The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-11-01
VIRGINIA FARMER
VASTLY | BET TERED
Turning His Newly Gotten Money
to Home Improvements.
FORMER WIVES SUFFERING n
They Cannot Get Servants at Any Price.
and Have All Household Burdens
to B.ar-Are Dressing Better
and Have Better Homes.

The condition Of the Virginia farmer
mas been revolutionized in the past few
ears. This is more noticeable during the
asst two years than ever before.
The Virginia farmer is richer to-day
han he has been snce the war. He has
better homes better barns and more
money in his pocket than ever before
All this is true of the State at large.
but more particularly true Of the to-
bacco planter.
The crops of tobacco SOIL excellently
last year and are selling as we'll. if not
better, this year. The result is apparent
in every section of the State where
& tobacco IFS raised The farmer who
raises mainly wheat does not fare quite
so we'll.
4 "A gentleman residing in Richmond and
doing business here. but whose occupa-
F ton takes him over the State to the
country districts and necessarily puts
him in close touch with the farmer,
was asked yesterday what the farmer
was doing with his newly gotten gains.
He replied that he was spending the
money on his barns. residence and III
purchasing many of the conveniences of
life, which heretofore he and his FAM.
lily have had to do without.
& BUILDING BETTER HOMES.
One farmer had just taken down his
old residence and put up d modern and
convenient dwelling, costing $1,000 An
other had built larger barns. and yet an
o:xer had pntd the mortgage and made
a needed addition to his house. Others
had spent their extra money, a thing
hitherto unknown, in having ice-houses.
potato cellars and out-houses. such as
diaries and safes. built Some had dis
carded the old wells and installed pumps,
which were more convenient and labor
saving New farming implements had
been purchased, and many labor-saving
devices.
The gentleman was asked what was
the housewife getting out of all this bet
terment Of the farmers condition.
. The reply was not nearly SO encourage
ing. Labor about the house in the State
is even scarcer than field labor. II is
estimated that largely more than half
the housewives in the State are doing
their own work. Their husbands would
gladly. hire servants for them. but there
are none TO hire at any price. Life be-
comes a burden to the housewife who
is thus crushed down with duties from
which money and success cannot bring
her relief
MACHINERY TO THE RESCUE.
The farmer has the trouble of getting
labor. too. Far larger crops of tobacco
would be made in the State if the far
mer could get labor enough to work
it But machinery is coming to his res
cue as it probably can never come to
the wife. But unfortunat ely no machine
has. or probably will. ever be invented
that will get worms from the tobacco
leaf. The forefinger and thumb are the
only instruments vet found that will
nut a '-inish'' to the conclusion Of to-
-bucology.
The country people Of the State are
entering upon an era of prosnerity not
known since the war. All farmers who
have raised black-eye peas. beans. tohac-
co. apples, pairs, Irish and sweet pota-.
toes. have found a ready market for
them with excellent prices. One small
farmer in the State has an acre or so
IN Keller pears at the back of his house.
He has sold more than one hundred bar
rels from the trees this fall at net
price of $50.