Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-27
Letter from Stafford County.

CORRESPONDENCE of the Alexandria Gazette.
STAFFORD COUNTY, Feb. IA meeting
of the Potomac Agricultural Club took place
at the residence of Mr. VIM. Moncure, today.
After viewing the premises and inspecting the
stock and farming utensils of the host they
discussed the merits of an excellent dinner,
presided over by the ladies of the family.
After dinner the Club came to order and dis
cussed the cultivation OF corn. 1t was opened
by an excellent essay by &. Y. Moncure: esq,
who advocated fall or winter poughlng where
sod or stiff land was to be used, emphatIcally
recommended Cummin's Iron Beam Plough for
good work and light draught, followed by much
practical advice as to planting and working.
showing that he could not only practice, but
lowed by Gen. Fitz Lee, who agreed with the
previous speaker mainly, but had found that
on some OF his land it answered best to throw
| two burrows together and plant on the top, rs
it keeps the crop from injury OF Hat land, where
it was liable to suffer from excess OF moisture.
That he had lately succeeded well with cnrn,
making some six hundred barrels last year He
was followed by Mr.. Hore, who criticized some
of the positions taken by previousspeakcrsb but
agreed with them to q large extent The dis.
cusson was closed by the President, hr. n. i.
Ford, who advocated high culture; had seen re-
ports from other Agricultural societies of large
crops the correctness Of which he had no rea
son to doubt aud believed such could be raised
here if the proper means were taken. He dep
recated the selling Of corn at present at the price
Of three dollars per barrel; preferred feeding
it to stock, and ftull returns were not realized
from the stock, they would be amply compen-
stated b. the improved fertility Of the land on
which it was fed.
The subject of offering small premium for
the best acre OF corn was opened by Mr. With
ers Waller, and enforced by some pertinent re-
marks by Gen F. Lee, and agreed to by the
Club.
While all realized the importance of the corn
crop as the basis of all farming operations, none
viewed it as a paying one when raised fer sale,
being aware that when the iron rail reached the
fertile prairies OF the West they introduced
competition too strong for the thinner soils of
the East That labor being portable, would 90
where best paid, and they must pay about the
same price for it that is paid by those on more
productive land The same has taken place be-
fore in all the Seaboard States When the
Erie Canal had landed its first cargo in New
York from the fertile lands Of the West, the
farmers on thin land saw with dsmay that they
could not contend and languished for q time
in dependency Butin short time they found
that cheap meat and bread furnished the sup
port of large population that needed much
that could not be brought from the Vest
They turned their attention to hay, which was
too bulky to be brought far; to potatoes, which
were too heavy and perishable for distant trans
portation; to fruits that did not grow we'll West
and would decay in transit, and in a short time
were in possession of prosperity never known
in the production of grain. The same may be
said of the time when the Pennsylvania Central
West. Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey
could not compete, but turned their attention
to the sweet potato the peach, mellon straw
berry, and on the sitter soils, hay and round
potatoes, and wealth and prosperity resulted.
True, the cause of depression has long existed
here, but the means of relief were not at hand,
in the shape of cheap, efficient transportation
Those means are about to be furnished The
Pennsylvania Central, which has done so
much to develop the resources OF all sections
of country in which it has operated, will soon
run its cars through this section. No one
doubts the suitability of the soil and climate of
this. section for the production of fruit, grapes
or strawberries and there is a large area well
adapted for raising hay. In reference to fruit, |
saw, last summer, apples raised by Mr. Withers
Waller, that have never seen equaled either
in favor or appearance; peaches growing on
the farm of Gen. F. Lee of extraordinary size,
appearance and flavor. and the trees laden to I
breaking with them. And these trees bore the
appearance of being twice the age that they at
tain in the noted peach growing districts Of
New Jersey, and there were no visible 81 ns of
decay upon them. VISITOR
The Baltimore American says that 'presum- |
ing Huston to be guilty of all that has been
charged against him. the only punishment un-
der the laws of the State Of Nd, is a fine of Ten
dollars. |