The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-03-15
Our Ohio Correspondent.

after visiting virginia, he had written 10
the Ashtabula Sentinel. From this last
letter we now copy few more extracts.
He got off on the Richmond and Allegheny
railroad at little way station. Here is his
picture Of what he saw:
Here "my wife and i" had our first
view Of a Virginia landscape. We do not
say il would have paid to walk from ono
TO that ,not TO get il, but the climb up the
hill we considered as nothing. The James
Law before Us and far to the right and ieit,
and then for mJes and miles the country
unroIled before us. Except the bottoms
ON either side of the river there was not Il
level nor an abrupt spot OF ground to be
seen. The most beautiful slopes and
rounded knobs that we ever looked upon
were spread before us. A thousand cat
tie and ten thousand sheep might
have grazed upon the pastures-if
there had been any, but there were not.
EXCEPT the bottom land, all the rest was
living idle in second growth pine, or was
under the pillow. The ground is planted in
wheat, corn. and oats alternately, and stl-
muated with commercial fertilizers. Com
payatiysIy, but small amount Is put in
grass, although il never so small dress
ing OF barn-yard manure is put on 1t, grass
and clover grow very well. We saw
white clover wherever il had anything
like fair chance. We were assured that
il the process OF cropping was not contln-
ued so vigorously the uplands could soon
mike good pastures, and that blue grass
grew almost spontaneously.
The original growh is oak, hickory,
black walnut, and poplar, and now you can
sec walnut and persimmOn-trces scattered
all over the lots. The soil is a red loan.
There is enough sand in the soil TO make it
work nicely, and from the appearances OF
If. TO our farmers who have TO battle with
the hard clay soil Of our country, ii would
he a luxury t. work il. OF course there
are spots in the iow-hndS Of not 50 good
soil. Some Of this is light yellow. ana is
as tenacious as taliy, and we can testify that
n, bad ten rods OF road rs we ever saw ran
through some OF this pipe clay.
The fuel used is mostly wood, although
coal is mined near hy and not expensive.
Almost every irm, even small farms, have
more or less second -rOwtb oak and hickory
growing on them, aGd wood is plenty. and
the cOlOrcd men cut il for forty cents
cord, four feet long.
Help is abundant and cheap. Farm
hands get from IS to so month. and
rations, which consist q one and onc-half
bushels OF corn meal and fourteen pounds
of bacOn-which means ,idc meat or shout
derS. Boys 10 tend COWS for y 20 50 4
month, while women TO work in the house
get from 80 TO - cents week. the coli
orcd people are social lcingS, and we are
told that they were very fond OF all kinds
of gatherings, and could not always he
depended on for continuous weeks
work But those whom we saw the most
of we were assured were faithful. and
we know they kindly cared for the horses
under their care.
Land can be bought in large tracts for
from g. to $40 IN acre. owing to the lOca-
ton, quality, and buildings, but we do not
place on which the price was
given that would put the buildings on it.
OF course many Of the farms have now
more buildings than there is any need of.
Being built in the good old DAYS, when IT.
Dor was cheap and hands plenty. large
houses and numerous surroundings were
put up, and many now stand empty.
When We compare the prices asked for
farms in our county with those along the
james, we are in state OF wondcrment all
the time We asked, Why are The lands so
low, il they are good for ANYTHING? The
answer was that the men who wanted to
work them We're too poor to buy, while
those who own them have gone TO the cities
and into other business, and do not want
to he bothered looking after them. I'm
some instances one remaining heir will
own five or siX large farms OF from 800 to
900 acres each. To let these out to
tenants involves much care, and the land
runs down aud pays less and less, and they
are sold at any price almost.
In conversation with those who have
gone on to these lands we were told that
they have been most kindly treated and en-
cour;ged, and that the old residents were
glad To see people come there to cork,
while il man comes merely to be elected
10 IN office he will not be so heartily wei
coined. and we are not sure but the same
rule will hold good in our own community.
We find that we will not he able to say
all we want 10 about this trip OF ours in
one paper, and shall continue the story IN
our next. 1t may be asked why we have
taken so much interest in this new-found
land! To this inquiry we reply, we had
seen advertisements Of cheap lands in
Virginia, and after correspondence we
came TO be interested in that country.
Now, we do not want any one to leave this
good old county, but there are hundreds
of good farmers every year going to the
West from here. There they find bleak.
cold. windy winters and red-hot, baking
windy summers. with all manner OF troIl-
blcs 10 contend with. La Virginia, with a
two-months' winter. hut little snow, and
comparatively cold weather, they have no
hotter weather than we have here, although
the warm weather extends over greater,
length OF time. The cqtte and sheen do
not have TO be housed, and require but lit
tie feeding. They are nearer 4 market,
and there Is abundance Of land. With
TINS IN view, II We were farmer and ill.,
tended TO leave the county, with what we
know now we should much prefer TO 30
to Virginia to any State west or north or |
south OF Ohio.
we do not advise any one to 20 to Vir- |
glnla on what we saw or on our own i'm !
pressionS, for as we are not practical /
farmer our opinion may not have much |
value. We We're pleased with the beauti- |
fnl appearance OF the country, and were |
told that the soil was productive. We adj |
wise any one who thinks OF cmigrating TO \
go To the upper James and 20 among the |
people. talk with them, and learn directly |
from them rs TO the quality OF the soil and |
now northern farmer would be received, |
u he came for the purpose, not OF teach
ing them "uew wrinkle" but to be OF |
them, and to make his living and home
among them.
More hereafter. J.A.H.
By the phrase "uppcr James" Mr..
HowELLs means the James above the falls,
'ut below Lynchburg.
HE NEXT UNITED STATES SENATE.-The