The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-06
,.,,r,ural Products, Rich Lands,
and Splendid Yields.
p,,,n,at;on Of the Countes-Prospect
for a Fine Trade.

-.,rc,,l Correspondence Of the niFratch.]
CHESAPEAKE AND ONO RAILROAD, FcoruarF
"a Il ouyb, 10 have had in my last let
T., moro details concerning the
sArr-woRSs or TIE KASAwHA Valley
Professor Rid@way says IN MS anse re-
t.nrt. ..rhc .SIIfrrolis Sinu-rncA unttei ''e>
,nc whole OF the coal.fir!d in West Nr&ih'a.
and contains large amount oil chlor'dc OF
.i, mr. common salt. At the kanawha
.ql;nr. ar:c>ian wells have been sunk, ana
~, manufacture of salt carried on Tor man!
wears. The production has reached from
va GnD 10 100, 900 bushels per annum.
u j. found 10 he in quality equa TO TURK
Leland and superior to Liverpool salt"
TI,c discovery Of salt in this region was
,,~., ,t;rrrtrd bv 4 large buffalo lick on the
n,,iLra>; side Of the river FIVE miles above
Charleston. and the first saIt-wc!i was sunk
IL ;hi, lex in 1909. But when washington
ii - surveyed TIL, territory numerous springs
emitting n mixture OF sas and BRINE were
Discovered. and there were found IN early
times remains OF rude pottery ana "thrf cyl
,i"nrr, that the Indians wcIcnrqllali'cd" WIN
Tie virtues Of these springs ana accustomed,
~ q rut!r way and to Il limited extent, TO
;a9!r salt by evaporation.
II tue Hall House in Charleston your
CORRESPONDENT WAS little puzzled I" no.
,i,r anon. the .rrii~hcs y on the tempt
ing hil OF fare spread hy mine hosts "SnoW
I'LL salt: and upon inquiry found 1t was
nothing NOR" than II SupcrorartlcIe OF III
llr-,all produced hy the celebrated "Snow
liir" works, which is claimed to be so
much superior 10 the ordinary salt as 10
cuiitle it 10 n place among the "rtllshc,
At This splendid hotel.
These works are perhaps the largest IL
Ill" world, having produced last year Nv,
G>J bushels Of salt. They have nine wells
,,hirh arc from 800 to 900 feet deep. and
bored through about 800 feet Of sandstone
beneath which the brine is found so strong
tint from 4j to 80 gallons make busheI
Of salt.
They have attached to these works bro
mine factory, where they make daily loo
pounds Of this valuable drug.
The oprnin. of the railroad will greatly
increase the production of salt in this whole
1ryinn. Sryri" OF tue Sat-wurkS have been
Idle for several wears, being paid by Other
COMPANIES TO cease their production but
they will now find it more profitable TO re-
sumo operations, and others will spring up
II had been arranged for our train to bring
:, carload of kanawha salt along with on
,oaI. but there was some misunderstanding
"a, to the hour OF our reaching Charleston
a'Id tn" sail was not ready.
Bat We promised to speak Of the
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
a!on- orr route. The staples of the rcgoI
i,un Richlnund to GordonSyilie are corn
oats. wheat, and tobacco. Tie wheat pro
dur'd in this region has become very cclc
lia,"d Tor its hardness, drynCss. and Other
superior qualities for milling or shipping
auI tirtoHrCo has no superior III the world
Ilc Piedmont district, in Abcnarlc
Orange, and Nelson, has Il mixed subsoil
l1. in irr.ilzug ingredients. such aS lime,
nA.nrsia, potash. oXid" of iron. etc, derived
trun the rocks beneath and wheat, corn,
.atS. tobacco, Virginia bluegrass. En-il>l.
@vartI. cl"trr. timothy, orchard and herds
.-I;t>sr~, flourish iuXnrian'ly; also fruits OF
Nart"u- kinds. The pippu apple, pear. and
@IIlw attain unu,tIIl Dimensions. flavor, and
perfection. iii" ".ilbrurir rippin" has
nnl only continental reputation, but is also
m high favor IN Europe.
The beautiful Shenandoah valley will hc
;llhlGary to the Chesapeake AMI Ohio rail-
road, and it, rich lands will send over ii
Erarty li>hcI III superior wheat. oats. and
r"GG. besides unlimited quantities of blue
2i%ss. rcd-top clover, and fruits Of various
kinds.
The culture Of tshacco in this region is in.
rrca-inS every year, and promises larG,
Yields
The counties OF Grcr'.brirr and Monroe
are among the richest N the State, and pro
GUcc E!r"e crops OF cereals, such as wheat
"als, barley, and buckWhcat, Whilrthe rive
hotiHIn-land> produce immense crops of In
dian corn.
ol coursc there is not much produced
down New River canyon. us there are VERY
i"" points ut which even pcrpcndicula
farming can be indul"cd in; but the large
i'lhcauX Of nhlcland in Faycttc and Raleigh
counties are Very productive, and the people
viii mud some way OF bIirrowiug through
tn" mountains and getting their produce tc
tlr railroad.
The ;illuNium of the K,nawM River vale,
J. made up of iino sand and loan. with some
itilG gravel. 1t is generally ovcrlaid with {
deep. rich vegetable mold. yielding large
crops OF Indian corn, tobacco, sweet pota
toes, and melons.
The Lands here are said TO be very simia
to those OF the celebrated Scioto valley. il
Oaio, for richness of depth and vegetable
mold, yielding srom fifty to seventy bushels
OF corn 10 the acre.
They farm here on what is called thu
twcnty-one-ycar system II. e., twenty
years in corn and one i'll wheat, " to rest tin
land But our party were shown one farm
near Charleston which has been planted il
corn Tor nncty-scycn consecutive years, anC
Ail produces most magnificent crops
The opening OF this great highway of ira,
vel and commerce will, of course, introduce
t'InlrrnntG and irrnuflr fb, .fr
along the whole line.
The populations of the counties drained BY
the Chesapeake aud Ohio rail- Dad are rs fol!
lows, by the ccusus Of 1870:
Nittl!hhS 3,6T