Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-09-04
A Ride Lower Fauuu.cr.

Correspondents OF the Alexandria I5i2a;ta
FAIRFAX {. H., Sept. S.-The unproductlve
lands Of Virginia. how extensGethey are? Plue$,
piots everywhere, sombre aud u0ootonous,
growing op land 50 poor that Fifteen miles vii!
scarcely c1az, goose as the Stafford people
say. The national capital probabIy not sixty
miles away, ard Fredericksburg much nearer,
while here reigos solitude as complete as that
which existed long ere the white mao came.
Mnersl treasures may be below? Perhaps.
Aud when the people shall arouse themselves
20 the appeals Of your intelligent correspondent
and vivacous cooversa,lonalisf, Dir. Douglas,
of Csilet,'s. something nay Be done 10 that
gay at occasional pjiDS. But what about the
great bulk Of the isod? Can nothing be Done
TO reuder it productive aod Valuable wlth 4
country like Belgium supporting population
Of 40 10 the square mile mlie only tw0 weeks
Journey distant? Such were some OF you! Ger.
Respondents reflections e. he travelled ao1g
solitary aud alone, few days >locs. Piues to
sbe right OF hm, pines to the lett OF him, ooe
narrow strip OF deep blu, zritry SKY above, q
rider oa louc:y bcrse. At length he can 10
the little village Of Poe Vtv in that part Of
Fauouisr whera the Stafford lire and winding
Rappahannock bound that extensive couoty.
Hare az animated sceoe 10 pleasing coutras: 20
| the previous jesoistion met the ga2s. Works
Ct nature doubles; please som2 people more
than works Q! arr. "Cfas::u.' gaZad With
rapture upon the magnificent m.uata!0 so=oe
which be 50 eirqleniiy described IL youT CO.!
! unDs. ByroD. who, by the Is, Ma: confirmed
misanth1ope, declared
There is pleasure in the rath!cSs woods.
But the average traveller u.t on Of them
like your correspondent, would nor give oac
work Of art fo7 tH5 0! dame nsiure's :, even
though tie former should ccniaia the hofrd
steam engine A griss ADD SAT- mi!i, lanyard,
store and pos,ofice 10 the foreground, coa-
Portable Homestead beyond, and around it a
clean, we'll kept farm Of some lj0 ac:es, divided
into small fields, io ooe CT Which va: . promls
ing crop Of corn, made up the seaoe. The place
belongs to Mr. J ohm Critic nden, who has own
ed it about % years.
The writer is peither farmer Dor fertilizer
agent, but be will venture 10 give the substance
of conversation had with the owner:
You were f,rtunstc in hitting upon good
land 10 this poor section Mr.. c.
My laod is 10 better THAI aoy pine fields
around here VIA; has been d5nc with i. can
De done Win tUcO. L make ir1O seven 10
eight barrels Of corn and over eighteen bushels
of wheat to The acre o. &c a7ersga. The fields
contain abou: ten acres apiece. | have the
usual rotation 81 crops, and put the same field
10 corn once in every FIVE years.
You must use manure pretty heavily?
eve caDnot get along in this section without
fertilizers, but rarely usa mare than one huo-
dred pounds 10 the acre.
How can sou be sure Of pure aTtlc!e?
"a man need not be very badly cheated 10
fertilizers urless he wants 70 ha. rhe follow.
ing are two good ana ready methods Of testing
the purity Of boz. dust api artificial mature
Pour little boue dust i6to gass ha:f !ul Of
water and give the glass t"is. ciusGg The va
ter 10 rotate. ANY impurity viii gradually SICK
to the bottom aud the pure bone viii continue
10 revoive 90 The top OF the water. Take
shallow p:o, pu. 10 little fertilizer, aud pour
some Hacr 90 it, give tine fer diEso,T;og, geat.
" pour of the water, and repeat the process
several times The valuable portion bciog so!r.
BILE will pass of 10 The water and the part Of 20
value will be found 10 the bottom # the pao.
MoraI-Brans pay in farming:
ANGLO NIRGISIAN