Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1907-08-16
The Greatest Need
Of Rural Virginia

A synopsis of address by Capt. A. ]
Tynes, of Tszewell. at The Farmers
Institute, Roanoke, on Wednesday
the 18th:
MI. President and Fellow Farmers OF
Virginia:
When / received the courteous no.
tice from our able and indefatigablt
Secretary that 1 was expected to talk
on this subject. rot being accustomed
TO making public addresses. was
somewhat startled. Howe yer.
shall endeavor as best /
can, in the necessarily brief time allot-
ed, to answer, as i understand il, the
question propounded by the State
Farmers Institute, "What is The
Greatest Need OF Rural Virginia?"
This interrogatory strikes me as a
direct question, and at first blush
seems-to use the expressive phrase
ology OF the day-"Dead Easy" and a
categorical answer OF just three words
springs involuntarily to my lips.
more and Better Roads,"
Let us discuss briefly some reasons
why we should have better roads and
more of them.
First, the growth and development
OF the State emphasizes the necessity
for better system OF rural or inter-
communal highways to facilitate inter-
communication and more especially TO
enable the ruralite-the farmer-to de-
liver with least delay, and that the
minimum OF cost, the ever increasing
products Of his farm-the result of
improved conditions in the system of
farming due, In a large measure, to
the teachings OF our most admirably
managed State Farmers Institute.
Again, long since it was said-and few
will dispute its truth today-that "he
is the greatest philanthropist who
causes two blades OF grass TO grow
where only one is growing" Now, let
us pause for moment and try to take
in the tremendous possibilities fore
Swallowed in this proposition, as APP
piled TO the subject under discussion.
IL would mean 20 tons of hay for 10,
one thousand bushels OF grain for five
hundred, one 10 two acres OF grass to
fatten steer instead OF two 10 four as
now, and so on TO the end of the
chapter. Now, let us briefly compare
these figures that will show the result
under the prospective Improvement
that is coming, with those obtaining
under our present system OF muddy
and bottomless lanes, and crooked.
rocky strewn trails that are through
courtesy called roads Suppose we
draw an analogy and consider what
necessary new roads and better old
ones will mean to the farmers OF Viz
ginia. First OF all his assets will be
doubled. without materially increasing
his expenditures. With a couple Of tons
Of the product OF his labor TO market he
now does well after much expenditure
or physical force and worry, ard may
be, after the use of much language not
heard in Sunday school, with iaded
and worn out team, and with wagon
braced with wythes and false spokes,
he reaches his destination with one
ton Of his truck, after covering q dis
lance Of from three to twenty-five
miles, consuming, If lucky, from one
half pay to three days on the round
trip. On our reconstructed road, we
propose TO load both tons OF our pro-
duct upon the same wagon, to be
hauled by the same team, aud with
half the expenditure of labor, worry,
temper and time. Our two tons are
marketed, our teams are appreciably
none the worse for this job and ready
for another without the necessity OF
rest and repairs to wagon or outfit,
and what, perhaps makes us average
hayseeds feel best OF all, we have a
double margin of profits in pocket
and to the credit OF good roads.
The opening up OF new roads is
equally important as the rebuilding
Of the old ones, and in not few in
stances is the necessity greater that
distances to market and shipping
points maybe halved or at least great
| ly diminished. In the reconstruction
| of our system of highways, by which
high ways of communication are
made more agreeable and our neigh
bors more accessible, long step will
have been taken in solving the prob
lens that are now sorely vexing tn,
men and women Of rural Virginia-by
checking in large measure the ten
dency on the part OF our young men t,
desert the farm and seek business an,