The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-13
WHAT SETTLERS SAY.
INTBREsUSg REPLIES BY NE"
HoME-SEEKERs IN vIRoIgIA.
A New Method Being Adopted by the Com
missioner of Agriculture 10 SECURE
Valuable Information.

The greatest difficulty encountered by
the State Department of Agriculture Is
the Discrimination OF the average farmer
TO reply 10 the inquiries for information
sent out.
The Usefulness OF the information dis
tributed has always been circumscribed
by this trouble.
Colonel Thomas Whitehead has sue
ceeded in accomplishing more in this
direction than any OF his predecessors
and he has found from experience,
bought at the price Of much painstaking
labor. that ordinary methods cannot be
depended on to secure the information
needed by the department for compre-
hensive crops and agricultural reports.
He has. therefore, adopted the plan OF
having an authorized correspondent In
each county. who will make report OF the
best information he can obtain TO the
department monthly; and from these viii
be compiled monthly bulletin or crop
report.
The Commissioner recently addressed
a communication to immigrants who have
recently settled in Virginia, which be-
sides having printed questions for infor-
nation about crop yields. success with
stock, and such like matters, inquiries
how they are pleased with Virginia.
The answers are varied and when com
piled will make a very interesting and
useful volume to others contemplating
settling in this State.
What Immigrants Say.
An Englishman, writing from his
newly adopted home in Buckingham
county, says: II like Virginia very much
quite at home. Klndest Of neighbors,
best Of cimlate; love my native England
STILL but would not return as a tenant
farmer as Of yore." Under the head of
general remarks, he says: "Our
wretched roads and the pest of number
less untaxed dogs are a disgrace 20 the
civilization and political honor of Vir-
ginia- Dogs seem to vote here"
Another Englishman writing from Bed
ford county replies that he is we'll pleas
ed with Virginia and thinks it a good
county for an immigrant with small
capital.
A recent settler in Accomac reports
that his yield per acre for crops are:
corn 80 TO 20 bushels. sweet potatoes 60
bushels, onions 40 to 100 bushels. and
naturally says. 81 am we'll pleased"
Another with a small farm in Madison
county, reports corn 20 bushels to the
acre, oats is bushels and grapes $500
pounds per acre. To the question il he
is pleased he simply said, Eyes"
A Pennsylvania settler, in Culpeper,
says: 81 am very well pleased but would
like to see a little more liberality and
public spirit"
A settler in James City county says:
"Our farmers are beginning 20 realize
the fact that our lands are the very best
for trucking. 1t is wonderful the change
that has come over this county In the
last few years"
Farmers who were thoroughly discour-
aged have tried improving their lands
and to-day rothing could induce them
to leave their fertile truck farms.
Land along the Chesapeake and Ohio
has advanced fifty per cent. In value.
A Watermelon FIRM.
One farmer, in our county, has sold
over 10000 watermelons this season.
Two crops can be easily raised-say pota-
toes and corn and some can advance
three. Though the people Of this genera
tion may not reap the greater part OF
the good seed you have sown for the far
mers. feel that the next generation will
rise up and call you blessed. Your hand
book Is p most admirable work and /
think will be a great factor In bringing
our State before the world.
Locust in Place of Pines.
A Bath county farmer writes that n
large majority Of the pine timber in all
the mountains has died and that on the
slopes and ridges where they formerly
lived thick growth of young iocusts
has sprung up which will soon be large
enough for use if they do not suffer from
fire among the dead pines.