The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-01-24

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of the Supreme Court Of Virginia and the
! U. s. District Court, have been worthy oil
his ancestry; the vaults of the Charlottes-
vile Wine Company, and the numerous
vineyards on the hills and the mountain
slopes and spurs near by where the grapes
ripen to perfection, and in remarkable pro-
bdigality OF production. But we oought
some Albemarle pippins raised on the Blue
| Ridge, which in size, beauty and flavor, my
companion declared unsurpassed. 81 un-
| derstand,',. he said, shat our Newtown
! Pippins is tne same fruit, but it does not
| compare with this. | must certainly agree
| with Saunders, in calling it the finest apple
in the world. | don't wonder that England
takes all of them she can get And ex-
| planned that something in soil and climate
caused the Blue Ridge to produce apples,
peaches and grapes OF almost all varieties,
of vastly superior size and quality to those
grown on the lower ground near by, and
that fruit distillers prefer the Milan Apple
(the favorite variety of the mountains, to
that of the lowlands for making brandy, on
account Of the greater percentage OF saccha-
rinc it contains and its superior flavor.
My companion expressed, too, strong
desire to 60 from this point to your flourish
ing city Of Staunton, and, after visiting its
State and educational institutions and thriv-
ing manufactures. to inspect also the famous
springs region, iron furnaces and grain
farms OF the Great Valley OF Virginia.
'But. said he, shat will keep until next
summer aud will show better then than now.
Your State is so large and varied in its geogra-
ply that must take it by sections and see
chiefly from the rail-
So we sped souJhward, getting as we
passed a picturesque view of the University,
the plain, time-honored architecture of
which has an agreeable quaintness and har-
monious character Of its own and is not inn
proved by the tall, pert-looking, mansard-
roof innovation near it. One does not see
the best part of Piedmont in travelling from
Charlottesville to Lynchburg, for the cars
run through the lowest portion, along the
western base of Ragged, Gray's, Appleber-
ry, and Findlay's mountains and Buffalo
Ridge, portions Of the low coast range, as it
is called, which runs parallel with the Blue
Ridge from Pennsylvania to Georgia.
Though my companion remarked good deal
of rich soil and good timber, and the coffee
color of the murmurihg turbid affluents OF
the James, which told of the fertile mulatto
soil through which their deep channels were
cut, yet many OF the rugged hill-sides, deeply
SCARED, showed a thin, poor soil, and poorer
system Of agriculture, making a strong con-
trast with the fertile, well cultivated farms
that adjoined them. "a sign, y said the New
Yorker, Sin such huge letters that he who
runs may read,' even by rail, sheep want
ed 1t would be interesting to observe
what remarkable transformation could be
effected on some of these neglected fields by
gypsum, clover, stock-raisng particularly
sheep feeding crops instead Of selling them,
and invieorating the soil by the manures of
the farm instead of buying commercial ferti-
lizers. They could be made as beautiful as
the farms we saw near Charlottesville. Why,
1 have seen no land since leaving Washing
ton so poor as that large tract in Central
New York that George Geddes made rich
and valuable by that very system. Geddes
added lime, too, but understand that your
Piedmont soils are highly calcareous al
ready, as much so or more than those OF
the Valley which are based on the lime
stone. The fact is, l don't believe much
in the exhaustion OF your Virginia soils
anyway. By far the larger portion of
your State had never been titled at all and
in eastern Virginia it is generally worn out
on the surface only. Flowing, under the
old system, was very shallow, mere scratch
ing and, as Horace Greeley said, so far
from having exhausted Virginia, her cultiva-
tors have hardly yet dug down to her; and
there are few acres that have seen, and
believe have seen the porest, that d con-
tinuolls system Of good farming will not
make fertile and productive
About this time couple of countrymen
entered the cars, one OF them. with Il large
''hand" OF fine, bright silky tobacco which
he was ia king to LynchburS as sample
and my companion was soon in conversation
with him about tobacco culture. He lived on
a little mountain farm and had no hands
l,,,k t>:v al Il "a ri
furnished plenty of fruit for home consurnp-
ton, and he raised grain enough for his fam
lily and stock, which latter had a good range
in the mountains and ample fodder in the
winter, and his clothing was substantial
home-spun. Tobacco was evidently his
money-crop and had netted him a handsome
profit the year before. have forgotten his
figures. but the yield was a good one, and,
from the price at which it sold, its quality
was certainly excellent. His last crop
wasn't sold yet and the sample was a good
average, he stated, OF his best grade. Judge
that he would do quite as we'll this year as
last, and the chief secret of his success, as |
gathered from his detailed account to the
New Yorker, was chiefly great care, patience
and Industry. He was a man Of more intel
ngence than schooling fine physique, lit
tie rough but manly and independent in
manner, and altogether, an excellent type
Of the mountain farmer who never believed
in slavery and 'sdidn't want no shifless Mig
gers round noway."
81 don't know about tobacco" said the
New Yorker, returning to his seat by my
side. 'sYour Virginia leaf stands very high
in the markets of the world and it is nudoubt-
eddy one Of your most profitable crops. 1t
is too, OF the first Importance to your color
ed population both in the field and the fac
| tory. But as farmer, doubtits ultimate
| value to, the country except under the most
skilful system Of agriculture. It is crop
| that is very axhaustinU to the soil and