The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-03

mate can he made of the final
result. Small fruits Strawberries, rlsp-
berries, &c,l have paid very well. The
yield was comparatively small, but prices
well sustained.
Asparagus is attracting attention n ono OF
the most profitable crops in localities con-
Ncnlent to transportation. lis early ma
turity and the high prices il has commanded
tor several years past arr giving 1t c"nsiaera-
Bile prominence rs profitable h7tch crop.
Being 4 native of the sca-shorc, our location
j. peculiarly adapted to il.
Fruit culture for market in suitable locali-
ties is prominent feature with our farmers.
The prospect for early June apples. both as
10 quality and quantity, is very tlattering.
If fears Of The cholera do not Interfere with
sales orr orchards will pay handsomely
The gathering is about to commence, and
the weld will be above the average. Owing
to the lat cool weather peaches have fallen
of yCr, much. but this will improve the
uualtr of those LETT and be no detriment to
the producer. The prospect for good
Weld is very favorable Pears for market
have come greatly into favor, and while most
orchards are yonng and just coming into
hearing, the prospect IS very fair for good
crop.
" Tomatoes, cucumbers. and cvmins are
not yet introduced here AS market crops,
nor Is the sweet potato crop sufficiently adj
yanced TO form an idea Of what it may be. ,
THE DAIRY BUSINESS
is wcll-dcvclopcd industry in several coun-
ties within reach Of the cities of the State
and the District of Columbia. Bath ships
1900 pounds of butter per annum Carroll
reports $4,000 pounds; Franklin manufac-
lures 100000 pounds. much of which Is con-
>llmed at home: Franklin also reports 10000
pounds of cheese shipped: Grayson 100000
pounds OF butter and 10000 pounds cheese
shipped. In Highland 10000 pounds OF but
ter were sent to market last year. and it is
thought that larger quantity will be sent
in 1873. Rockingham sends annually 300,-
900 pounds of butter to Washington, Alex
andria, aud Baltimore: and Loudoun ships
$4,000 pounds Of butter and 10000 of
cheese; Smyth ships large quantities of
butter to Richmond, Norfolk, and Balti-
more; Montgomery supplies the springs and
schools with a vast quantity of milk. butter,
and eggs; Albcmarle. Bedford, Augusta,
Nottoway, and Tazeweil. also annually send
10 market an abundance of their dairy pro-
dues; Fauquicr and Fairfax report the BUSH
ness large and steadily improving, while in
HurkinGhau. Caroline, Floyd, Nelson,
Prince William. and Shenandoah it has been
found very profitable. and much attention
is lrid 10 dairying and dairy-markcting.
SHEEP.
Ey far the majority of the counties report
that Shcrp-raising is seriously embarrassed
10y the deprcdationS Of dogs, and for that
reason many farmers are entirely deferred
from any attempt to raise sheep. Thirty
counties report sheep and wool-raisiug pro-
lirahlc but while in some OF these not much
attention is given to it. Others report it in
crra>ing and highly rcmunerative. Fred
| rrr"h sold 5000 pounds of wool in 1872 !:
Gyay>on 10000 pounds of wool and 10000
sheep; Highland 1000 and Loudoun 5000
pounds Of wool; and cur correspondents
think the products Of sheep-farlning for
Is! Will exceed those OF last year.
iIuGS-BaCoN
But few counties raised more than enough
ho@> for the supply OF home demands, and
some are obliged to purchase from nei-hbor
Ing counties. Carroll. tiray>on. Greene,
Floyd. Lee, Page. Montgomery. Princess
Anne, B"tctourt. Augusta, Rockingham. and
Pulaski, have Il large surplus. and ship an.
nualy many hogs and thousands of pounds
Of bacon. Carroll and Gravson report the
largest sales in 1872. Carroll sold 100000
and Grayson 25.n0O pounds of bacon. A
small surplus aud profitable sales are re-
ported in twelve counties. while in several
others it is thought cheaper TO buy bacon
than 10 raise il.
CATTLE
In 1872 large shipments of beef cattle were
made to Richmond, Baltimore. Washington
and other cities. The reports indicate Il
large aggregate increase upon former ship
lnent>. though some counties will probably
send Oft less than usual. The following is
the estimate Of sales for 1872 in the princi-
pal counties engaged in the trade: Fauquicr,
10000; Loudoun. $500; Botetourt, 5000;
Augusta, 1000; Rockbridgc, 1000; Gray
sou. 1900 Bath, 1000 Highland, 1900 !;
Prince William. 5000 Diuwiddic, 500 ;
Rockingham. 5000; Smytb, 5000; Taze-
well. 5000 Wythn, 1000; Washington,
1000: Greeue. 300 Franklin, $500: Abe
marie SOD: Carroll. 1000. Total, Il,30G.
As Very many Eecvcs are shipped from
Brd'old, Floyd, rula>ki, and other coun-
ties. from which we have received no csti-
mates, it is probable that the sales last year
were upwards of 100000. Many counties
report small shipments for 1878 with good
profits. and there are indications of gene
raj increase in stock-raiSing. Roanoke,
Prince William, and some Others Craze
MANY more cattle than they raise.
LANDS.
There is an immense area of land upon
the ma ket tor sale, which has a tendency to
reduce the sums realized hy the vendors.
Lands in Princess Anne, Lancaster, King
George, James City, Hanover. Gloucester,
Frederick, Clarke, AccOmac, and Augusta
arc, except in some localities, reported de-
terorating in condition, and those of Taze-
well, We>tmorcland, Surry, Roanoke, South
ampton. and many others are not improv-
ing; but the market value of land in nearly
all these counties is unchanged. and in some
prices rule very high. Great appreciation is
announced in Campbell, Albemarle, Bedford,
Fauquicr, and Loudoun; and twenty-five
counties report some Improvement.
LABOR
The reports of our correspondents show
that laborers for agricultural purposes are
scarce in thirty counties. and in many others
they are reported indlierent or unreliable,
while still others report that though scarce
the quality OF the farm-laborers is improving.
We fnd them plentiful in only eleven coun-
ties, and in some of them they are rated as
of very poor quality. Immigration seems
to be adding slowly to the population of our
State: only twenty-eight counties report any
immigration at all and of these only Mecklen-
burg, Nanscmond, and Richmond counties
report them coming in freely. Very few
arc inmigrating to Clarke county. and
many young men are going out. as indeed
they are, more OF less. in many counties.
COTTON.
There is an estimated increase Of twenty