Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-05-05

rels, or nearly one hundred and torty-fve lush
els; and another, twenty-five barrels, or one
hundred and ten bushels This was in the
year lS47, and a full account of the crop can be
seen in The November or December number of
the Southern Planter for that year. This crop,
which was most wonderful one, was the
ninth, we believe, which had been made Oh
the same land in nine successive years. The
farm contains seven hundred aud three acres
whereof one hundred and and eighty.four arc
low grounds These low grounds, the owner
Informs US, have been cultivated every year
since the war by tenants who give him as i
rent, a share Of the crop, aud that be has never
received as his share, less than twenty-five
bushels, or five barrels of corn, per acre, he
being at no expense in the cultivation. Before
the war, on the highlands belonging to this
farm, the crop of wheat was of white wheat,
twenty eight bushels and of red, thirty two
bushels TO the acre in favorable season. The
owner informs us that he bad not mauured his
garden for fourteen years, and that last year,
he raised parsDips which measured fourteen
inches in circumference. This seems almost
incredible, but we assure our readers that II Is
literally true.
From Brandy Station to Rapid Ann Station,
on the railroad, the railroad ruos parallel with
| the course of the river, and produce from nc
| point has to he hauled more than seven miles
With such facilities for transportation, and
with such soil, The value of the lands mention
ed can not be over estimated. Though some
of the farms are better at present than others
owing to more skiltul and judicious manage
mcnt, they were, originally, very nearly OF the
same quality.
1t is very much the fashion, of late years, tc
| b,,t lat
stranger, 20 matter from where, visit the Val
ley of the Rapid Ann and get acquainted witt
its people, and we will be much mistaken if he
don't concur with US 10 the opinion, that fol
intelligence, retirement, hospitality aud al
other good and attractive qualities, they vii
compare favorably with an equal number trou
any other spot on the Globe. On the opposite
side of the riv,r, in Orange county, the lands
though very 6ue, are not equal to those on thl:
side The low grounds are DOT so extensive
nor do they lie SO we'll to the SUM- On the Or
ange side, the exposure is to the West anC
North; on ours, to the South and East. A
Rapid Ann Station is a fine merchant mil
which turns out -four of very superior quality
1t is owned by H. Il. Holiday, esq, whose es
Establishment was destroyed during the war, bu
he has since rebuilt it. At Somervile' Fore
is good grist and saw mill We believe. A
Raccoou Ford is large merchant mill, belong
ing to estate of that mudel Virginian of the Ole
school, the late Col. John A. Porter, which
makes the best kind of -four.
At Rapid Ann Station is-a good ford
Robertson's s, another; at SomerVile' S, ano' her
at Raccoon Furd, another; at Morton's, another
and another called Mitchell's, near Wallis
the lowest farm mentioned giving easy access
to the county of Orange. In this most dcsra
BILE portion of the county We have heard of on
settler oDly from the North. We advise al
parties coming from the North or elsewh here
to explore it, They might be able to get land
at forty or fifty dollars an acre, which the.
could not get Tor one hundred and fifty if the.
we're located iu the lower Valley, Clarke o
Jefferson or in the Cumberland Valley, Penn
Sylvania.
At various points on the Rapid Ann. can b.
found agate, corneian, jasper; rock crystal
marl-though not much Of this-aud ~ha
they call jet, but what We believe to be coal
Of this latter substance, We have had Jumps a
large as a buck shot, of different sbapes-pen
tagons, hexagons, &c.-and beautifully pc!
ished