The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-31
OLD TIMESTALKS AGAIN
NE DROPS REMINIsENCES And
COMES DOUS 10 FACTS,
Blue Grass u Native of Virginia and VIII
Come in Any Ground Not Cultivated
to Death.
sfECKLENBI-Rg y

To Death.
MECBLENBURG. VA. May 9.-spe-
/ c.al.-"K cminisc, yes" said the old
/ gentleman. but lhIs rcmlndsd me Of ~
/ AalcyOn days OF yOre.' when 10 was the
/ custom Tor the big children 10 amuse
the little ones with the rustic Arabian
/ Nights tales. learned from NANNY %
ION one occasion "a yOungster had be-
come ,as is frequently the case. both
with young and Old nervous and dis
satisfied. Big SIR was doing her ic, ID
best. and the story was 80 interesting
/ as 10 absorb the attention OF Tommir,
I who. remembering his determination Tor
row, broke ill.,. and said. well. you
done ialk bout bars 'nough; less talk
bout lions some now"
/ Il can give "reminiscences, but, some
/ how. my mind has taken a turn for
/ uuliiarlanism today. and / want 10 talk
/ about our section of Virginia. First,
| want 10 emphaucally deny a statement
j saw copied in Tho Times. in regard
! 10 bluegrass having been brought INTO
! Kentucky from Illinois. Bluegrass IS d
native berry, and - the manner bofn, 20
! rom where the red lands begin above
/ inc f-auOafd. 10 some point west. the
/ exact locality Of which 1 really 90 not
/ know.
Take any piece Of land you choose in
/ or county which Is not really sand,
and turn It out. keep down the growth
/ of all shrubs. and FOR "a series Of several
years you Will See almost nothing but
/ brown-sedgc. Following this. there viii
/ be- an Indigenous growth of white clover
/ following. after few years by clean
sod Of blue grass. called here green
sward. Now let US discuss this rotation
of natures own choice trere. Broom
/ sedge is generally looked upon as a
nuisance. but ] consider II one of the
most benenceut provisions of nature 10
restore 10 its original state, land which
has been cursed by the shadow of
I tohacco-phnter. for. left alone with tho
hro0m-sedge. il H. soon joined by its
companion-the old neld-pine-and the
two. II lett alone. Will I'm a few years
brins Il back 10 its original fertility.
II the pines ere kept out and white
clover allowed 90 come "a pasture for cat
ue is here found. which Will make the
COWS happy and profitable Then. agaiu.
Where IL reaches. altogether from natural
causes, that state Of fertility which in
duces the green sward, some enterpris-
ing(D tODaccO-farmer finds that with just
a sprinkle of swarnOe" IL will bring
a splendid crop.
UNQUALIFIED FOR GRAZING.
For grazing this land is equal TO any
in Kentucky or anywhere else, and is
worth 500 per acre.
one crop Of tobacco or anything else.
in fact. which require breaking the sod.
turns II back TO where il was when the
broom-sc first took IL and is worth
anywhere from 90 cents to SO per acre,
according TO location.
There is no part Of the world pre-
feiable to this. and had there never been
n Niger or a plant of tobacco. we would
too Dee the hapiest and most pros
Porous people "undor the canopy" Look
40 the red lands along the Roanoke and
its barnches. 10 begins below where the
ttaDe line crosses. and is destined 10
be the Goshen Of Virginia and North
Carolina. It's uudulatons are just lovely;
its natural fertility superior 10 any on
James river and an the grasses flourish
most luxuriantly. and the intelligent
farmer goes on. each one toiling patiently
as the Ox-tohacco. tobacco. tobacco. If
he has no hog-cholcra and raises "a lit
lie meat. they eat 10, IL not there are
harcs and possums aud coOns. Mean
time, the men who sell him 'gwarnoe"
and chose who kindly work his crop
into cigarettes for the young farmers
get your Bible and read the fourth chap
ter of the Songs Of Solomon. and put
"toh..ccpplantcr' whore he puss sis
ter and wife" and you have Il, for
there are few more happy or prosper
Gus than the "gwamoe" man and the
ci-arcttc-maker and they know how 10
sing 10 the farmers. Now suppose our
people would quit the tobacco and go 10
raising stock and truck. The land would
soon recuperate. and prosperity must
come. ] don't suggest any special crop
TO le raised. except clover. which may
Dee followed by anything which grows.
Glover is the basis of agricultural Sue
cess and when l pass a fine clover-held.
] know that the owner is going cup the
HILL"
Again we see people from the over
crowded New-England States going West.
where they find the seasons tickle. the
climate harsh and discOmforts immune
lablo when. If they would come here.
they would find just the reverse, for we
have "a most saluhrous climate. Lands
are cheaper an things considered. than
boo the West. We are in "a locality whore
every plant. crop. fruit. or berry. grows.
known 10 q suh-tropical climate.
Will GROW SACRED FRUIT.
Tho vine. the ng and pomcgranatc.
used in Sacred Writ 10 illustrate the
beauties surrounding ancient Israel. is
are as much 40 home here MS there.
tn is the only locality I know where
the three great tapcls Of American
c0mmcrcc-vz, cotton. wheat. and to-
mcco win grow successfully I'm the same
soil. The water is as delightful as could
DE desired runs from springs at tho
foot ~ nearly every hill-to say nos
thing Of many valuable mineral waters
capped 10y that Ncr.tahle pool 81 be-
thosda.' Buffalo Lithia-Sprngs THE peo-