Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-01
of The Evenin~ Star.

| settiers nave met each other.
| Inc two counties on this peninsula belong
ing TO virginia, Accomac and northampton.
| were originally one county, ''Akowmake," as
some Of the old records have it, though IL any
OF the original inhabitants even the educated
ones, had chance to spell the word more than
once 1t was almost certain lie would have
spelled 1t differently every time. The division
| INTO two counties took place early in the sew
| enteenth century.
A CHARMING SPOT.
This peninsula is pierced in every direction,
both on the bay side and sea side by innumsr-
able creeks and estuaries to the very backbone
or center, forming natural means of commu-
| nlcaton with all Its parts, as well as with the
| main portion Of the state. 1t was on the banks
OF these waterways that the original oocu-
pants settled, dwelt and bui.ded themselves
| houses OF more or less pretenSions. SO that the
usual traveller sees none OF these charming
spots.
Arlington, fox example. the original seat of
the GUSTS family, is located about nine miles
south OF this point. on the south LiGe Of Old
Plantation creek, entirely out OF the line of
| travel, though the mansion can beseeu distanty
| IRON me deck OF the steamer that passes thus
| point daily.
The records at the court house show that
Its erstwhlle proprietor, Col John Gusts,
| something over two centuries ago was fined q
thousand pounds Of tobacco for failing to col
iect The kang revenue, by no means a modern
| failing.
| The waterways alluded to also afforded
ready means of marketing the crops. even in
the days Of sail vessels when Eastern Shore
pungies were well known In the cities Of Balti-
more and Washington.
| THE AGE OF STEAM
About twenty-five years ago line of steam
ers was started to Baltimore, and ever since
then the trim little schooners have been de-
| creasing m numbers and are now mainly used
| TO market tine fall e,nd
| The steamers that crowded ont the saiiing
| craft are now III turn being subjected to the
| same discipline by the advent of the railroad
ouilt about five or six years ago. This road
| runs nom Cape Charles City, about eight or
ten miles north Of Cape Charles proper. to the
cities Of Philadelphia, New York and Boston;
| consequently the steamers Are feeling the full
| force OF tins competition, with whose rapid
transportation they are to some extent unable
| 70 compete This road runs very nearly mp the
center OF the country, and affords the best
markets in the country to the local producer.
PRODUCTS OF THE SECTION.
The Introduction Of this means Of transport IA
ton has largely revolutionized the method Of
cultivation in this coanty-Northampton. The
old staple, corn, is now seldom raised for ex-
port 1t does not pay to raise oats They can
be bought more oheapiy; so of cornmeal used
in the family 1t can be bought at the stores
to more advantage than to send to the mi1l to
have the corn ground. Consequently the old
tide and older wind mills for griss have de-
parted. Corn 10 now only raised to feed the
necessary stock and to sell to nsighbors who do
not raise any.
| Instead OF corn cabbage, spinach, asparagus
| and round potatoes are the cropa the latter
being the money crop. Yet those in position
to know estimate that the country il poorer BY
| 81 OOO 600 for the raising of round potatoes
so much being spent for special fertilizers that
| add no permanent fertility 10 the soil. The
round potato is not only the money crop but
1t II also the early crop and is usually followed
by corn, known as potato corn, the same sea-
son, still further exhausting the soil. In Aeco-
mac. while round potatoes are raised, sweet
potatoes is the staple crop.
This crop means work all the year around
and for this cause some are not inclined to
these plants.
As in all vegetable growth, perhaps excepting
onions and suitable grapes, rotation Of crops
seems to be the rule OF nature.
Wherever here you cut down a growth Of
spruce the long-leaved pine springs. This af-
fords an inexhaustble method Of fertilization
to the sweet potato grower. Sea ores (sea weed)
are quite as good or better, and marsh turf is
| nearly as COED.
But the great staple for enriching the land IL
the pine needle, which skaters down by the
winter winds and is known as pin skaters or
simply skaters. These are raked up carefully
and cattle, horses and sheep are bedded on
| them, stalls being cleaned out every week or
ten days Tor the compost heap. These skaters
have not much in themselves of manurial ma
ture, but they are the best absorbents known
| that can usually be procured, and hence there
| Is no fertiizing material lost 1t is all abb
| sorbed and used upon the land for sweet potato
| culture. l do not propose to 60 into the
methods Of culture. That can only be learned
py industry, intelligence and Continual OVER
sight
SWEEP POTATO CULTIVATION.
What wish to call attention to 10 the econ
omy attendant upon the proper cultivation Of
the sweet potato. Under this system no money
| 10 spent for fertilizers outside the county, SO
| that watever Is spent is spent on the spot for
| labor. In consequence Accomac is today one
of the richest. If not the richest agricultural
counties in the state Of Virginia IN ready
money. More than q, 0O0, 900 come in there
| every year from the sweet potato alone. After
repeated crops Of sweet potatoes nature points
unerringly to rotation and the land becomes
potato sick, as it is called, and the grower must
| dedicate other Land not SO recently used for
| that purpose.
But here is the difference between the round
and sweet potato crop. After the land becomes
potato sick from raising sweet potatoes it will
| bring good crops Of anything you put in il
without any aid from special or other fertilizers
| and with succeeding rotations can sgaiA be
used Tor the same purpose. There is much
| complaint OF the scarcity and uncertainty Of
labor here. This scarcity must result in the
more thorough cultivation Of smaller areas,
and under the incentive Of quick Transporter
ton to the best markets in the country 1t Is oh
tanning. At the farm Of Hon. W. L. Scott Of
Pennsylvania said - be the largest truck farm
in the world ON the north side of Old PIanta-
ton creek and extending 10 Cape Charles CITY
on the north, there seems to be no complaint
Of labor, perhaps owing 70 better Bystem Of
compensation than the prevailing one Or to
the gregarious tendency af the hborv& 1ps
Charles City does tne heaviest busineas h
trucks of ang station e. ~ eastsrn shore q
Virginia.
In season s,eooto asus ssstsas q local trucks
are shipped from there north every day. The
large shipments nom this point are die to q
rebate Of l5.csnts per barrel FOG I'll trucks
loaded from the dock. The railroad company
offers this inducenAent, which is awaited of by
nearly al the surrounding country, in order 10
handle their freight more expeditoasly and
economically. But this b source Of grievance
to the produeers farther up the peninsula, and
| the matter il ROW before the insnrstate com.
merce commission On . rohoarin4, 10 having
Previously decided against ths r1ilruad
| Al TO Politics.
Accomac county Is mostly In the hands Of
sssallanded propristors. nearly AZ Of whom are
whits. The population II nainly white sAd can
be depended upon to roll up democratic ma
jority for favorite candidate Of at least goo
Northampsse; On the other hand, is mainly
possessed II 5rge holdings, and the colorsd