New-York tribune., 1878-03-19
HOMES FOR THE UNEMPLOYED
WEST VIRGINIA.
ITS AGRICULTURAL AND MINERAL REsoUICEs-CLI-
MATEcPRICEs-EASIL REACHED.


vantages over the West and South.
FIst-It is near and easy of access. The cost OF
transportation for a family and their goods from
New-York to Wheeling would be about one-fourth
that to Chicago. Time required via the Pennsyl-
vania or Baltimore and Ohio Railroads, from sixteen
to eighteen hours
Seoond-The timber land lies unusually high,
above the reach of malaria II begins TO pay so0n'
being either pasturage or upland alluyium. ms
latter SOIL which is the accumulation for ages In the
valleys of washings from the slopes covers thirty
per cent of tine whole area.
Ihird-Although West Virginia was part OF
Southern State until the war; the Northern settler
will find there hostile social prejudices to over
come-a matter of first importance III choosing
home. The majority Of the inhabitants were loyal;
being by descent, habits and temperament much
more nearly allied to the farming population OF
Pennsylvania than 10 the people OF Last virginia
Toarh-Tho State offers the peculiar advantage
OF an immense capital of virgin soil aud undeveloped
resources, closely surrounded by the established
markets of the old States West, East and South.
On the other hand. the settler i'll the remote dis
tricts will probably have to contend with sluggish
ness in his neighbors which he would not find IN the
driving Western settlements. While the towns nave
filled up with energetic men, the solitary mountain
counties were Scillell lOns w pun "''
generation after gcncration titled their few acres
and raised what cattle they ate without caring to
look outside of their own fences. few colonies OF
industrious, practical men would, however, soon
leaven these soddcn communities.
The State forms slope from the Alleghany Noun
tains to th Ohio River. varying in height from 900
to 1000 feet above sea level The mountains form
ing barrier against east winds, the average tenn
peraturc is reduced to 80. The mean temperature
for twentytlree years at point on the Ohio River,
vas 7l.5l in Summer aud 32.0S in Winter. The
defect in the climate is the exceptionally high rain
fail which Annually aveTa ,es. along the Ohio 39oo
inches, and is still higher in the uplands. For this
reason, wheat cannot be grown as successfully as
corn.
Loans are the charactcrs c soil of the State: cal
careous soil is found in reenbfieT, Mercer and Mon
roe Counties the bottoms of the Ohio and Its aiiiu
ents are rich alluvial deposits from ono 10 ten
feet in depth, which corn is grown with re-
Inarkable success; the kanawha bottom and Blcn-
nerassetts Island have yielded an average of eighty
bushels 70 the acre from fifty 20 hundred years,
unaided by fertilizers. Wheat will yield, with care,
thirty bushels 10 the acre Oats rank third III The
cereal crops. Buckwheat and rye grow easily. Crops
which require a sandy soil do not succeed such as
barley. sweet potatoes etc. The Irish potato Is
maple sugar is large and pays well. Tobacco is
grown in the Kanawha region. OF fruits apples aud
ounces are the surcst and largest crops peaches
are uncertain, owing TO the early frost; the cutl-
waited small fruits grow readily but only find mar
kct in the large towns. There are several large
vineyards in the Ohio bottoms, the WINE from
which commands high price III the Eastern mar
ket Dss Debar alleges that " there is hardly 100
acre lot IN West Virginia which does not furnish
suitable exposure for vineyard.
West virginia is richest in her minerals. She has
an area in coal over 5000 squate miles larger than
that of PENNSYLVANIA. and her iron ores are more
abundant and bring "A higher price III the market
than those OF the latter State. These ores are clas-
si.ied by Maury 'brown oxides, carbonates and
black bands, found in the coal measures and the
brown and red hematites. forming part OF the
great iron belt of the United States" Salt Is found
by boring in the coal DISTRICTS the Indians worked
the wells III the first part of last century. Petro-
leum is found in the Kanawha Valley. There are
292 wells, each yielding about three barrels per
day.
The workman. however who proposes TO go 10
farming III this State, Is not likely to strike oil or
iron or any swift path to fortune. He wants timber
land at low prices There IS 10 scarcity Of 1T. OF the
1GG4O 900 acres in the State. 5000 900 are in the
primcval forest Its price in Hampshire. Mineral.
Ran olph, Greenbrer Jackson Clay and Cabell Coun-
ties ranges from 30 cents TO - per ln the cul-
tivated counties in close cOntIguity IT runs mp to
$40, mineral lands selling for ~ 200, while III
those which are almost wholly in forest, such
Lincoln, Mcdowell and Logan, land III large tracts.
embracing mineral aud glades. may be brought for
81. Dss Debar states that the cost Of enclosing
these farms with "A wooden fence is - per
acre or less. The largest timber Is then girded.
Ii dies i'm the first year. The first thing which
comes is thick growth of blackberry bushes,
which will disappear in two years, or sooner II cat
tie are turned in. The native blue grass then takes
possession spontaneously. and the farm is ready to
yield perennial pasture. In this rough way the
largest grazing farms have been cleared. and have
enriched their owners. Fortunes OF from 100000
to $780, have been accumulated in the live
stock business by men who began as farm hands.
and started business with a brace Of calves. The
timber brings from 30 cents To 81 30 stumpagc,
and at the mill from $40 to $l2 30 per 1000 feet
Beef finds q market in Maryland, Pennsylvania
and New-York, via the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road. Cattle are grazcd eight or nine months in
the year. requiring feed only three months. The
demand for stock sheep is from the South and West
for mutton sheep. from te seaboard cities. Trans
portaton to markets is afforded by the streams
which feed the ONO, by the ONO hlNer' ny INC
Baltimore and Ohio and Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
roads, and by five local railroads. The country
roads are seldom in good condition. Iwenty-elght
other local railroads are projected.
If these roads were finished, and the remote cor
ners of the State thus opened to trade, West Vir-
ginia would become one of the most important, as
she is one of the healthest and richest States in the
Union. A diversion of Northern capital and work
ing men into her undeveloped tracts will soon effect
this.
TIE FIRE IN PANAMA.