The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-01-13
WESTMORELAND.
Farmers Make Large Purchases Of
Fertiiizer-How the First Steam
Thresher Was Received-Etc.

MontrOss, Va, January 9th. 1903.
Lees farm work has been done in this
section up 10 this date than for many
previous falls and winters owing to tn
great quantity OF rain. Wheat that was
seeded during the early part Of Oc,o ober
does not look "a healthy and promisio&
as crops seeded later
There was invt tsted I'm the county of
NeetmOreland last fall about twenty.
seven thousand dollars in fertilizers for
wheat principally. No other county in
the Neck made 20 heavy purchases, ex-
sept NOrtbum berland. which exceeds
Westmoreland by several hundred dol
lars. Our farmers are in better condition
financially than at any time since .he
Civil War
Twenty six years ago the first steam
thresher for threshing wheat was intro
duced IN this county by your scribe. IL
cost $1,000. When the machine was
landed and it became known that wheat
was TO be threshed 10y steam. no farmer
was ready To welcome the Improvement
Finally. after much persuasion, one
iarmer agreed II his crop OF W heat straw
ieneing and houses were insured the new
rlg might thresh his crop Oi wheat Such
terms as seemed TO satisfy the farmer
were agreed upon, and it was generally
|
Z begin operations Saturday. July l6fh.
1876. Long before the hour TO begin
work some hundred or more farmers
some bringing their wives and children.
had assembled to see Jumbo and help put
out the fire. The machine was of the
endless apron type. and was capable of
thIeshing four bushels per minute Lead
ing down from the Main road to where
the steam machine was located was "A
cap and stake fence and to each stake
wac tied horse It was not known
that the engine bad "a whistle When
every thing was ready to begin. the
engineer pulled the whistle striag
Some of the visitors jumped from
under their hats. horses tried the strength
oi their bride rcins and halters. some
could be seen crossing the field at full
tpee 1 with a stake dangling at the end
OF "A rope, a flock OF sheep and herd of
cattle retreated TO the woods. After
some hours work the crowd of specta.
tors began TO venture near the machine
Ia viii suffice TO say that before the sun
went down each farmer present wished
20 know when the machine could threeh
his crop. The machine had all the work
II could do aud travelled "a distance of 20
miles from beginning, closed its wOrs. the
29th day Of September, received its pay
in wheat, bushels out OF every hundred
bushels, and wheat was worth 81 80 To
Sl.5j. The mas hine made nine hundred
bushels toll. Now there are 23 steam
threshers and Is steam saw mills in the
county, the combined value OF which is
abotu thirty six thousand dollars.
very enjoy able occasion took place
last evening at Montross. under the man
agement Of the Town Hall Committee
The entertainment consisted OF the play.
Tempest Tossed, which was finely rem
dered and well received. An oyster sup
per was also given at the Hotel Sandy
and the neat-sum of sixty dollars realiz
ed
The roads in the county. except the
roads leading from Mt. Holly to Hague,
were never In worse condition. many
places being almost impossible, and at
two points in the county can be seen an
improved road machine ready to be hau'-
ed away rs soon as the condition of the
roads will admit. Ii seems TO have been
the idea OF some that this improved i'm
plement would work itself when purchas-
Ell by the county, II or is months ago.