Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-10

nourlng-millS. New mills are Delng
| erected in various places in Virginia,
| North Carolina, and East Tennessee. In
many places in these States mills have
this year paid farmers 81 a bushel for
wheat, and in some cases $1.05.
TOBACCO AND COTTON.
| The tobacco crop is not so good as
| gst year. especially in Kentucky, but
| ices more than compensate for the
! alling off in yield. The great tobacco
districts Of Kentucky, Virginia, North
| Carolina, and East Tennessee are all
prosperous. The markets are preparing
for great sales at good prices. and the
| factories are all busy. A number OF new
| factories have been recently opened,
showing a large gain in this industry.
| The great staple of the South is cotton.
Recent reports show falling off In the
yield, but planters will get more money
| than last year.
| PROGRESS IN FRUIT CULTURE.
| Fruits and vegetables are also great
crops in the South, and this has been
one Of the best of years for these. The
new vineyard town Of Fruithurst, Ala.
made its first shipment of grapes, and
henceforward win send large quantities
to the North. The other fruit sections
| along the line or the Southern road
sent forward large shipments Of the
several Varieties of fruit. Western
North Carolina has come to the front
as particularly good apple country.
and will undoubtedly soon become one
Of the greatest sources of the supply OF
that fruit. They claim. and with good
reason, that the fine mountain climate
about Asheville and in the Blue Ridge
country gives fruits a peculiarly fine
flavor. There are large profits in apple,
peach. grape and other fruit culture in
the South and old farmers and plant
ers, as well as many colonists from the
North who have been located long
enough to have bearing orchards and
vineyards. made money this year. The
same may be said of truck farmers,
who are numerous along the line Of the
railway in parts of Virginia. North Caro-
lima, the Ridge country OF South Caro-
lima, East Tennessee, and various Sec
lions of Alabama and Mississippi A
refrlgerator-car service is run by the
Southern road for the accommodation
of truck and vegetable farmers, by.
which vegetables and small fruits reach
Washington and Baltimore In good time
and condition.
SHEEP AND PASTURE.
Greater attention is being paid to
sheep-raising, and lambs are being uti-
lized for pasturage II costs so little
10 raise sheep and cattle in the South
the winters are so short there are so
many months OF good pasturage, and
the grasses grow so luxurantly, and
are so nutritious.
The Piedmont regions are well sup
piled with good water, and southern
farmers are discovering that in almost
everything they have advantages over
farmers in other localities in stock
raising. This knowledge has added ma
terlaliy TO the prosperity Of the south
ern farmer this year, and VIII add stiu
more in the future
LARGE PROFITS FOR FARMERS.
have spoken at length regarding the |
various crops because / desire TO make |
plain the conditions surrounding the |
southern farmer at the present time He |
has not, it Is true. been so great a suf- |
ierer from low prices as the western |
farmer. who has not had so good |
markets within easy reach, and has not |
been able TO diversity his crops TO the |
same degree as the southern farmer. II |
would be hazardous TO make an estimate |
OF the excess OF profits TO southern agri-
culturists this year, over last, but IL will
run into millions Of dollars. 1t has been
said that the wheat win yield the farm
ers 80 per cent. more than last year. /
have the returns from one farm Of 81 1-2
acres in the Shenandoah Valley, which
show yield OF 1.7ss bushels of threshed
wheat, or fraction of over thirty one
bushels to the acre. Such yields are not