The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-08-21
THE VALLEY VIRGINIAN.
A Model Virginia Farm

A Model Virginia Farm.
Accomac and Northampton are the
two Virginia counties on the Eastern
shore forming the peninsula termi
mating at Cape Charles Separated
by the waters of the Chesapeake
from the rest of the State, and having
only the uncertain connection of water
transportation before the war, these
counties retained in a large measure the
old English habits and customs. The
county of Northampton was noted be-
fore the war for having more wheeled
vehicles than any county in the State.
The old fashioned gig was an institu-
ton in Northampton. These people
were very jealous of their reserved
rights and peculiar privileges
DR.. George I. VERIFY represented the
county of Northampton in the virginia
Legislature for twenty-one consecutive
years, and voted against every internal
improvement bill that came before the
House during that time. His people
were satisfied with their water transpor-
tation, even if it did isolate them from
their political brotherhood across the
seas. Their loyalty to old Virginia was
ever true, and their hospitality of that
peculiar type which makes their society
so delightfully."- charming. They had a
large slave population and chiefly as q
protection to it opposed every effort to-
wards the construction of railroad
connecting them with the Northern
States and cities.
The war, in it's Imperial march," and
with it's ''iron tread,n made many
changes here as elsewhere in the State.
With the slaves liberated, there was no
longer any occasion for opposition to a
railroad, and soon the keen eye of the
Northern brother gazed upon the fair
fields of the Eastern Shore as place
for the exercise of his energies. As a
consequence, the New York, Philadel-
phia and Norfolk Railroad was construc-
ted from Delmar, in Delaware, to Cape
Charles, in Northampton county, Va.
From Cape Charles, a line of staunch,
swift boats connect with Norfolk, giving
the shortest and most direct connection
with the Northern cities.
At Cape Charles, Col. w. j.. Scott, of
Erie, Penn, purchased $500 acres of
land, and has established model truck
farm. Capt. Orris A. Browne, a brother
of Congressman Browne, is manager of
sHollywoodPlace, ''and says it is the larg-
est truck farm in Virginia. Fifteen hun
dred acres are under cultivation. The
crops grown are spinach, kale, cabbage,
onions, straw berries, Irish potatoes and
sweet potatoes, tomatoes, melons, pea
nuts, corn and grass. Oats, black peas,
millet, corn and green crops are plowed
under as fetilizers Five hundred tons
of fertilizers are manufactured on the
farm every year. The gross receipts
from the farm amount to $4,000 a year.
Sixty thousand barrels of green stuff
we're shipped North this spring, and the
Irish potato crop was sold for $4,000
Two hundred and fifty tons of hay are
grown, which manager Browne says is as
good as Valley hay. There are $4,000
peach trees and twenty acres of other
fruits on the place. Other departments
are carried on on the same enlarged
basis, making it mammoth concern.
The connection with New York is so
close that stuff shipped from Hollywood
farm in the evening is in market early
next morning.
The Eastern Shore has always been
noted for it's fast horses. Many years
ago ''Bowser," owned by L. j. Noting
ham, took every premium offered at the
State fair until he was ruled out, having
received a ''diploma,n and finding no
competitor.
| Col. Scott utilities the peculiar atmos-
pheric conditions and other surround
| ings, which seem to produce fast racers.
He trains every year thirty-five race
horses. Last year his Chaos won the
Futurity stakes, beating twenty-five
horses. This year Banquet, by Rayon
! Dor dam Ella T., ran mile in l min
utes, SO seconds, breaking the record
and Il seconds faster than Ten Broeck's
great time. Later Banquet ran II miles
in minutes, 81 seconds, beating Saliva
tors record of minutes, 5 seconds.
These horses and others of Col. SCOTS
stable, win large sums every year.
By the establishment of such farms as
the Hollywood Place, the development
and improvement of Virginia will go on
creating values, adding wealth to the
State and building up the waste places
within our borders