Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-11-22
PEANUT COUNTRY.
OBSERVATIONS OF AN ALERT coRHE-
SPoNDENT OF TIE DISPATCH.
Great Development of the Country as
Peanut Rssplt-Thrif,. Enterprise,
and Prosperiiy-FarminR.
rcorreapondenee q tho RIchmona DIspat.h.i

Ag"AA N1ifhA'HJ' vi ttlu iAt1hiiA'.AA bhhf"+N~s-A
wakefield, Sussex COUNTY, Va, Eovem-
Der M.-This place. contrary to the habit
Of the public oil naming n town without
the least sense of prosperity and the eter-
nal fitness Of things. is not a misnomer-
TINT is. a sleepy hollow "-as 1t is literally
what its name implies, because as few
years ago il was an old field that had not
awakened TO that throb Of life that has
been impaired 20 80 many towns by the
great Norfolk and Western railroad Much
has been said about buried treasure, OF
things undreamed OF in our philosophy OF
light hid under cover. but here IS
country from the settlement OF jamestown
90 within twelve years ago that had cult
waited " hog and hOmlnyn as its great STA
pie. entirely unmIndful of any other CROP.
The war came. and in its train revoiu,,
tion of the labor system that necessitated
the cultivation Of other and more rcmu-
ncrative crops, otherwise ruin must come
to the former. Thus it was that a blessing
in Disguise came 70 this section about
fifteen years ago in the new-found crop OF
peanuts. as heretofore IL was not known
that 1t could be produced. Now it IS the
staple product that has made Sussex
county perhaps the most thrifty end de-
sirable county on the south side OF the
James and this town the prettlest between
Norfolk and Petersburg. Your CORE
spOndent has travelled over most of the
counties by both foot Hud horseback, and
always with an observant eye 20 the man
ners and customs Of the people 70 the
beauties of the topography OF the land
and its adaptabiiity TO cultivation.
THRIFT AND CONVENIENT.
Nowhere. not even in the Piedmont re-
gion, has he seen such evidence OF thrift
and contentment. The prOyerbial untidy
Virginia farmer is not found bere-that -
the man with his elbows out and ms hair
sticking through the holes OF wornout
hat, riding or driving, as IS often the case,
O short-taIled brindle bull TO town. On
the contrary. ia this section he comes 70
town in a natty store suit Of clothes with
his head crowned with stylish stt bat,
driving always horses looking better than
any ever seen outside of Richmond.
NOT VISIBLE.
The first poor horse, mule, COW. hog. or
pOor-white-trash looking man has yet
TO be seen. This prosperous air Is not
confined % the whites alone. but the ne
groes themselves look sleek and fat, we'll
TODD, and happy. and instead Of appear
ing bunch Of rags, as Is 80 often the case,
are as well dressed as the white people
ttl lhliiF lLlb pal I VI u EAuAA - ItNhAAIE
up" All this may be ascribed TO the new
found crop Of peanuts.
ALL-PEByADISG.
This favorite of the theatre-gsllery
gods" is the absorbing subject here that
tobacco is 10 the Danvilhan or cotton TO
the sOuthorncr. This toothsome nut Is
found scattered in ali TIE fields and on all
the roads leading 20 Wakefield like cotton
upon southern highways and hedges and
tobacco on the approaches to the tobacco
warehouses of Richmond, An inspiring
sight at this season of the year ls group
or fifteen or twenty women and children
sitting around shocks Of pea-yines in the
fields picking the nuts from the vlnes.'
A PEN-pICTURE.
Just now everybody HES 10 the fields
not infrcquently three generations OF the
same family-grandmoth daughter, and
craudchlldren-around the same pea
shock. Persons possessing good farms and
of evident means are not ashamed to do
this.
PRovENDER.
While the females are thus engaged the
men are hauling to the barn the vines,
which horses and cattle seem to relish
more than any other provender and for
which purpose IL his highly priced by the
farmer on account of its fattening DrO-
DerlieS-u INcJ JuuJ - uIBtu dkhlu5t ~ bf
some as food for swine, as the fat that IS
produced by it Is so rich and uncuous that
il is not of so firm character as that
made by cOrn-fed animals.
Apart from the railroad facilities Of Sus-
sex county. which is traversed by the Nor
folk and Western and Surry County Lum-
Der Company railroad, the latter some
twenty-five miles long, its peanut and
lumber interests will make 1t q most de-
sirable region III winch to live.
As TO FESCEs.
Farming here IS not unlike that of ante
bellum days, as fences are kept up and
stock allowed TO roam at large. No sight
has gwen me more pleasure than that Of
dogs and cattle seen running OF large. The
gruut of the porker startles you in the
woods at every turn. In this connection,
Mr.. Editor, your correspondent. who has
been ." q no-fencelaw man, " has been made
to see his error in that direction by the
unvarying tact. even in the poorest coun-
ties. that where fences are kept up and
cattle allowed to so at large there the
farmers are most prosperous and happy.
This is A knock-down argument not to be
painsald