Wilmington journal., 1876-08-04
Rocky MOUNT, N. c.,
July 25th. 1876 !
the Editor of The Journal:

July 25th. 1876.
TO the Editor of the Journal:
SR:-In a somewhat extended tour
OF our eastern counties have observed
that crops of all kinds, especially in
Craven, Greene, Edgecombe, Nash and
Halifax, are very fourishing and
promise an abundant yield. The re-
cent plentiful rains have dispelled the
fears which until lately were seriously
entertained in regard to drought, and
the whole outlook is quite cheerful.
Daring the past and present seasons
a much greater acreage has been de-
voted to grain and forage crops than
was customary i'll former years; in
evidence of which may be cite, the
fact that not ole bale of hay nor a
bushel of corn has been brought dur
ing the year past to Tarboro for con-
sumption IN Edgecombe county. On
the contrary, grain has been shipped
off for sale elsewhere, and the growing
crop will increase the quantity availa-
BILE for shipment. Much attention is
paid to the raising of wheat. Many
farmers will have from the crop just
harvested surplus for sale, after
| supplying their own wants for the
| coming year, as we'll as those of their
hands or tenants. This wheat is
ground into -four at mills in
| raised-largely, for instance at
that of Messrs. Battle & Son near
this place, and is thus the means of
reviving an industry that has been
long languishlng, and, indeed, been al
most dormant. [ was Informed both
in Nash and Edgecombe that the i'm
portation of -four into those counties
would be fully one-third less the pres
ent and ensuing years than heretofore,
and the same is said to be true of
other counties. concerning of hogs"
too, to quote Gov. Vance, the increase
of the corn crop has enabled farmers
to add i'll like ratio to their stock of
that interesting quadruped. This is
markedly the case in Pitt county,
whe. q, but fot the prevalence of the
hog cholera, the people by "saving
their bacon" would ere now have
been independent Of the smoke houses
Of the Northwes This consummation,
so devcutly to be wished, will yet be
attained throughout our eastern coun-
ties, and the time is not far distant
when "North Carolina hams" will be
neither SO high priced nor SO scarce as
at present.
Cotton seems to be clean and we'll
advanced, the appearance of the weed
being more encouraging than the
price of the staple. The superior con-
ditiOn of cotton, especially in Craven
county, which is cultivated with
"sweeps to that where the turning
plow" is relied upon to keep down the
grass, is very noticeable. [ do not
pretend to contrast the relative merits
of fEEn Of uyI,I nj, 7
nothing, but merely mention what is
everywhere apparent. The subject, if |
there be any controversy in regard to
it, is, it seems to me. one we'll worthy |
the attention of those most interested. |
In Craven county last year, farmer |
obtained from twenty-five acres of |
land an average yield of six hundred
pounds of lint cotton to the acre. In |
the same county this year, there are
one Thousand acres which, without dis
aster, will produce one thousand bales
of cotton of four hundred and fifty
pounds each.
Your residents on "the Sound - (by
the bye, which Ii "the" Sound p
whether patrons OF ''tie turnpike" or
not, might learn something from the
energy of Mr.. Kitchen. of Halifax
county, erstwhile an aspirant for Con-
gressional honors in the "Black Dees-
trict" in opposition to Judge Thomas,
the predecessor of Hyman. Mr.. Kits
chen OF crates con his own hook
railway or tramway, seven miles in
length, extending from Scotland Neck
to Edwards Ferry on tie Roanoke
river, where it connects with lines of
steamers.
The tramway is built of scantling
i I1I,
road, could not have been very costly.
All wear and tear of iron is saved by
as Artemas Ward wonld have expresa-
edits not being there. The motive
power is steam, and the odd little lo~
comot;ve moves trains containing fifty
bales of cotton without difficulty and
at considerable speed-a great accom-
mediation to shippers and vast I'M
provement on the slow and toilsome
wagon. For passengers the route is
not recommended unless they are
anxious to realize the sorrows of the
long suffering author of that touching
ballad "Ridin' Oh a rail.
His neighbcrs apprecinte this enter
prise of Mr.. Kitchen more highly than
The voters of this District did the very
liberal promise made by him in his
against Thomas. You per-
haps remember that Mr.. X. offered, if
elected, to distribute all his pay as
"backward and front"
among the poor of the Second District.
This disconnected Thomas, who had
no such charitable designs, surely; but
''Cuffe )" was not alive to his own in
terests, voted as usual. and the benev-
olent intention was cut very short.
More's the pity. ''HALIFAx.