The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-01
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4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS U1M sSHOufSsH ON cry
LIVE coGNTY---THE AGRIct CULTURAL coLLEGE-
BLAcKsBGRG sGEowETH--HANGs LIES Low
| MECHANICS iEoRGAEIzINe- CROPS - AyAGE
4 OF THE "FLYn--GoyEHsoR n 'MuLLEN o,
II THE WAR PATH---yALLEY RAILROAD A.BooM
| ING. ~ $50 aS1tsI<}sf T,I=FI Us; =
tcorsespondence of the Richmond pispa,ch.l /
| MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VA,345;;,
| sr..1..,E -. ss' ~ &, May %, 1874. IL
| Jeurneying to and fro over The face Of the
| EARN like spirit of unrest, we find our.
| serves making brief halt In this good old
go.ahead, live county Of Montgomery ana
IN oil The live county Biacksbury is the live
pace now. Her Agricultural College has
secured the 5000 ABANDONMENT; she has got
tne charter for her narrow-gauge branch
,aairoaa, anu she holds up her head. talks
o'g, runs new streets, and don't care a cent
Wno's elected. Bangs il thrown into the
shade: ChriSttansburg Is eclipsed ami Com.
trail hides its diminished head while game
little Blackshurg stands on her own dino.
bill and does all the Growing. -
We understand there is good attendance
this session of some 40 students y
long ways ahead of many older and disiin.
guished Institutions. Long NAV she wave.
The town shows decided symptoms OF
growth and progress in her new buildings
graded walks, widened streets, and rising
business establishments, "sure huff" bank
among them; while the mechanics, not to be
behind the times, have organized themselves
into " Mechanical Association comprising
every branch of trade, and presided over by
a skilled workman. the Rev. Mr.. Harris,
They arc a joint stock company, and are
about erecting a large workshop, where they
propose building everything from wheel
barrow to hotel . ...ur..-s,
Wheat in this county, as well as else
where. continues to promise an abundant
harvest, but the oat crop must be failure
everywhere. Never saw poorer prospect
So much cool weather has been particularly
unfavonble to the growth of that crop.
Corn, too, is late, by reason OF the very wet
April, but with favorable seasons may make
q good yield. But the most decided blow
struck by an al-wise Providence at the hopes
and prospects of the farmer is felt in the
ruin that has fallen upon the tobacco crop
through all this section. The "fly" has
attacked the young plants in the beds in
such numbers and with such appetite as
to entirely destroy many beds, and backed
by the severe froStS of this spring, millions
and millions of plants have beea destroyed.
We have scarcely met with tobacco-grower
who has not curtailed his crop from one
third to one-half, and seen several who had
planted their whole tobacco shift in corn.
The writer and every neishbor he has in
Botetourt have been forced to curtail the crop
about half and if this cool weather con-
tinues, which somehow encourages the fly
in his depredations, we shall have TO abandon
tobacco for this year. The prospect for
farmers in our part of the Valley has de-
cidedly darkened within the last six weeks.
Passing through Roanoke, we stumbled
upon our old friend Governor McMullen,
who was down at that end of the district
feeling the sovereigns on the matter OF their
representation in the next Congress. The
Governor is vigorously riding his old hobby
Of retrenchment and reform, and entertained
the people with the first speech of the can
yass, which we were sorry not to have
heard; but we gathered from private con-
yersation that the Governor, in this cam.
paign, will be thoroughgoing and decided
Nc Mullen man.
The energetic Valley railroad contractors
are busy all along the lines.
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