The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-03-25

10 O cents per bnshei, $50. Total amount
Of products per acre, when marketed,
Sl96 50. Expense ot getting ont and
hauling to market 5OOplpe slaves, Sl2 5O;
$500 oil barrel slaves, S25; 800 axe han:
dies. S.; 100 cross.ties, Sl5; 1900 feet OF
lumber, $40; planting and cultivating
one acre in corn, gathering and market
ing the same, Sl2 80. Total expense,
SliO. Taking this from the proceeds OF
one acre, to-wit, $3.50 80, leaves the farm.
er net profit Of $50 so, or Ss,O5O on the
one hundred acres. II we deduct the
cost Of the farm and improvements, 81
100, we still have the net sum OF $3.50
and the farm as the accrued result OF
the investment.
Had he cultivated any other crop than
corn, his profits would have been much
larger.
The question is often asked, why is
there not more general thrift among the
farmers Of West Virginia.
There are several valid reasons that
may be assigned, as the chief causes and
drawbacks to success.
Prominent among these are, the care.
less manner in farming, so universally
practiced in many portions OF the State,
and the reckless waste OF the chief com.
modify OF our country, the timber. Mil.
lions OF dollars worth Of timber is des.
troyed annually, by cutting it down and
rolling It into logheapS and burning it,
whereas it might be profitably worked up
on the farm. The writer has frequently
seen vast quantities Of the very best tim.
Der; such as oak, pine and poplar, from
three to four feet over, and from fifty to
sixty feet TO the first, limb, destroyed in
the manner above mentioned.
We claim that farming is profession
and one OF no mean calling, but unfortu
nately West Virginia is blessed with
large class OF bunglers; men who give the
theory Of farming no thought whatever.
They farm as their fathers did one hun.
dred years ago.
They clear fifteen or twenty acres at
time, and run the land as long as it will
produce anything, giving it no rest by
grassing or otherwise, it is then left to
bleach in the sun for many years. We
are acquainted with land that has been
cultivated in corn for nearly twenty
years, and during all this time it has not
known grass.
II the farmers Of the Eastern States
were to maltreat their lands in this man.
ner, large per centage OF them would
annually be candidates for the poor
house.
But we have some excellent farmers in
West Virginia. We are acquainted with
not few. We have within our mind,
man who arrived at Parkcrsburg fifteen
years ago, with large family and one
hundred dollars, the sum total OF all his
worldly possessions. He had been driven
from the over.crowded North, where
sickness and misfortune had reduced him
to this low circumitance, but he came
with stout heart and willing hands TO
work.
The one hundred dollars was invested
as the first payment on one hundred acres
OF land; cabin was erected, into which
he and his family went; thus he began
anew the battle OF life. By energy and
industry, to-day he owns seven hundred
acres OF good land, of which about four
hundred Is improved, and adorned with
all the Embellishments and modern i'm.
provements OF civilization; numbers OF
cattle may be seen grazing on the hills
and in the valleys OF this estate. Now
the old gentleman surveys his broad acres
with pleasure, and enjoys his pipe Of
peace and the happy family that sur
rounds him in this, the day OF prosperity.
All this immense estate, worth at least
$4,000, is the reward Of patient industry,
the product OF the timber and labor pro.
duced upon the land. We might cite the
reader to numerous other worthless vino,
in like manner, have acquired wealth
and adluence, but space will not permit it.