The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-11-07
Correspondence of vIRGINIAN.
The Lynchburg Fair.

|. Correspondence of vIRGINIAN.
J The Lynchburg Fair.
: There is always something interesting i
r these autumnal gatherings, and their boun
4 tiful display of fruits and flowers, fine pou
D Try and stock and the almost endless exhib
bition OF manufactured goods, remindin
, one Of the sHarvest Home feast of the an
clients, when the crops being garnered, th
) arduous labors Of the busy seasons over, pre-
, visions being stored for winter, and man re
: leased from toll, turned to thoughts Of re
, taxation and enjoyment, and brought OF tn
, first fruits Of his fields as an Offering to tn
Lord of the harvest In gratitude for the sue
cess which had crowned his efforts.
One of the chief pleasures in visiting sucl
places is the impression produced of abun
dance so great, that al. the jewellers in thu
land can be fed and clothed, and the absence
ofanything to remind one of the poverty
and wretchedness, which are so often liz
every age and cline the only inheritance o.
the children of men.
The traveller on the Midland road, and
especially one accustomed to che verdant
landscapes Of the fair Valley of the Shenan-
doah, passing through the dreary country,
which for many miles before reaching
Lynchburg, presents only a succession Of
rugged hills and barren fields, wonders where
any agricultural products are to come from
in such land, and incredulously approaches
the Fair Grounds, inwardly convinced that
these old Virginians have gotten up horse
race, and can have nothing else to display.
Among these rugged hills of Amherst and
Campbell, however, lie many pleasant wales;
fertile bottoms are found on every water
course; the soil IS everywhere kindly, yield
| ing readily to judicious cultivation, and
the climate can hardly be surpassed for its
production and health giving qualities.
It must also be remembered that Lynch
burg is the only outlet for one Of the finest
grass countries in the world, stretching away
to the Sonth and West. while sturdy Rock
bridge also finds this the best marke. for her
abundant crops. Being the only city wor-
| thy Of the name within two hundred miles,
Lynchburg supplies the farmers Of the no.
BILE Roanoke Valley with agricultural imple-
ments. farm and household stores, and af-
fords ready market for their cattle and
other produce. These annual Fairs are Of
great service in bringing together the peo.
pie of the far distant districts and enabling
them to display their commodities to advan.
tage, while the interchange OF ideas, and the
opportunity to examine the newest machi-
merry and the latest manufactured goods, fur
nishes the country-folks with much food for
thought and conversation in their distant
homes and stimulates them to honorable RI
valry at ensuing meetings.
Once on the Fair Grounds, we could but
gaze in wonder and admiration at the stock,
noble specimens of horsef1esh,. magnificent
cattle and huge hogs being seen at every
turn. Now we are called on to admire the
splendid swine from Pittsylvania, Bedford
and Campbell, raised from Pennsylvania
stock, then Bradford's beautiful Culpeper
cattle attracted our attention, while mon
strous OK and COW all the way from POUCH.
keepsie, N. Y, too fat to walk, and obliged
to be hauled to the station, call for universal
admiration.
Coming from the Valley ourselves, we can
but hear with pride and pleasure the high
praise bestowed upon the cattle, sheep and
hogs of A. ". Bowman from Augusta. Per-
haps it is invidious to choose among so many
deserving of compliment, but 1 cannot re-
press my admiration for the beautiful array
of fine animals shown by Mr.. G. w. Palmer.
President OF the Society, who has left the
frozen North to find a home in the more
genial climate Of our Southwestern district.
and evidently lives in "a land of milk and
honey" Tubs Of choice butter marked
| samples Of 5000 pounds for sale," sheep
exhibited as specimens of flock Of 140O,''
sleek cows and fat bulls, fourfooted Dukes
and Dutchesses, showing pedigree almost
as long as that of their English namesakes,
with not bar sinister among them, all tell
what boun:iful returns Virginia will give to
| her children, native or adopted, for the cul-
| tivation of her soil.
| The fruit department Is under the care of
| Mr.. Samuel Patterson, the worthy and eff
| Gent clerk of the U. S. Court, who thirty
years ago settled in Virginia. when i'll
health forced him to flee from the rigors of
New England climate. Mr.. Patterson has
lately purchased beautiful residence in the
suburbs Of the city, where he occupies bis
leisure hours In the culture OF the finest
fruits and vegetables, and has become deser-
vedly popular by the introduction of i'm
proved methods of raising fruit, and the ami
able kindness with which he assists his neigh
bors in such efforts. The tasteful arrange
ment of his department where Flora aids
Pomona to show to advantage the pro-
auctions of our soil, and the great variety
of rare flowers aud luscious fruits so easily
cultivated here, win constant expressions Of
admiration from the throng who gather
about the tables.
No less than $50 varieties of apples are
shown. Mr.. Hurt, Of Bedford, alone exhib-
its more than fifty kinds, besides peaches
and grapes, and Mr.. Loving, of Nelson, has
40 fine seedlings to display from his collec-
ton Of hundred varieties Of apples. Mr.
Patterson has had lifelong experience In
fruit raising, has lived in several of the
States, and has attended many meetings Of
the American Pathological Society, and h
does not hesitate to say that Virginia CAT
produce better and larger apples than any
other section. He grows enthusiastic il
speaking of the future Of this Piedmont re
gion, and prophesies chat at no distant da..
the sunny slopes Of the Blue Ridge and tn
greater part Of this highland region, now ia
nous for its tobacco, will be dotted over wit
orchards and vineyards, yielding rich rev
enue to the owners. The mild climate
healthfulness and extremely low price Q
land in this section ought to attract -imm
grafton, and at no time since the war, Q
even before, has the spirit of the people bee
so free from prejudice and political dispute
i or so alive as now to the Importance Of II
, ceiving new corners with kindness. III
wise policy of President Hayes has had muc
| .,.At. a. nv,l <6o fots, rsoy,