Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-05-16

grease" compared with the labor that
we Virginians have to bestow upon our
crops. Two-horse plows break the
ground. Spring wheat is sown broad
cast, and covered with harrow, oats
ditto. and corn is cultivated with sulky
plows, the plowman riding at his ease
while blowing corn. All these advan-
tages combine TO make an ordinary far
mer lazy, seeing that a crop can be
raised with SO little exertion. There
are honorable exceptions to this, and
we see farms that are models of thrift
and neatness. A few days ago, I ac-
companied J. p Walker, Esq, Contrac-
tor and Builder, and who, by the way,
is Berkeley boy, to the residence of
f. McCune, Esq, some three miles east
of this place, and on the prairie, where
Mr.. w. is building large barn. Mr.
McC. is a model farmer, and is depoting
some of his attention to fruit growing,
having eighty acres of orchard, which
would probably yield 10000 bushels OF
apples in favorable season. His or
chard is surrounded by the tallest Usage
hedge that | have ever seen, it being
about twenty feet high, and some of the
trunks quite large, one being used for
! gate-post This is no "Mark Twain
assertion, but the literal truth. Leaving
out the iuH hedge. Nr Nee, has
some live fences that come as near per-
lection in that line as any that / have
ever seen. This gentleman tells me
that the Usage Orange will grow on
the prairie soil rapidly enough to make
substantial fence in three years, If well
cared for, and that makes it much
cheaper than rail fences where the tim
Der is growing on the farm.
"The soil OF the prairies is very rich,
is trite expression, but it is literally
true. in great many places it lacks
natural drainage, and at present such
places are suitable only for grazing. In
the vicinity Of this city the surface is
broken, and fair share of attention is
paid to the cultivation Of the vine for
wine making, and a considerable quan-
tty of that article is manufactured.
AT present the fruit prospects are
very tiattering; peaches just beginning
to bloom, although the atmosphere to-
day is cool enough to discourage any
such business.
Last Friday | PAID a visit to Milton
Brown, Esq, who came to Missouri,
from Shepherdstown, in 1912, and To-
Gated at Alexandria, in Clarke county,
just opposite Warsaw. He was atailor
by profession, and after making his
business known, he had to use store
box for dining table and tailors bench,
but after awhile work came in and he
prospered. His family suffered many
privatons while making a home in the
new country. He is now railroad agent
at Clark City, place about AS populous
as Leetown, but laid out more preten-
,iously, its projectors having expected
that it would become the seat Of justice
for Clark county-but Cahoka, two
miles distant. carried of the gIittering
prize, and Clark City stands just there.
On Saturday We ran out on the Mis-
souri,, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad, to
( It's present western terminus at Center
willie, Iowa The road begins at Alex
andria, Missouri, and passes through
Clark, Scotland, and Schuyler counties,
in Missouri, and thence to the county
ssat of Appanoose county, in Iowa,
distance of So miles. The country
through which the road passes is about
equally divided between prairie and
timber, or "bush," as it is here called.
About two thirds of what ] saw upon
the trip was only fit for grazing. The
road crosses four rivers, the first Is Fox
river. nine miles out, and IL miles fur
Their on is the Wacopda, and Is miles
further we crossed the Fabias, all rivers,
and all smaller streams than the Ope-
quon. Beyond the Iowa line the Char
iton river, another creek in size, passes
through some fine bottom lands. Near
Centerville, coal of a good quality is
obtained by shafting. Centervile is
quite fourishing place, and last Satur-
day the streets were thronged with
teams from the surrounding country,
and it being noon, the teamsters were
engaged in feeding" most of the wag-
ons being low enough for the beds to be
used for feed -troughs, and all two-horse
teams. The town furnishes places for
the country teams to park and feed, and
think that the arrangement is good
one, as it is such convenience to farm
ers while taking their produce to mark
ct. Centerville is the only town where
have seen such provision made, but
| understand that it is common in Iowa
| towns.
One station upon this road has per
petuated the name of Henry Clay Dean,
or as he is Familiarity known in his i'm
mediate neighborhood. DIRTY Shirt
Dean" from his indifference to clean
linen. Another locality, on the same
road, was selected as town site, and
christened "Griffin," in honor of the
worthy Assistant Superintendent OF the
road, but it didn't take as town,
"worth cent" and as not a lot was
sold, it is now enclosed for general ag
ricultural purposes. Mr.. Griffin says
that ''if he had his name back again, he
wouldn't care very much what use was
made of the to,cn.'
Five or six miles from Alexandria
the road crosses a marsh several hun
dred yards in length This tract of
land is mostly covered with water,
couple of feet in depth, and is inhabited
by numerous waterfowl and muskrat,
tLo Iotter have thrown m nuraropS