Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-11-14
THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.

er writes Of the Shenandoah Valley as fol-
lows:
THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
Seeing w. II. C.'s inquiry in the RURAL
of Oct. II. relative to the Shenandoah Val
ley of Virginia. concluded (having. been
there for many years3to give such general
information as possess upon the subject,
at the same time advising all interested in
this section to pay it visit and judge for
themselves. l would add that have no
axe to grind, nor any land for sale in that
section. The Yirginians have within
themselves the elements of an empire. No
country possesses superior advantages for
agricultural pursuits. No States in the
Union are more varied in their productions;
none richer in natural resources; none
more abundantly supplied with the readi-
est and best channels of commune a; ion;
none affording greater facilities
for manufacturing operation of every sort,
and none, it may be said, which exhibit
over the broad surface such pleasant varie-
ty of the widest and most lovely scenery.
And yet in agricultural, and every species
of industrial enterprise, and in that advance
ment and prosperity which character e
our nation, the Virginians have been, and
sill are, far in the rear of the Eastern and
Western States which are greatly inferior
to them i'll natural advantages.
The causes of this comparative stagnation
are happily removed, and the two Virgin
las. rnothera and daughter, under wise and
permanent governments are now prepared,
no less by their civil and social than by
their physical condition, for the activities
and energies of a population educated I'M
der less genial climate and upon harder
and scantier resources, which they now in
vite from abroad.
These States have fortunately erjoyed
managing their own affairs by their own
people in the work of reconstruction. and
under wise and conservative administra-
ton of their own affairs, they are far in
advance of any of the Southern States, es-
pecially, in the securities and blessing of
stable, just aid. economical governments.
Thus of the Virginia's in general. Now
of the Shenandoah Valley in particular.
This valley extends from the Tennessee
line on to the south of the Potomac River
on the north. The same valley under the
| local uame of Cumberland Valley, Lancas-
ter Valley, Lebanon Valley. and Lehigh
and Central Pennsylvania. II lies between
the Blue Ridge and North Mountains, the
latter one Of. thee. Allegheny range, COM
prising tho following counties viz. Berks,
Lebanon, Lancaster, York, Dauphin, Cum
berland and Franklin, Penn, Washington,
Nd; Berkeley and Jefferson, West Va,
and Frederick, Clarke, She nahdoah, Page,
Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rock
bridge, Batli, Betetourt, Allegheny, and
Roanoke, Va. This comprises the "Great
Valley" for such it most emphatically is. d,
There is no such valley in the known
world, lying as it does,between two noun
| tain ranges, with the climate so healthy
and salubrious, with soil so rich and di-
versified, producing all kind of cereals,
vegetables, and fruits; with spring and liv-
ing streams of the clearest and best water
everywhere; timber and stone for fencing
and building, enough to last for ages to
come, and mineral wealth SURPRISING every
| thing that has yet been discovered.
There is, probably, ten times the amount
| Of limestone land in this valley, tn rough
| Virginia and West Virginia, than there s
in the same valley through Pennsylvania.
A railroad through the entire valley is
completed, and second one is under con-
struction from Harrisburg, Pa. to the Ten
nessee line, with a number of railroads
crossing the valley, or running out of it to
the different Atlantic markets; so that ev-
cry portioii of this valley has an outlet to
near and good markets.
The price of land in the Southern or Vir-
ginia and w. Virginia portion of the Great
Valley Improved farms is froin $50 to $50
and in the Pennsylvania section from $75 to
$500 per acre.
The land in the latter portion ofthe val
ley is in much higher state of cultivation
and has, generally, better improvements.
Yet the Shenandoah portion possesses
many natural advantages over that of the
| other sections of the. Great Valley. The
| great difference in the price of lands in the
same valley is apparently unaccountable;
yet, when the blight Of slavery is under:
stood, the cause of such great disparity is
plain enough.
The LABOR is gone; the owners impover-
ished by war; many cannot and will not
! work, at least DIS it should be DONE. Land
there is not As high as any of the improved
portions 81 the West, while the improve
mqaents are just as good, and good marke',
much more convenient. There is every
reason to believe that the price of land in
tie Valley Of Virginia will advance much
faster in the next ten years than in any por-
ton Of the West and South; and even if Il
should not, there can be no finer and more
desirable farm anywhere than can be made
in that valley by the expenditure of a. lit
| tie money for improvements, and the, right
kind Of farming for a, few years, farms that
would compare favorably with the best in
any section of the United States.
PENNsYLvANIAN.
I Lsbanon FL.