South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-11-26

Lately delivered a remarkable address
before the Mason County Agricultural
and Mechanical Association and people
of Mason county, from which the follow.
ing extrsetdeserves the thoughtful a,ten.
ton OF our readers. Mr.. L. is known to
be gentleman OF great intelligence, ob.
sesyation and sound reflection. This
will give grea. weight to the Remarkable
statemcats below, which would seem al.
most incredible, did they como from a
less reliable and responsible author:
Well. having just returned from an olli.
cial visi: ID that country, presume YOU
may naturally expect me to say some
thing OF what l saw Of farming i'm that
extensive plateau west Of tic Mississip.
~. and between that river and the Rocky
Mountains.
Taxing that entire country at a single
glance, / would say that, i'm part "a an
agricultural and in part as an exclusive.
~ pastoral country. it is i'm some OF its
features the most unique and remarka.
bic upon the earth. The high table,
lands OF Asia, called the steppes. have
In them some points Of resemblance to
orr great American Desert or Plains !;
! but in other respects the two countries
are TO ally dissinilar. | will proceed to
refer more particularly TO that section of
our continent. The Mississippi River,
which finds It's source in small lake on
our northern frontier, rolls its mighty
volume of water almost in direct south
crn course to the Gulf of Mexico. divid-
ing this republic into two unequal iivis-
ions, the western section embracing tie
larger geographical area, and the eastern
section embracing by far the larger por.
ton OF the wealth and population of the
nation, Of the eastern section / will
say nothing for you are already familiar
with 1t. AS you proceed west from that
| river, for near five hundred miles, You
would see probably the richest body OF
farming land upon this continent. The
soil Is many feet deep, Of dark color.
and ineShaustible. They were harvest.
ing their grain rs passed through that
magnificent plateau. and the rich vel.
low, golden straw of the wheat gave am
pie evidence that the soil abounded in
all the healthy elements vegetable life.
II were not now standing upon the
rich low-grounds of the County of Ma.
son, where equal miracles Of production
may sometimes be seen. might almost
be afraid to describe the corn.felds
which | passed, les might be CHARGED
with telling travellers tales. The corn
stalks looked 10 me like young saplings,
reaching from twelve 20 sixteen feet high.
bearing from two TO three heavy ears up
on each stalk, and presenting the appear
ance of q solid wall orvegetation, through
which the eye could penetrate but few
inches. The ordinary yield ofthat coun-
! try, rs | learn from the best official sour
ceS, and with tho aid of very imperfect
cultivation, is % bushels of wheat. 50 of
corn, 30 of barley, 30 of oats, and 500
Of potatoes TO the acre. | ascertained
that the annual yield Of the four States
through which | travelled west Of the
Mississippi. 30 wit, Iowa. Nebraska Kan.
saS, aud Missouri, was 10000 bush
els OF wheat. 230. 200, 0OOof corn. 1000
600 OF harley, 49,0dO,OO0 OF oats. and
lo,9O0,O0O of potatoes. although three Of
those States are but thinly settled much
OF the land is in its original prairie con.
dilion, its virgin soil never having been
touched by the pow. and fully onc-third
Of two Of those States runs into that land
known a. the American Plains or Desert
This is very brief and imperfect re.
ference 20 that large and fertile section
Of o IT republic, and yet, can we not find
in the few facts just mentioned much
from which we may derive instruction
il West Virginia?
The occupation OF the farmer in this
state il not exactly the business that it
was half n century ago. Time. with the
wonderful discoveries TO which it has
given birth. has exercised a very visible
icGuencc upon the respon sibilities Of his
position. Then the interests OF the far.
mer Feyolycl within narrow and sim.
pie cha.n of operations. The price Of
bis production was measured i'm great
degree by local demands for it. Take.
for example, n farmer in my own valley ::
cnc value Of his crop Of wheat was de.
termined very much by the yield ofihat
article one hundred miles around him.
How is it now. since the Introduction Of
railroads. which, penetrating every part
OF This continent, bring its Iemotest sec.
tons IN contiguity to market which be.
sore was almost exclusively local? How
D. u since the opening Of those great
waeat-Eroving regions eat and west Of
thc Mississippi, (which, by these railroads.
pour thcir abundant products into orr
eastern markets? The competition OF
the farmer is no longer confined 20 his
immediate section. lie now encounters
a competition IL his business wherever
the earth - capable Of producing grain.
such are the change caused by railroads.
tclogrsphs. steamships. elevators. and
al those c0ntrivances ofthe human mind
designed 20 facilitate transportation.and
10 promote commercial intercourse n.
moog thc human ra,el Whatever affects
the production OF grain in Europe. or
upon amy part Of this continent. now NJ.
lects the interests Of the farmer OF West
Virginia. Ills interests have ceased 20
be local they have even ceased 60 bc
rational; they have become cosmopoli.
fan aud L. a. tr..r.f,..l a.. ia q