Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-04-22
LETTER FROM VIRGINIA.

his services in upsetting the ring.
LETTER FROM VIRGINIA.
Mr.. EDITOR. The winter just past
has been a severe one in Virginia-more
cold weather-more snow storms-more
windy days and boisterous times than
before for years. All the wheat grown
in the Shenandoah Valley is sown in
the fall, and there has been great COM
plant among farmers because the win
ter has been so severe. The freezing
and windy weather has been dry, and
great fears were expressed that wheat
would be frozen out on account of the
blowing away of the dirt from about
the roots; but snow came on it in March
several times, though to no great depth,
and its influence has been to revive it so
that now the indications promise an av-
erage crop. The spring has been very
backward. Snow fell every Sunday in
March, remarkable occurrence for this
vicinity. Fires were needed all the
time till nearly the first of April, also
an unusual occurrence. The rain, and
snow, and cold of March, kept the farm
ers from working the land, and very few
began any blowing before about the first
of April 1t is more frequently the case
that blowing is done every month of
winter. Last year fruit trees had shed
their blossoms before this time -
now not a bud is opened. But last
year cold weather came on again after
the Towering and destroyed large
amount of the young fruit so that the
crop was not near an average one. 1t
can hardly happen so again this year,
and a large yield of fruit is anticipated.
Probably the most popular and profta-
BILE fruit grown in Virginia is the Abe
marie pipin which is raised in the sec
ton of the state lying next to the east
ern slope of the Blue Ridge. They are
bought for shipment to England and
are said to bear shipment across the
scean better than any other apple in
America. One man in Albemarle coun-
ty, from which they derive their name
and where they grow to the greatest per-
lection, last year sold twelve hundred
barrels for which he received five dollars
per barrel in his orchard. There is no
doubt but the climate of Virginia is bet
ter adapted to the growing of fruit than
that of any other state and more than
usual attention is being paid to fruit
culture. Several pioneers in grape cul-
ture have realized very handsomely,
and the number of new vineyards being
set out is somewhat surprising. It re-
minds me of the chop fever which had
such run in Orleans county, if not in
all northern Vermont, fifteen or twenty
years ago. Peaches flourish in every
section Of the state except the mountains.
Strawberries are cultivated in the vicin-
ity of Norfolk, and if all the tales are
true, fortunes have been realized in
single year from this fruit alone; but it
was only after the patient industry of
years had brought experience. The uni
versal peanut is grown in considerable
quantities about Norfolk also. Since
the war great trade has sprung up in
garden vegetables along the shores of
the lower Chesapeake and the mouths
of its tributary rivers, but more imme-
diately confined to the vicinity of Nor
folk and the adjacent country. These
vegetables, known by the designation of
''truck" are sent by sea to New York
and other large northern cities. Two
lines of steamers are now plying regular
ly between Richmond and New York,
via. Norfolk, and [ am told that large
share of their profits arise from the car
rying of truck. When last in Richmond
| saw an iron steamship being built,
for this trade more particularly, capable
Of carrying two hundred and fifteen tons;
and the same line expects to have two
of those new ships in readiness for the
trade of the coming season. That bust
ness must be considerable which war
rants, or rather demands, an addition to
its capacity for transportation costing
nearly half million dollars. But this
is exceptional and special General
farming pays in Virginia about as it
does in Vermont-about the same pro-
portion of farmers, by hook or crook,
either arrive at independence OF manage
to save what was left them by rich rel
atives-about the same proportion man.
age to secure comfortable liying-and
about the same proportion live either
from hand to mouth or over head and
ears in debt. Of those farmers who