The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-02
NO. IL.
Passing down the Potomac the other d

absence of towns and Of other signs of
thrift seen along the great thoroughfares of
the North. The banks of this nobest of
rivers stretched away for 100 miles to the
sea without single village worthy of
note on either side vast tracts of forest
old fields grown up with broom sedge and
pine, hills washed, gashed and furrowed,
with here and there farm showing en-
terprise and intelligent culture. This is
the panorama which the tide-water region
of the Potomac presents.
Beautiful everywhere in its bracy ex.
panse Of bay and river, its bold promon-
tories, sharp, overhanging rocks, wood
crowned heights, and slopes erased to the
waters edge, it gives us hardly a sign of
social life. Beyond the cabins of its fish
ermen, and the fine old mansions, mostly
in ruins, which commemorate the stately
generation of great men who gave Virginia
her prestige, there is nothing of mans
works. These men left no successors ca
pable of completing the conquests of civ
ilization which they inaugurated; and for
fifty years Eastern Virginia has been pass
ing slowly, but surely, to barbarism.
Noting these things and looking west
ward at the virgin soils which cover the
great central valley Of the continent, our
friend naturally concludes that the future
IF Eactarn V;rn;n;o 10 eLro,,J,J -, .xl.-...
While these lands are being opened to set
Element at prices merely nominal, be
thinks few people can be induced to come
south. Indeed he doubts that while there
are soils already so rich in the West still
unoccupied anyone can afford to make i'm
poverished soil rich. He asks us with
we'll founded incredulity if we think it
will pay any man to attempt to restore old
fields to fertility when there are millions of
acres of virgin land to be bought at gov
eminent price? The answer to this guess
ton involves the whole gist of the claim,
that we put in for Eastern Virginia as
against the West. So we write it out
somewhat as we talked it to our friend.
1t is true that the virgin soils of the West
are vastly more productive than the worn
lands of Virginia
This granted, however, we have only
one condition of the problem presented in
comparison of Virginia with the West as
a field for emigration. For given amount
of money we can obtain in the far West
vastly greater amount of plant food than
anywhere, but this is not all which we have
to consider in making profitable location.
We have to look at the net results. If one
goes where land can be bought at govern
ment price, say one dollar and twenty-five
cents per acre, it is very far beyond the
settlements, and we have land in state of
nature. This must be broken up if prairie.
or cleared if wood land, fenced, supplied
with buildings, orchards, and the neigh
borhood must build roads, school houses,
and those public institutions which are es-
sential to civilized people.
When this is done, it will be found that
there has been laid out upon the land not
less than 1926 per acre. The crops raised,
or the excess not consumed at least, must
be moved to the Eastern market and paw
the charges of distant transportation. The
wheat crop Of Minnesota, Iowa and west
ern Wisconsin, one year ago, was worth
only forty cents per bushe in the fall at
least five cents bushel less than cost of
production. Corn was worth 25 cents
per bushel in the same districts land well
improved being worth about 1926 per acre.
In central and northern Illinois where the
farms arc well improved are worth $50
per acre, corn averages about 40 cents per
bushel, and the average yield among good
farmers is about fifty bushels per acre on
upland prairie soils. The overhowed bot.
toms yield more in good years, but the oc-
casional loss of a crop is expected.
Now, if we take our Potomac lands as
they run, including the bottoms and level
uplands of prime quality with splendid
groves of second growth oak, hickory, &C.
dar and pine, they can be bought at an
average of twenty dollars per acre. Buy
ing these lands at this price, let us lay out
thirty dollars per acre in manures. We
have then the same amount invested as the
Illinois farmer and we can raise as much
corn per acre as he does. But his corn is
worth only forty cents per bushel, while
ours is worth eighty cents in the crib
The labor and other expenses of cultva-
ton will be nearly equal.
Gross yield of Illinois farmer per acre, 500. |
Potomac Farmer so BY so, $40. |
To which add ten dollars for the value of
fodder per acre, and we have an advan-
tage of thirty dollars per acre with the
farmer on the Underwater lands of Virginia.
1t may be claimed that the Western farmer
gets more and better buildings, fences, &c.
To this we answer, this is equalzed by the
timber, orchards of fine fruit, fisheries and |
other local advantages here realized =
Nearly all the cid farms have buildings, |
r. Il i