The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-07-15
Richmond to Staunton--Grass Wild
- 0wers' Train. p.
From our Travelling Correspondent
IL - Ctrx, A I-ar.x,a,- Ii. QE1

"a u
in Richmond, of that splendid road the
Chesapeake and Ohio. As passengers
were taking their seats in the western
bound train there was hurrying to aud
fro of old and young, male and female,
white and colored, but everybody seemed
Jolly and anxious to see some one. .at.
= All the readers of The JOURNAL may
not know the nature of this train-the
aGrass Widowers'." 1t is train which
the obliging company send out Saturday
nights to convenience the business men
of the city who wish to 60 out of the
busy, busting city to spend Sundays with
their families at their pleasant rural sum-
mering places, and it is real comfort.
And as the cars are filling up with weary
bat keen-looking, gallant business men, it
is suggestive to see how many saucY, pretty
looking women are already in the cars ; the
innocent observers suppose them to be the
wives or older daughters of the merchants,
Just come down to meet and escort them
home, for happy change maybe they are
smart country women been to town shop
ping-maybe. -.
At all events, as we look around, every
body, men and women, all seem evidently
to be son a train !" and now the tired
gentlemen are all relaxed and at ease from
the cares of business, and give their polite
and sociable attentions to the pretty
ladies'.
As we pass along we see many fruitful
orchards, the sacred grave, the velvety
peach, and the temptation apple, with many
grass and clover fields that's it
the sod fields are the sure foundation of
rich and well-preserved lands, and heavy
crops.
And now we come to a station the train
stops; there stands joyous lady and hap
py children, waiting for pa he jumps down,
catches up the little ones, gives them q
kiss, and then he serves the ma the same
way ; he says, "are you all well, dears?"
and she asks, "where is my new parasol,
and Kittie's new sash? ?" The ruling pas.
sion speaks out with each---he, for the
wife, she for the fixens.
There is fine field Of wheat, all in the
shock; heavy yield, deep blowing and plen-
ty of fertilizers, that tells. Some of the
shocks are opened and set out to dry, after
the rain; be sure that stont wheat had
lime or guano.
Here's another station see that anxious,
hopeful wife on the platform Her looks
say "Why don't he get off ?' The train
starts on, and she turns back disguised.
The good man has got so interested in con-
versation with that charming coquette on
the other side Of the car he has forgotten
his stopping place. Well, when he gets
back tho, he gets something at home
that won't let him forget again very soon.
See that rank, luxuriant field of corn ?
Flowed deep in the fall, shallow in the
spring, with ashes or lime in the hill, with
a little manure--that did it, you may bet
nothing like alkali for corn and potatoes.
But that chap getting down, or just
dropped off, the car seems to be 'corned"
a plenty; he took the essence of last
years. crop. He didn't hoe, but elbowed
It; he may have taken it "straight" but
it's crooked now, md double too.
Another station-she's right there, and
the little girl, with the basket of fresh dew
berries "see the nice berries pa, I'got for
youo-a smack--and ma-another smack
--says-''come in George, Pm so glad,
I've got such splendid waifles for you-oh,
you should have been here this afternoon |
had such pleasant lady visiting us, you
would have liked her''-and the train
pushed on. There's wife for you worth
having, and nobody wondered George
jumped off the train so quickly.
Look at that rich clover field, tall and
even. full of bloom good plaster, five or
six bushels to the acre, last April or May
may be that quantity of salt to the acre,
last December, or mid-winter; no matter
either would do it; and that splendid
wheat, had salt last winter, or liberal
dust Of plaster this spring. soon as the
blades began to grow and absorb OF suck
in ammonia and moisture; just.as the case
with clover-both returning twice the cost.
The whistle says, another station-and
see that spruce launty lady in the buggy
near the platform. whip in hand; she's
waiting for some one; what, nobody get
ting off? Train starts, and she starts with
crack Of the whip. a flash Of the eye, and
a crack in her voice like broken cream
pitcher with richness spiling out, which
says with emphasis, some body will walk
next time.
Sam didn't get down to the train in time
at Richmond, which will probably be a
good excuse for him to ride in some other
buggy. to pass the time over Sunday.
There's a fine field of oats--rather
nneyen--but laid down on last fall's wheat
atubble, for the purpose of seeding, which
was not ready for last year; but it doesn't
look as if the plaster was applied this
spring, after the oats and clover had come
well up; which our experience proves is
highly beneficial in such cases but plaster
ON that timothy and clover seeding imme.
diately after the oats are harvested will do
much good far more than the cost. By the
way those young fellows are going on in
the end of the car there, and the way they
runinto the saloons, prove there are "wild
Loats' yet being sowed; and late as the
season is, its pretty evident many weeds
and brambles will get rank start before
the fall harvest, if digging and hoeing amt
done pretty soon. just then the brake
man called out " Beayerdam," and Wild
Oats said, "who be dam ?" Brakeman
replied, the ''impertinent man +" and that
closed theological discussion for the trip;
said old lady" its high time"
On the way, we passed "Wickham" and
the rich mari beds, most valuable for
4 wheat, corn, and most other erops--nearly
equal to lime and salt-perhaps equally so,
when the comparative cost OF each is con-
sidered. Here the long, broad, level fields
on the river bottom, reminded me of the
celebrated I" Genesee Flats" in the state
of New York; where your correspondent
was born and brought up raised as they
say in Virginia.; well you have all heard of
the Genesee Flats; and his most knowing
acquaintance says your correspondent is