from the introduction Of practical, industri-
Gus men with brains and capital from abroad.
1t is poor place for laboring man with
out sufficient capital to go into business on
his own resources, as there are a plenty OF
negro men and women that can be hired for
less than one-half Of the wages paid in the
Northern States, which is one of the advan-
tages of the country to the man of means
who wishes to carry on any kind of busi-
ness. All Of that section of country be-
tween tde-water and the Rlue Ridge has a
very mild and salubrious climate. But lit
tie snow falls, and that remains but short
time. Stock requires but little feeding from
the barn. They have there but very few oil
what we at the North should call harns.-
They have mass of novels which, together
with the little negro huts, give the greater
part of Virginia farms an uninviting appear
ance. Barns are needed in Virginia as much
as in Massachusetts for the manufacture Of
manure but, as shelter, they do not re.
quire so much expense in making them
warm, nor in providing storage for roots, as
they can be kept in the field with but little
more protection than is required il
England. Some large purchases have re-
Gently been made in the vicinity o
Fredericksburg by parties from Scot
land, who propose to make a spe-
ciality of stock raising, which, think
might be carried on in that vicinity as sue.
cessfully as in the Piedmont district, a.
the best clover which have seen in thu
State was on the gray lands near thu
Guineas, excellmg anything which | saw il
the noted Shenandoah Valley, which is, in
deed, beautiful and fertile district bu
the price of land is there SO much highe
than on the east side of the Blue Ride, tina
could not see as great advantages TO
settlement there as there is on the east sid,
of the ridge, considering the price of land
the distance from market, and the higl
rates charged on the Virginia railroads
which is about double the amount charged
on Northern roads. The most remarkable
thing which noticed was the rapid growth
of the timber which has sprung up on all O
those gray lands which have not been cult
tuJcQ lilc Wdis luib uOCS NCli III III
of this section. There are large quantitie
of apple trees that have sprung up on tn
intrenchments at Spotsylvania q. II. Som
Of them are quite large, and produced frui
last year. The State has recently passed
law providing free schools for the education
of both white and black children, but i'll
country where the land is held i'll such larg
3 plantations the population is too small an
scattered to have schools convenient to bu
a small number of families. | think Vii
ginia offers greater inducements to the EN-
grant than any other section. Land can b
bought there for less money than in an
other part of the country where the soil
equally good and as convenient to all tn
great markets of the world. The expens
of moving to Virginia is small, compare
with the cost of moving to the cheap land
in the West. A family can step on board
steamer in New York with all their goods
and be landed in Richmond in a few days
small cost. The way to make settlemer
in Virginia pleasant, is to form colon
embracing farmers, mechanics, and all {
the useful professions, with the dram
sellers left out. Let locating committt
be chosen, who shall go on and select Il
cation on the line of some railroad where
station could be established, and let thel
go on together and unitedly, build the
roads, school-houses, and churches, viii