Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-02

ment. Under tho selfish sagacity of indi-
vidual management the road would prob
ably do well.
The Kentucky Central in leaving the
Ohio runs for a long distance in the mar
row valley of the Licking, which gives
traveller in the cars little opportunity of
seeing the upland country, which is said to
be rich and especially adapted to the
growth of tobacco. This however, is.a
very different product from the Lancaster
county leaf, and is too heavy and gummy
for any use but in chewing tobacco. Before
reaching Cynthiana we have ascended into
the blue grass plateau, and at Paris We are
in its centre. The road there runs off tow
ards the west to Lexington. traversing all
the while this beautiful and rich country,
than which none more fertile can anywhere
be found. The soil is of dark chocolate
color, entirely underlaid with limestone of
disintegrating kind that keeps it always
strong and seems to do away with the he
cessity for manuring. 1 was told that TO
manure was ever used on the land. l
found it little lard to believe, knowing
what do of it's value on the rich lands of
Lancaster county, and that without it they
could not be kept in fertility. 1 do not
know what charm this region has that it
can exhaust land without exhausting it..
1t would be a miracle like that of the
widows cruise Of oil if great crops could
always he taken from the soil without di-
minishing its fertility. 1t may be so but
l will not vouch for it. 1t can only be ex-
planned on the supposition that the same
land is not often put into grain, but is left
to tie in pasture, as is the habit on these
thousand acre farms.
1t is beautiful country-this blue
grass region. The land rolls much as it
does in Lancaster county, and the land
scape would be very like in both if left as
nature made it. In that scene the great
barns and many dwelling ands numerous
fences that we see in Lancaster county are
absent. l looked out of the car windows
constantly over the waving corn and the
already harvested grain fields to see the
farm buildings that would be worthy of
such fertile beauty. They were seldom to
be seen. There were some frame shanties
about that may have done duty as barns
but if so 1t was not so hard to see why
thriftless farmers that would be content
with them would also be willing to waste
their manure. A country so blessed by
God man seems to have done little to
adorn. But it must be said for the people
that they have done nothing either to dis,
figure it. They have not cut down its
trees as our grasping farmers have ruth
lessly done. The country looks like
vast park. The trees do not stand
in thick woods with strong underground
as they are elsewhere The Origi-
inal growth, if it existed as with
us, has been thinned out and the trees now
stand wide apart and in clusters, and be-
meath them the luxuriant blue grass cleanly
grows, SO that the picture is like that of a
well-preserved park, and it needs nothing
but the drive-ways and bridges and castle
walls to make one think that he
is traversins all anciently cultivated estate
in England. This park-like growth OF
trees and grass is as useful as it is beauti-
full. The grass grows beneath the shade
of the trees rs we'll or better than it would
under the hot sun and a pleasant and nc
cessary shade is provided for the
cattle. If our farmers could thus
unite the utile and the dulce, they
too would spare the trees; and why
can they not? Why do they not clean out
their woodland and SOW them in blue
grass and give their cattle pleasant range
and succulent pasture, while they regale
their eyes with a landscape that no land
can surpass. Give to our county the
shaded pasture fields Of Kentucky, and the
finely kept farms OH its rolling hills would
be altogether lovely.
I was enamOred with the town Oi
Lexington. 1t has 4 population of II, ,0OO
but does not seem to be SO large. Its
streets are beautifully shaded throughout
their extent, and are bordered, except il
the business parts, with handsome lawn:
of private residences. The houses seldom
abut directly on the street, nor are they
built close against one another. They
stand back a few or many yards, and thu
intervening lawn is planted with shade
trees and flowers. This mode of living j!
SO universal as to cause one t.
wonder whether all the people il
| the town are rich; but it Onl,
shows that land is not dear and that til.
education of the people makes them valu.
highly the advantages of a home will
handsome surroundings. The houses are
generally commodious, but not otherwise
pretentious. They are comfortable, re
tired homes, manifestly the abode of peo
pie of refinement and of cultured tastes
And such are thepeOple. The society::Of th'
town and of the region is notably good
The settlement has been largely from Vir
ginia and by the native-born population OF
the East. The characteristics of the peo
pie l can say little of, for saw little o
them, and have but the current ide:
that the men are brave and careless ai,(
the women vivacious and tall. 4. J.. S.
THE BLUE ABOVE THE RED.
Vale Wins the University I.oa. Eaca