The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-29
NJ FRANK $. woopsoN.

l hardly know where to commence
to tell about this man Bellwood who
owns a big farm over in Chesterfield
county. and has mad it something
like the Garden of Eden His exhibit
of what his farm produced. an eS-
hibt made at the State Fair this
month. told the whole story to the
people who saw the exhibit. but it may
he that not more than half OF the
readers OF The Times Dispatch saw
that exhibit. and perhaps it Will be
well enough for me TO tell some thing
about 1t. and. incidentally, about the
Bellwo2d farm and the Bcllwoods--
there are several of lhem--fn Their and
sons and daughter
The story OF the Bellwood farm Is
simply illustrative and for that reason
am going to intrude a little upon
the privacy of the farm and upon the
courtesy of the fine old gentleman who
runs II. He and his boys have de-
monstratcd there what can be done
down here in Virginia, and In what
some folks regard as the poorest part
of NirGina--what can be done by
folks who know how to do things.
/. like hundreds OF other people. was
attracted by the Beliwood exhibit at
the state Fair. and like thousand
other folks | asked. How did you do
IL" Mr.. Be.lwood invited me out to
his place In Chesterfield county to SEQ
for myself | went.
In Search of lIenlth.
TwentYthree years ago aIr james
Bellwood who lived away up yonder
in Canada. was in bad health. He was
advised by his doctor to go down
south in search OF health He came
down here looking for health-no. for
n farm. He found the health all right,
and he also found farm that struck
his fancy. out in Chesterfield county
Major Gus prewrys farm bordering
oil the James River was for sale. It
was historic place. but Mr.. Bell.
wood did not take much stock in the
history. He liked the land True IL
was what we call worn-out land, but
Mr.. Bellwood thought II was ire
rivable" land, and he bought 1t, very
cheap. | guess He had three boys
mighty young ut that time, and he
went TO work with his boys and such
labor as he could employ.
Aud the Boys.
But about these boys: There wns
.Nlbert, the senior. Edwin c.. the next,
and little Frank. the younger. who
turns out to L real genius in that
lie can handle any mechanical instru-
nent that was ever invented He can
build house or barn or make a
door or gate or anything else 4
learn that he has recently become
quite IN artist in making concrete
harms and concrete water troughs aud
even concrete houses for negroes to
live in and keep warm in Frank IS
Il genius. no mistake about that. But
that is all by the way.
Old Drewry's Blum.
The old Drewry's Bluff farm which
Mr.. Bcllwood bought. contained about
1900 acres more or less, the home
Mace hpipa ~ ia fro,
raging James River Later he bought
an adjoning farm, maybe two Of them,
and now he holds about 200 acres OF
Chesterfield county land. and all of
these acres were badly worn out when
Mr.. Redwood got them. To-day they
are as rich as cream. and why?
The answer to this question is my
story, my illustrative story.
In the first place these Bellwoods
got right down to intelligent farm
ing. Rotation OF crops. preserving
the fertility of the soil by intelligent
methods. cultivating the crops best
adapted to the soil and other up-to-
date methods became their motto.
Home Made Goods.
Another thing Mr. Bellwood set for
his idea and taught 1t to his boys. that
the way to farm successfully was tc
grow the raw material and then maru.
facture the raw material on tho farm
Now what does this mean: IL means
grow all the grain yon can. all va
hay YOU can. all the other things you
can. and then have some stock sor,ss
cattle and some other things to eat ID Z
all. and let the stock manufacture the
finished goods and then sell the hIt-
ished goods, tina, is to say. the milk
and butter from the cows. tho beef from
the steers the mutton fromG the sheep.
I Continued on Third PAGE M