The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-14

Kpom r Whitman Up NVxs"s
HOW ux coNrRAsTs cLIsATEs--soxE PfacrI-
car. VIEWS OK sHEgr-RAIsiN0, MINERALS,
AND EDUCATION.
Nyw HAVEN, CoSN., February III, 1882.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
The cold wind and tho snow Is keeping
1hc New Highlander at his firesidc, ana 4
have no doubt that he Is thinking somewhat
Of the Sunny South. A glance over tbe
morning papers which lie on my table wouid
convince Won Of the reasonableness OF my
superstition. =.
while thousand boys are housed mp at
ya,e wc are told that in New Orleans the
fellows play baseball all The year round.
What proyoking intelligence for the cold,
bleak land Of the North But 10 speak
more seriously. A regular correspondent
of the Journal and Courier, writing from
West Virginia, says, Gin answer 10 many
letters that II would he a good invest
ment for colony from this section to pur-
chase 5000 acres and 20 into the sheep
raising business in such counties rs Green
brier. The Palladium, another Leading
city paper, for same date, Is out win an
article on "Southern Farm-Lands. Inc
article IL from the pen OF regular Atlanta
correspondent, and Il written I'D answer 10
inquiries addressed to the Palladium py
"farmers, mechanics, youths who nave
finished their schooling and wish 10 en-
gage i'm some kind OF profitable work. per-
sons in delicate health, who hope 10 ma
health as well as business in more con-
genial climate than this" I show you by
INV references to city papers what is the
pfevailing feeling here in regard 10 the
South. Is IL not encouraging to find that
even the Republican press OF the North Is
begipnjuc 10 see more and more beauty I'm
the old slave States! The South simply
needs TO let the world know about her fer
tile soil and mild and equable temperature.
IL Is conceded by those who are informed
that the mountain sections OF Virginia
offer more advantages for dairy farms, for
sheep-raising, and for cattle than any part
OF New England. What might one say OF
the cotton and tobacco lands OF the South
What OF the mineral wealth OF the Nir-
ginias:
In the Dispatch just to hand l find the
people Of Virginia are urged TO turn their
attention to sheep-raising. At a meeting
of the New Haven County Farmers Club
the subject Of :" sheep-culture " was dis
cussed yesterday. 1t was said that 10000
farms i'm Connecticut could be made to
raise on an average twenty-five sheep each.
At four dollars per head these flocks would
represent q value Of S1,000,000 and an in
come of $J00,000. Each acre OF land
would also be increased in value one dollar at
least. The farmers, however, are not real
izing what they might, because they could
not keep sheep owing to depredations
of the dogs. Such is the report from Con-
necticut. The city of New Haven pays an
nualy. the report says, 100000 for lamb
and mutton. ] offer no estimate Of the
value which extensive sheep-culture would
he to Virginia, allowing that the advantages
are even greater than here in New Eng
land.
Beyond q doubt the labors of DIR. Ruff
ner and Professor Campbell will add new
impulse TO the present mineral develop
menfs in the South. | find that capitalists
OF this section are interested in their work.
This morning, in conversation with Pro
fessor Dana, of Yale, gave him lecture
by Professor Fontaine, of the University,
to look over, hoping to interest him in the
geological wealth of our State. Ii we can
get men like Professor Dana interested it !
will be Of great advantage to Us in a ma
tQial way. DR.. Rullner and Professor
Campbell will endorse this statement. In
a recent article l have spoken OF the great
work which Major Hotchkiss is doing in
Virginia. The circulation Of The Iir-
ginids, have felt, is doing much towards
developing the material wealth OF the South.
AS / realize what the Sheffield school OF
this city is doing for the country at large |
cannot hut wish that the University of
Virginia had Sheffield added to its list Of
honored patrons. The colleges OF the
South are doing well TO give more atten- |
tion to the departments of Natural His |
tory and Geology. Unfortunately. how
ever, some Of them are without adequate
equipments. Roanoke College. for in
stance, has a most valuable mineral collec-
ton, but no means for making its collection
seryiceable to the public. This state Of
things exists at other institutions in the
South. YOUNG VIRGINIA.