The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-23
TRIBUTE TO THE
OLD DOMINION.
The State Of Virginia Treated His
toricaly and Commercially.
IN 1.-THE EMPIRE OF THE SOUTH"
The Superb Volume Recently Pub
Iished by the Southern Raiiway-A
Most Comprehensive and Inter-
esting Publication.

pTcncnslFe title or the volume J"~N
iishod by the Southern Railway. II con-
tains nearly two hundred octave pass
and four hundred beautiful hlusurd'ioiH'
Every State and every particular inter
est OF tho country east OF the Miss's
sippi and south OF tho Potomac ana Ohlo
Rivers IS treated in a broad vigorous
and interesting manner. The au'hOr'
Frank Presbrey, has been for months en-
gagged in the preparation OF the book, ana
has had the cooperation of the oricials
Of the Southern Railway. IL is volume
which is sure TO do the South an IN
calcuable amount OF good. From az
vance sheets We have pleasure IN quot
ing from the chapter devoted 20 virginia
which is extensive and comprehensive
and covers not only the States interests
as whole but gives an interesting
sketch Of many Of the important pia00''
THE REVIEW.
The traveller OF to-day, surrounded Dy
all tho luxuries which the very mehtioh
Of a vestibule limited train implies anu
| engrossed I'm the problems OF Ihoueih
business, will not. in any probabiilty' as
no speeds across the Old Dominion STATE,
dwell upon the fast-fading lesenas anu
historical heirlooms Of her Colonial cay >
Yet no other State is so rich in ali thaS
is interviewer with the early history oA
America and our nation as Virginia. She
was the cradle of liberty. the natal place
OF several OF our early Presidents, ana
also Of those great leaders who heWed
out the strong foundation timbers OF our
national structure. To her shores came
tho earliest colonists from England, and
here 1t was that the first settlements
took root-hold. SO closely IS the history
OF this great state intertwined with that
OF tho nation that to tear them apart
would be 10 destroy the fabric OF both.
There have been six epochs in the MS
tory OF Virginia which marx az nile
stones the various periods or her ek-
istence Each one stands to certain
well-dehned degree apart from the
others; each has produced us leaderf
and has exerted It's far-reachlng lhhu-
ence upon the growth and development
OF the nation. First comes the period OK
settlement. TO reclte the history or whlch
is 10 retail the story OF the forutude
and struggles OF the jamestown colony.
Following this are the Colonial days IN
which there were duplicated in the Old
Dominion the great estates, the princeiy
| entertainment and the aristocrduc couh-
try-house life and tie politics or ing
land. Next IN turn Is the keVoiuuonAry
period, which gave US washington Je.-
ferson. Henry and a host Of other patti
OTIS. Then the era Of Statehood. SUISSE
ouentlv her withdrawal from the Union
and her vast infiuence--on her sister
States in the south. and to-day tho pro-
eresslve and intellectual modern com
monwealth. resonant with the hum OF
thu factory and workshop. rich in ag-
ricultural resources, and Respondent IN
achievement In all lines OF human &C
tivity.
THE DIVISIONS.
Virginia has twice as many grand d.
visions as had the ancient Gaul OF when
Casar wrote. These are the Tldewater'
the Midland. the Piedmont. the Blue
Ridge. the Valley Of Virginia, and APP
paIachia. or the mountain country.
These divisions not only succeed each
other geographically, beginning on the
east. but they differ I'm relief, occupying
different levels above the sea. From the
Atlantic 10 the west they rise Ike a
natural stairway, the top..stcp in the
mountains being 300 feet in elevation.
Speaking broadly, the state may be
divided into a lowiand and a highland
country. It's southeastern part-over
q. 700 square miles, or rather moro than
half Of the whole State-has the aspect
of broadly undulating plain, that with
but few marked variations or relief
rises from the sea 10 from i9oNto 500 feet
above that level. The northwestern por-
ton. q part OF the region widely known
as the Atlantic Highlands. is one COM
posed Of approximately parallel noun
tain ranges. running entirely across the
state from northeast 20 southwest, sepa-
rated by nearly parallel valleys, some OF
them wide and others narrow varying
I'm breadth from "A half mile 10 twenty
five milcs-the whole surface presenting
all the varieties of relief pecliar 10 the
Appalachian country between the aiu-
tude levels Of $40 and 800 feet Speaking
more accurately, however, the State Is
naturally divided into the six grand di-
visions above described. In climate, soil
and product. as well as IN elevation
these divisions vary. Taken altogether
they offer an abundance ana variety OF
resources that invite the activity or me
farmer. the fruit raiser. the calryman'
tina minberu,an. the miner. The manu-
facturer The O.d Dominion Was ever
hosDltable: she SIS especially so in the
broad welcome She extends 10 every
worthy enterprise
BREADTH OF RICHES.
Peeinning with agriculture which
French savant once called che nurtur-
ing breast OF the state" r. will be worth
while 90 direct attention in more detail
10 the Old D0nfni0n's breadth of riches.
Here are the farm products OF the state
for 1896: Wheat. 5l-t'3 bushels; corn.
e2O67.eSS. oats S42-i. rye. n9 sl0 po-
tatoes. 359l47i: hay. 63G632 tons, to-
bacco. 51e6l.e 200 pounds. The lands ~ the
State are not only fertile. but they are
easily cultivated and are contiguous 10
the best markets. This latter fact par
ticuiariy adapts tho State 20 profitable
truck farming.
The truck farmers have made great
success OF potato raising. and some or
them have cleared a. high as from
$1,000 20 $4,000 in a single season from
this crop alone.
Every variety Of fruit which VIII grow
in the temperate zone hourishes in the
Piedmont region.Th sunny slopes or the
mountains have peculiarly light soil,
kept constantly fertile by the decomposi-
ton OF rocks furnishing potash. and
perennlally moist by numerous springs.
This soil Is. therefore. admirably adapted
to apples. and one OF the most famous
kind-the Al6emarie pippin-has been
brought 70 IT'S highest perfection here.
l. is the fav0rite I'm foreign markets. and
usually sells AT three dollars or more
barrel on trees. the buyer furnishing the
barrels and doing the picking.
THE GRAPE PRODUCT.
Next IN importance 10 the apple comes
the grape IN line OF fruit A peculiarity
noted in the most favored ciaret-pro-
ducing vineyards Of France f. tho large
admixture OF iron IN the soil This IA
the characteristic Of much OF the SOIL or
this section. The soil and climatic con-
diuons OF virginia. when compared with