The Washington herald., 1908-08-07
NEWS OF THE VIRGINIAS
POLITICAL AND OTHERWISE.

proposition before the institute TO make
IL more Of a business gathering and less
Of a sPeech-makirg affair
DIT s W Fletcher. director Of the state
Experiment Station. gave a stereopticon
lecture before the Farmers Institute re-
Gently IN which he showed the importance
Of planting trees on a slopIng site he
claims that as a result Of such a posi-
ton. the trees get the benefit Of better
drainage. both OF air and water He also
emphasized the importance OF selecting
trees Of the most excellent quality. rep
resentizg with views the difference IN
development and fruitage. arising from
the quality Of trees planted Most Of the
views shown were taken from Virginia
orchards.
one Of the most practical addresses
made before the Farmers Institute was
that made by James BeIlwood. OF Ches-
terfeld County. who urged IN the strong
est terms the adaptation OF farm work
% the present day conditions. In answer
10 the general complaint OF the Increase
in the cost Of labor. NJ. Beuwood said he
would welcome an increase in the cost z
I u brought with i an increase in eff
Z cheney and an opportunity 70 introduce
machinery and improved methods OF
farming M BellwcOd is himself one Of
/ the most successful farmers and dairy
men n the state. having come into Vir-
ginia from Canada about twenty years
ago in search OF a congeaIal climate
] Following. as his address did. the re-
marks Of welcome TO the governor and
uavor. and the address OF the president
I Mr. Sandy. AIr- Bellwood brought down
Z the house by saying that while not a
mayor or a governor. nor yet a doctor
{ OF professor, he was proud TO say that
he was farmer. and a successful
{ farmer
Commissioner K0iner. OF the state
board OF agriculture. said. IN a speech
before the Farmer Convention. that in
! some counties OF Virginia. a half dozen
I or more farms have been purchased by
Scotch and English farmers. and that
each year others viii follow them in in
/ creasing numbers
About $4,000 has been invested in
I Virginia lands by people from Great
+ Britain alone during the past eighteen
/ months. This work IS in its beginning
I and moves slowly. but the outlook is
I promising.
Virginia has about $4,000 OF idle acres
I OF land. kind and naturally strong soil.
waiting for intelligent cultivation TO give
I back a rich reward n a comfortable
home and independent life to all the
I patient and intelligent labor that has
/ been bestowed upon Il
our Virginia land is to-day selling be
( low its value There is no State that
/ possesses so many advantages as Vir-
ginia- She can grow a greater variety
I Of crop and fruit than any other State.
I We are near the great Eastern markets.
Our transportation facilities are good and
} improving We have the most salubrious
/ climate and kindest soil and most hospit-
/ able people OF all the States
The General Assembly buHded well. in
deed. when It enacted the State road bill.
+ II established a precedent in that rela-
I ton. which subsequent Legislatures will
hardly care TO ignore. and at the same
/ time furnished a source Of practical hope
! and encouragement 10 a movement. that
Z must be carried on wide need Of accom-
I plishme1t. II Virginia IS ever 10 expert
4 ence the degree CT Industrial and agTicul-
/ tural development 70 which. in point OF
material resources and natural wealth.
( she Is entitled.-LynchburgN News
| One-fourth OF the farmers Of Virginia
derive their principal income from live
stock This IS the only state that exports
I beef cattle direct from the pasture fields
| There IS more fruit grown in Virginia
I than ever before. and its value is high
I the price per acre for orchard products
I varying this year from 500 10 1900. in
/ some parts Of the State. Apples Of the
/ finest quality come from this State. and
/ the hay crop has doubled IL ten years.
/ Trucking has increased IN Virginia within
the last ten years, 500 per cent. One coun-
I y now raises Per cent OF the sweet po-
tato crop Of the whole country
! The enormous development OF the truck
/ ing business in Virginia IS & surprise TO
those who look over the figures for the
first time The use OF cow-peas and r1illet
I for Increasing the fertility OF the soil. and
/ the systematic rotation OF crops adopted
By many OF the farmers. have proved Of
/ great advantage