Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-03-21
NOTES OF NORTON
Norton, Va, March 20.


] believe most every one. like
myself. enjoys the timely articles
you publish on the subject of a
greater corn yield per acre. as
well as the encouragement of
the alfalfa idea, and last, but
not least the wider spread of
sorghum and broader buckwheat
cakes all good: we mean your
ideas. as well as the other things
mentioned.
There seems to be q general
agricultural fever spreading over
the country. Everybody is fall
ing in love with the idea of
scientific farming" fruit cul-
ture, etc. | met an old friend
this morning who has been on
public works a number OF years
told me "he was done with
the mines. | asked when,
Nov, to a 40 acre tract of good
white oak land | have been pay
ing for several years; Pm going
to improve it and put every acre
of it in fruit, berries, ect.
That's the idea! and its a good
one. 1t is growing, taking hold
of men you would not think of
leaving public works. Much of
this great and glorious move
ment is due to the weekly news
papers. They are teachers,
molders of opinions, determining
mems actions.
Tazewell county can never he
what Wise county will be in a
few years, Il veritable garden of
the finest fruit: apples of finest,
richest flavors, grapes, peaches,
pears, plums and all kinds of
vegetables and flowers. In Wise
county, the land outside of the
coal area is not owned in large
tracts as it is in Tazewell, and
it can be bought at a very
reasonable figure. Even the
owners OF the coal lands are
offering inducements to men OF
enterprise by leasing them small
tracts of the surface to improve
and cultivate rs truck gardens
and fruit farms. Yes, Wise
county once regarded rs the
poorest county in the State, will
one of these days leave Tazewell
so far behind in point of wealth,
and progressiveness that she
will naver hear the "Whistle
blow. One thing thou lackest
can be said OF Wise county soil
and, that is lime! lime! lime!
Millions of tons of ground lime
can be used.
1t isn't true, nor never was,
that Wise county was poor
farming section, but doubly true
that, it was a county of the
poorest farmers that the sun
ever shone on. They got in a
habit of depending on Lee and
Russell for every bushel of corn
at least two-thirds of the year,
while they dug sang and snake
root, and "rasseled" with old
man poverty year in and out,
Some few tests of the soil have
proved wonders. One enterpris
ing young man bought a few
acres of land away from the
railroad several years ago pay
, ing $1,000 an acre for it. He be
5 gan with deep blowing, turning
l up nitrogen that had never beel
kissed by a ray of light sine
5 creation, then sowed clover an,
) peas with some commercial fer
= tilizers and when the rich re
y clover was waving, awaitin
the movers blade instead h
: covered it with lime and role
y it and whirled it under with
h big road plow with four hi
h horses to it. Then came the ole
! timers, uncle BILLY" an
! Aaron" and "Izair" resting {
B "reumatiz" limb in a crac
8 of the fence, squinted one cy'
! with q well I'll be DANCE
4 Zair". I'll tell ye' said unc
4 Billy, "I've seed a heap O. foo
] in my time but that's or
4 darn fool". 1t is needless t
/ tell your well educated farmer
the result. The little model far
( speaks for itself today, and Il
4 pen picture can add to i
4 beauty. On the same acres whel
I eight bushels of corn per acl
4 was gathered the year Il
/ modern farmer bought it; he h;
/ since gathered 80 bushels. Tv
Z hundred and fifty bushels
/ potatoes, besides all kinds
fruit fourishes; a herd of crea
a colored Jerseys, and fat Der
\ shire pigs come in for the
share of the prosperity. This
4 what we call scientific farmiI
4 not so many acres, but m
B the difference in the acres.
A ,,,oxl fN,, GOOD ,.aoIn ~,