Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-09-17
NO PLACE LIKE VIRGINIA.


NO PLACE LIKE VIRGINIA
j. II. Harpsted of Charlotte
county, came to this State from
Ohio and engaged in farming anG
is well pleased with his new home
He is convinced that Virginia is
the best home for the farmer, and
gives the reason for the faith that
is in him in communication in
the Southern Planter. He COM
pares the products per acre of
several staple crops in Virginia
with the products of these same
crops in Illinois, Kansas and New
York, and gives the average prices
obtained for the last ten years. In
nearly every case the balance is in
favor of Virginia, and yet the
price of lands in each of these
States ranges from $50 to 500
per acre, while in Virginia the
price is SIS to $15. These state
ments may be surprising even to
Virginia readers who are accus-
toned to hear so much about the
superiority of Western lands.
Omitting the table, the following
is the comments of Mr.. Harpsted: |
1.-The land upon which the Iowa
farmer raised his hay and coin is
today worth from $40 to $50 per
acre. Land that will produce an
average crop of hay and corn in Vir-
ginia can be bought for from So to
$15 per acre, and yet ali acre of hay
in Virginia for the past ten years has
been worth $4.S4 more than
in Iowa The Iowa farmer gets
from his $40 to $50 land but 1857
worth of corn per acre, on ten years
average with the best of culture.
with the poorest system of
culture in the world for corn, raises
1906 worth of corn more to the acre
than Iowa on q ten years average.
"In the State of Illinois an acre OF |
and that will produce an average !,
crop will cost from $50 to $50, and
yet the Illinois farmer on a ten
years average can only produce
b. 63 more oats to the acre than Vir-
yinia. If one-half of the Virginia
arIners would only work tobacco
tub BILE. and scatter on it about three
,ecks OF oats to the. acre, and cover
With a brush, as is quite frequently c
lone in Virginia, they would produce Y
more oats than the Illinois farmer. q
kansas, with her broad acres of II
rain, her sulky plOws, self-binders, Il
nd land worth $50 to $50 per acre, o
ust falls short AZ cents per acre of g
as much wheat to the acre [.
8 old Virginia. b
New York, where land sells at any il
nd all prices. but where land that e.
yill produce an average crop CT any o.
hing is worth from $40 to 800 or Ell
lore per acre, just falls short of h
as much value in potatoes b
D the acre as Virginia by S1.39 on
en- years average She beats us on
uckwheat $1.08 per acre for ten "
ears average, but look at the W
ifferance in the value OF the land. Il
lid Virginia farmers but work and ="
lanure her land as the farmers of u
0wa do their corn land or make her :.
ay as they do in Iowa, or the "
.rmers Of Illinois or the farmers of -.
ansas their wheat. or the farmers of ~
ew York their potatoes. she would -
and at the head of all these States -
production and value" ~ ~
We have always thought our Ii
Dung men made a mistake in w
Ding anywhere in preference to OF
aging right here in Virginia. ~ u,
he same exertion put forth here, +;
lat they will be compelled to, in co
lis land of strangers, to make a nj
wing, will reward them more an
snerously than anywhere else.
hen we take into consideration =,
e genial climate of Virginia, its
ciety, its advantages for educa- no
m, there is really no place NC
lperior to the Old Dominion. vii
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Democratic leaders are not
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