The Washington herald., 1908-07-19

cottage N Y.
assistance that we can to the agricultural
advancement Of our territory. and to this
end We run frequent educational trains.
These trains are made up Of several
coaches, in which practical. common
sense talks are delivered TO the farmers
by the workers in our State agricultural
Institutions and in the United States De-
partment Of Agriculture at Washington
Sometimes the trains are devoted to one
particular subject For example. q corn
train was put on the road this spring.
running from Columbus. Ohio. down
through the Sci0to Valley to the Ohio
River and practical talks were given
illustrating the proper selection OF the
seed. the proper planting and cultivating.
and the proper harvesting Of the corn We
have also run trains devoted to the ex-
elusive subject Of tobacco culture and
alfalfa culture. and are contemplating
putting on train this fall which viii be
more comprehensive in its scope and in
which a number Of agricultural features
will be given prominence
Many Farms Established.
Some twelve to fifteen hundred pro-
gressive Northern and Western farmers
have been located in the territory tribu
tary 10 the Norfolk and Western Railway
in Virginia during the past three OF four
years that the department has been in
operation. Several thousand homeseek-
ers have been brought down and a large
number of them have been interested.
who VIII doubtless purchase in the future
when they can arrange financial matters
at home The agricultural conditions. as
a result Of this influx OF new blood. have
been improved materially. We see better
barns. better Outbulldings. better fences.
and better general agricultural methods
everywhere now than prevailed five years
ago. and il IS largely attributable TO the
newcomers who have settled here recent
L and brought new ideas and new meth
DDS with them
The industrial end OF the work has not
I been overlooked New capital from out
side territory has been interested in our
timber. mineral. and other resources and
a large number Of new plants have been
] established within recent years, embrac-
/ ing almost every field Of industrial ac-
| tivity. The farms Of Virginia sold TO
I Western settlers in the past four years
/ have aggregated considerably more than
one million dollars annually IN purchase
Z price The new Industrial and manufac-
turing plants located have exceeded a
valuation OF fifty million dollars per an
/
velopuent IS increasing yearly as out
siders become more c0nversant with the
great opportunities and advantages Of
. fered by this section from both an agri-
cultural and manufacturing standpoint
These figures do not include the coal.
coke, and iron development in this terri
tory, which, Of course, Is the largest ma
terial resource that We have The annual
/ investment in properties Of this character
~a -v-a1f
above the one hundred million mark. and
+ we believe that this section has not be
( gun 10 approach its zenith IN the output
along these several lines
south Has Great Future.
The entire South has wonderful fu-
ture before It. and perhaps no other
States are more richly endowed than the
vlrginias and the Caroiinas- We are try
I ing 10 do our part in the furtherance of
/ the cause We believe that we have one
Of the best, If not the best, territories in
I the country We also believe that the
same conditions maintain in regard 10
the Norfolk and Western Railway and
are putting forth individually and collec-
lively every effort to insure the fulfill
ment Of that belief"
Your correspondent was particularly
/ TO be universal throughout Virginia. and
that was that the Norfolk and Western
Railway represented and was Synonymous
with progress. energy. and accomplish
ment Its road bed IS well ballasted from
/ end TO end. its tracks are laid with
| eighty-five-pound steel, and its passenger
and freight equipment are up 10 date and
/ able TO fulhl requirements Of the heavy
/ traffic which it handles.
/ Roanoke, Va. IS Its headquarters and
I the general Offices are located here. This
/ is one Of the most cosmopolitan. progress
sive, and attractive cities in the entire
South. Its business buildings represent a
I type that are rarely found outside the
cities three or four times its population.
i The Norfolk and Western Office buildings
are two new, handsome, seven-story
! structures Of bUT pressed brick. simple
I IN outline and IN perfect harmony with
/ the fine new railroad station erected
I last year Just below It on the other side
/ Of the street Right across from these
/ buildings, and forming with the other
/ two the apex Of a triangle, IS Hotel Ro-
1 anoke, also railroad property, a beauti-
! ful building Of the Queen Anne type. ac-
commOdating some three OF four hundred
guests. The city itself is a prototype of
/ what can be expected in the birth OF the
new South, and as Mr. La Baume states
there is undoubtedly a greater period Of
/ material advancement and Of industrfsI l
/ and agricultural Development ahead of
I this productive section of our country
/ than has been experienced in the past
| century OF its existence