The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-09-22
FARMING IN VIRGINIA.
Western Ways Produce Good Results.
QUINToN, Va, Sept. 8, 1905.

SRCINIoS. A., OCpl. y, lc0c'
Dear Friends: When I wrote to you
last December we were only fairly set
tied and exceedingly we'll pleased with
our location. Now that we have planted
a crop and seen it grow and ripen, we
are more pleased that we made the move
which places US in this section of the u.
S. that has SO many natural advantages.
1t cost US something to come here.
We had to buy feed for our stock and
food for family of six until we could
raise crop; and | must say that Vir-
ginia appetites are something appalling
when the -four gets low in the barrel
and meat supply is short. Still | will
say this: that we have lived cheaper the
past nine months than we ever did for
the same length of time in Wisconsin.
We have had fresh vegetables ever since
April, and fresh fruit for the gathering
since May 14th. We have peas, apples
and peaches now. We had new Irish
potatoes June 18th, sweet corn June 25th.
Began drying apples June 10Th. Had
peas and beans May 22d and June 9Th,
respectively. July 22d we began eating
melons. 1t is surprising how many can
be raised on half an acre. We not only
ate them ourselves but we fed the pigs
and chickens on them for a month.
Our corn crop is good, although the
Virginians say that this has been too
wet season to be good corn year. /
never saw so much rain in the same
length of time. It usually drops down;
no windy, driving storms and very little
lightning. We had almost forgotten
what those old storms were like, when
there came the news Of the destructive
hail storms near Edgerton. That walked
US all up to realizing sense of our good
fortune in being here. There is longer
season OF hot weather here but the heat
is not so intense as in Wisconsin sum-
mer. During June and July the tenn
perature varied only slightly. There
was no night too warm for good restful
sleep. Mosquitoes have been few and
not many hes.
The team we brought from Wisconsin
did the work on the farm and has been
looking we'll and feeling we'll all the
time. We have not had to buy feed for
the stock since April. We bought 100
bushels of corn to feed two horses, a
cow, five pigs and 40 chickens until feed
could grow for them.
We have just begun to cut the COW
peas. Have four acres Of navy beans to
be harvested this month. Have late
Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes and pea
nuts. Some of our ideas are strange to
the farmers here and many of them pre-
dicted failure when Mr.. Pomeroy check
ed the corn and cultivated it on the
level, but he has been successful in car
ing for crops here the same way he did
in Rock county. Clinton measured a
stalk of corn, not prize stalk but one of
many in our field, and it measured Ia
feet One of our neighbors said "You
Yankees have come in here and beat us
at our own farming. Not one in fifty
comes here and raises sweet potatoes the
first year, but you have done it." The
sweet potatoes here are fine. They are
barreled in Richmond and marked XXX
Jerseys and sold in the markets under
that name. Cows pay here. Our neigh
bors have sold butter at rs cents all the
season. In February we bought little
Virginia COW. She has furnished US
plenty of milk, cream and butter ever
since, besides raising fine calf Chick
ems and turkeys pay we'll here, and eggs
bring good price all the year.
Some friend wrote us that he had
heard we were pining for Wisconsin.
When Mr.. Pomeroy read it he said: Il
guess not. Ii | cOul. Je moved from
here to Edgerton free of charge [ would
not 60 back there to live" He and
Clinton have managed the farm work
without hiring any negro help. Mr..
Saxby hired negro we'll digger and was
we'll suited with his work. The digging
of his we'll of 33 feet cost So We miss
some of the things we were used to in
Wisconsin. We have no telephone in
our house, our mail is not brought to
US, nor fresh meat brought to our door
twice a week. The roads are not so
straight and level as Rock county roads,
but there is certain pleasure and inter
est in these roads that yours do not
have They wind through woods and
ford creeks and are bordered by berry
bushes and volunteer peach and cherry
trees You feel that here is plenty of
fruit and fuel. The people here do not
take as much interest in the public
schools as you do, but our school opens
this fall with Miss Minnie Saxby, one Of
Edgerton's high school graduates, for
teacher, so we do not feel that our school
will be very far behind yours.
Now you want to know why we would
TdtutI i've u0T6 Ludu ONoI tIIcIo III L VI :
ter where we lived so many years. The
reasons are many. We have better
health here. The climate is more even,
there are not so severe drouths and
storms. We have found the people kind,
courteous and friendly. Not better than
those we parted from, but good neigh
bors. We have had very little to dc
with the negroes. They have schools
and churches of their own. We have
not found them disagreeable neighbors.
We have more leisure. Have longer
season to do the farm work, and we do
not have to prepare for long, cold win
ter. Are these not reasons enough? 1t
must be pleasure to you to know that
we are so contented, but we would like
to see you. Come and visit US and be
convinced that have not sold half there