The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-05-04
MECKLENBURG COUNTY.

CROP PR0SPECTS-SURYEY OF THE ROANOKE
by UNITED STATES ENGINEERS-yAILEYs
OF THE STANTON AND ROANOKE AS A CORN
PRODUCING REGION-UNlTED STATES MAR
sHAL HUGHEs-IQUOR LICENsE-PER-
sONAL.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.l
GAINESVILLE, VA, May |. 1882.
Recent observations in this and the adj
Joining counties of Halifax and Charlotte
have convinced me that the people have
never before manifested greater dispose
ton to cultivate the land and exert all their
powers TO make this year a successful crop
one. All classes seem to appreciate the
poverty Of the country and realize the I'M
precedented scarcity Of food for man and
beast, and impelled with Il determination to
eXtricate themselves from surrounding diff
iiculties by increased preparation and Ia
Dor.
In travelling the public roads but few
people are met with, and the country
store and village politician and idler will
soon be one of the characters OF the past.
An old citizen remarked to me that nothing
stimulated people to work more than an oc-
casional year with provisions scarce and
corn high. and he considered il blessing
in disguise. The land has been in splendid
condition and extensive preparations have
been made for corn and tobacco.
Many have finished planting corn, and
although there are some complaints OF the
ravages Of the fly in The plant-beds no APP
prehension is felt of n sufciency OF plants
for a full crop OF tobacco Many will plant
cotton, and on a more extensive scale
than formerly. The old tobacco-raisers say
their crop will be curtailed very little. Cot
ton, they say, comes in very well Just before
Christmas-helps the women and children;
but tobacco, sir, is our certain basis OF
credit, and good for taxes, debts, and sick
ness, and in any emergency will command
some ready cash.
Never before in my memory have the
wheat-fields looked at this date more luXu-
RANT, and IL no disaster occurs an album
dant yield will be the result. The harvest
will commence from present indications by
the last week OF this month. Small grain
crops always flourish better and mature
earlier succeeding a year of excessive dry
ness like the past one. Droughts are
one OF the natural causes to restore the
constituents OF crops and renoyate cult
waited Soils
a report OF the United States civil en-
gineers sent to Congress OF the survey OF
! hoahoke river made last year from this
place to Weldon, n. c., has been forwarded
to me by Hon. Joseph Jorgensen. The re-
port shows that the estimate for improving
the Roanoke from here TO South CASTOR, n .
C., on the Raleigh and CASTOR railroad, q
distance OF $50 miles, with Il channel So
feet wide and q feet deep at low water,
and maximum slope OF improved water
surface at 10 feet per mile, will be
SlSl ,3l6.S2. The entire fall from Clarks-
vile to Weldon, GSl miles, is 1910 and
average fall per mile 2.7S feet. The actual
fall varies at different localities. and in one
case is as much as $40 feet per mile.
The height of Hood OF 1877 was greatest at
Boyd's mill, thirty-four miles below here.
being 34.l feet, the lowest at Eaton's ferry,
45.7 miles below, being 1871 feet. The
river varies from 600 10 800 feet in width,
and the valley in which 1t winds has a
width Of from one half to one mile. In
this valley, between the points surveyed,
are about $4,000 acres OF arabic land. The
banks are generally low, the soil fertile.
and bounced by hills and bluffs composed
OF granite ~ resting upon sibstratum
OF granite. The climate Is favorable TO the
yield Of four important staples corn,
wheat, cotton, ard tobacco; and many