The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-02-18
virginia a. seen bya Northern Man

Virginia MS Seen by a Northern Man.
A very intelligent gentleman from West.
ern New York, who has been travelling in
Virginia, writes as follows in the Chautau-
qua county Sensor:
"The formation of the soil along the Po-
tomac, and for some distance back into the
country, is known as drift or sedimentary,
deposited by stream draining from the
northwest. Awarding in its course the
rocks found IN high ridges of the Blue
Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, mixed
with aluminous clay, oxide of iron, organic
matter, humus, potash heterogeneous matter,
&c.-all that is requisite to make fertile
soil. The fact that that section of our
country has been cropped for so many
years, and at this present capable of pro.
duciDg SO good crops only with good culti-
walton, is proof of the statement. The
soil in some locations Is q dark sandy
loan, changing to red, as it contains more
or less oxide of iron, others clayey loan,
gravel, &c. The sub soil generally is of a
character allowing Of good drainage.
There are several very nutritious grasses
Indigenous to the country, among which,
on the bottom lands, are June grass (poa
pratensis, known in some sections MS blue
grass, Kentucky blue grass, and white
clover, occupying the land wherever left
uncultivated. Red clover and Timothy
grow finely and produce large crops.
Springs of excellent soft water abound /;
many of them SO large as to
form quite considerable streams, in
many places affording fine water power,
discharging into bays of deep water indent-
ing back into the country from the river
from one to three miles, with high banks
on either side, thus giving some of the
finest villa sites in the country. The scenery
along the Potomac is not of the bold and
rugged character met with on some of our
rivers, but soft, fascinating, ever pleasing,
of which the eye does not seem to tire.
The river is a great commercial highway
the surface is constantly dotted with sail
and steam vessels from all parts of the
world. The climate and soil in many parts
of eastern Virginia. and especially along
tho Potomac, are finely adapted to fruit
culture. The Pear, Peach, Apricot, Necta.
rine, Cherry, Apple, and all the varieties Of
small fruits grow finely, healthy, and bear
large and regular crops. / think have
never, in any section of the country found
where the Peach, Pear and Cherry are so
healthy, and attain so great size and age.
On what Is known as Gunston Point, for
merly owned by Governor Mason and de-
scendants, are pear and cherry trees
black hearts planted prior to the revolu-
ton, now vigorous and bearing each year
large crops. One of the cherry trees, the
body two feet above the ground meas
ures eleven feet, and pear nearly four in
circumference.
Gunston Point is formed by Poheak bay
on the north, two miles below, the river
makes sharp bend to the westward for
some three miles !; just where it turns south
again, Occoquon bay sets back northward
something over mile, to within one and
three-fourths ofamile Of the head of Poheak
bay, giving an area of some six thousand
acres Of the most favored location and soil
for the culture of the peach, apricot and
pear that | have met with either east or
west of the Allegheny and Cumberland
range. / have observed in Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Missouri, Southern Illinois and in
very many parts of Virginia, Maryland
and Delaware that the bodies and limbs Of
fruit and forest trees are covered with a
thick growth of moss, in some places an
inch and half in thickness, giving very
strong indications of too much moisture in
the soil and atmosphere. On the point
spoken of, there are peach trees Of great
age perfectly healthy, free from fungus
growth. Young plantations Of four years
of age, Of apple, pear and peach are al
ready yielding fair crops of fruit, the
trees having made growth Of from two
to five inches diameter. have now in my
possession pears and apples of the second
crop picked from trees planted out four
years last spring, with rather ordinary cul-
tivation. The timber is in great variety, con
sistlng of oak, several varieties, elm, chest
nut, buttonwood, ash, beechspoplar, birch,
maple, locust, mulberry, sweet gum, black
walnut, hickory, magnolia, whitewood
cypress, pine, red cedar in abundance in the
forest, forming hedgerows along fences o.
long standing. The American holly, .
beautiful evergreen with thick foliage, Of {
deep, glossy green, oval, about two inches
long, armed on the edges with sharp spires
The bright coral berries scattered in profu
sion among its foliage makes the holly pc
culiarly beautiful and attractive during tn,
| winter months. @ 0E b l
| Very truly yours, sl
| is Z. s. BARTHOLOMEW. q