Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-06-08
Letters from the Valley Of Va.

Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.
WILDWOOD, CLARKE Co., VA. June s.
This is the fifth OF June, and yet the cold winter
has his old head in the young lap. Whenever
TOO persons meet. the general question is did
yo,l ever know such y season ? and III" answer
is. No. never Yesterday We had glorious
rain, but last night and to day, old BoreaS. az
if in spite, put forth his great strength. and
has come near freezing rs up. Where does
all the wind come from? The wheat crop is u
| failure and the Winchester paper mill will have
To look out for some other mat erlal besides stray
| to carry on its operations with, bur what the
pnoplc arc to fad to take the place OF fur,
| don know. Oat meal won't be here, and from
| the present look out, corn won answer to It's
name when called for; although ii is too soon
to speculate on that yield yet. The cut worm
! takes it down as fast III it COMES up. and many
farmers have furr0Wed out and leplanted Gu
tirely The like Of the worms have never been
seen before; the biggest and latest. One gcn-
tleman states that lie had some holes dug for a
post and rail fence. aud the next morning he
/ found pint Of worms in each hole waiting for
the posts to be put ia so they mi ght cut them
down Another one says, that walking along
one night he felt something crushing under
his feet so often, that be- felt down to find nut
F.! what the matter could be: he was walking On
eat worms When they die, as die they must.
! suppose they will return to the soil thar much
decomposing matter, as IA grateful return to the
farmers for what they have taken from them.
There is an ancient idea that this Valley, in
oldcn times, was the bed Of lake. which. by
some mighty couvu!sion, cmptied itself through
gorge at Harpers Ferry aud now, as though
| ashamed Of its former watery condition has
| taken the other turn and got the dry rnr. The
scarcity of water is terrible. Streams aud wells
arc drying up: 49,,
Last Saturday was decoration day at the Cd
| Chapel. and the graves OF the Confederate dead
were strewcd with flowers To morrow. the 9Th,
is the time appointed for the same ceremony at
! Winchester.
The S. Y. Railroad is pushing its way aloug;
hands are at work in different parts Of the
county. When the whistle ottho engine is heard
| will advise you Of it-tha is if we should be
about /.
Corr .spondence of the Alexandria Gazette.
WHITE Posi-, June i.-The all absorbing
| topic Of conversation with Us ''country people
is the protractcd drought. We have not had any
of the good showers which the Gazette speaks
! of aS occurring lately in your nci ghbnrhood. To-
day thought certainly we you'd have rain.
but the clouds passed away with but a few
drops and that succeeded by high wind, AS
has been The case nearly all the Spring after
little srrinklings. The water question is really
u serious oDe az Streams ponds and springs are
giving nut. causing much distress 10 cattle and
trouble to people. The failure of the wheat crop
is the worst, it is said, we have had here for
| probably fifteen or twenty years. The corn is
looking Just now rather worse than the wheat,
owing to dryncss and the ravaeeE Of the cut
| worm Nothing was ever before known like the
number. They devour all in their way. incud-
| ing vegetables and plants of every description.
| You will find them about on the top of the
ground Notwithstanding, | hope. we shall
come out better, at least: i'll the corn ur"p. as
the race of the cnt worm is about RUIZ, and there
| is yet time IF we fail in corn, my faith in The
| locust bloom will be gone forever. You may
think this is very blue account Of affairs in
the Valley; yet it is al 50. The next monthly
meeting of the Agricultural Climb will be held
at Guilford. the residence Of Mr.. William
Meade, NJ.