Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-03-03
[For the Shenandoah HERALD
MARION MINNESOTA I
Feb. 18th, 1880. (

of many Of her sister States in more
than few. Her agricultural facilities
it would seem, are unsurpassed Let US
gather about US, some Of Its ways
The farmer plows his land in the fall /;
usually with the turning sulkey plow.
He can walk or ride at pleasure. In
the spring he harrows it and sows his
spring wheat with what they call a
seeder; though the drill is becoming Of
more general use. Harvest comes in
August, and is done with less labor and
in less time, perhaps than at any period
in the history Of man. The self-binder
is now the most practical reaper in use.
Think Of one man harvesting eighty
acres of the golden grain, alone cut
ting iteen and twenty acres per day.
We haYe seen as many as five SELF
binders following after each other I;
presenting wonderful admiration. From
my place Of residence, we counted $50
stacks Of wheat. There is an untimely
custom of burning the straw, after the
grain IS threshed out, thus taking from
and not adding 10 the soil. It's effects
were plainly seen in the last few crops.
If neighbors house should be burning.
we would simply conclude that he is
only burning straw and pay no further
attention to it ; neither can we dis
tinguish these illuminatons from the
northern lights when they appear on
the north side. But We are glad to
note that the farmers are seeing their
mistake and are railing to their interest
by improving their farms with clover
and manure. Glover in the past, has
been one of the most important crops
produced. It grows finely and yields four
and five bushels ofseed per acre, on the
poorest land. One of the leading causes
of failure in the agricultural pursuit is
the careless habit Of leaving agricultural
implements lie out in the fields from
one season to another We can see
reapers setting out in all directions ex-
posed too all kinds Of weather; the
same being true Of plOws, harrows &C.
It has been suggested that some one
invent a nolseless, self-aljusting easy.
to.back machinery shed with valve at
tachment strong enough for trip
around the world maintaining sufficient
force to face a third term sc. We
think this article and perpetual motion
will appear about the same, and success
is very apparent. We know young
girl thirteen years ago, who has plowed
with a three horse sulky plow, manag-
ing three horses and plowing three and
four acres per day. and quite number
of the fair sex are seen driving reapers
IN harvest. The ladies as a rule are
very Industrious have a good know
ledge of domestic affairs, all availing
themselves ofat least common educa-
ton. and have great ambition for promo
inent positions and public life. We
noticed at an examination Of teachers
at Teachers Institute, over one hun
dred ladies, whose ayrage wages MS
teachers is So, 90 gentlemen per mo.
a37,OO.
Fruit culture is yet in its infancy and
will no doubt, rcquir'a great deal o.
study and experimental ; before MINI
will supply her own demands IN this
direction. The duchess" is the most
prolific variety. bears richly though very
short lived. We were much delighted
in q visit with a .to-do farmer, in
this immediate community. y more
pleasant sight. we had not Witnessed
since we left old Virginia. 1t was a
delightful day in Sept. when we took a
ramble through his orchard the trees
were bending to the ground with the
very palatable Duchess, with few
other varieties. Grapes hung over us
in great clusters, plum trees were fairly
proanlng under the weight Of the beauti
ful wild plum, whose size is equal t.
Eastern improved plum. We very
sensibly, thought Of Adam and temp
tation in the Garden of Eden; though II
this case there was no tree OF know
ledge. An orchard Of this kind is very
rare Indeed and is a MiDnesohans grsa
pride. We fail to discover here, tha
renowned hospitality. so characteristic o
The people of Virginia, but we are ln'
clined to think that a change in this
respect is quite visible and Tor tn
better. Society Is very good, there ART
those who are we'll born, regularly
educated. with an ms eparable attach
,nent to yirtuous principles and refine
ment, and whose examples are Delni
supported by the more common class,
making altogether a society oil real
moral worth. There will be no excus'
in the future for men or women who
grow up in ignorance in MInn., surroun
ded as they are with the unllmlte'
school advantages of the West. Pro
perty owners, men of wealth, complain
very much of burdensome taxatlon'-
One gentleman, who has been in Minn
90 odd years, summed up bis tax re
ceipts and they nearly reached thous
and dollars his property being wortf
$4,000. With all of Virginla's debts
her taxes a-e not greater than those Q
MINI. There has been cold at times 4
degrees below has been the coldes'
A patent pocket heating stove woul
: be good invention for this climate a
[ we have been warm but once or twiS