The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1913-01-01
None Superior to Those OF
Southwest Virginia, Where
the Bluegrass Springs
Native to the soil
and Expert Cattle
Are Raised for the
Royal Meat Stalls
of Europe.


the average farmer of South
west Virginia to read this
sketch. For it is the old old
story familiar TO him.
The story of Grass, not Just
grass, but grass as blue as the
skies over these mountains. as
nutritious as nuts, as lasting in
the quality of its fat as corn
effects, and as delicious to stock
as honey aud locust stew to the
builders of the ancient Pyra-
mids.
In the minds of some people
a portion of Kentucky is the
blue grass garden of the world
Just like some people have an
idea that maybe New York
produces the most apples of any
State in / h e Union, or that
Georgia leads in peanuts, when
everybody ought to know the
sand lands of Virginia are full
of first prizes at quantity and
quality goober shows.
Tho real blue grass empire of
the world is Southwest Virgin
ia. kentucky blue grass got
on the map aud the minds of
folks when Southwest Virginia
was about as lacking in devcl
opment work as parts of densest
Africa at present.
Fifty years ago when the
lumbermen began TO snatch
house size poplars, walnuts.
oaks and other cabinet mantle
timber off these mountain sides
II was observed that peculiar
but beautiful grass began to
carpet the ground.
That is how the discovery
was made that Southwest Nir-
ginia is "a blue grass country
Since that time tho land owners
have been raising export cattle
and lambs for the royal meat
stalls of Europe, disdainful OF
the measely prices for beef Of
fered in the Chicago aud Gin.
cinnati stock yard districts
The land boomers in t h e
southwest take beautiful color
postcard pictures OF an alfalfa
patch watered by an irrigation
ditch five hundred miles long
and send these views broudcas
over the world in praise of Their
country. The Southwest Vir
ginia farmer turns his cattle
loose twelve months in the year
To feed on "A grass that grow :
without cultivation, Chat is
watered by the rains of heaven
and that puts on the sides OF a
COW a certain weight that ia
the fall of the year is exchanged
for automobiles and macada
mixed highways reaching q
the four points of the compass
Not long since a Colorado
man who had tired of the sage
grass wrote TO the Bristol Board
of Trade to know if he could
buy farm cheap in this sec
tion,
81 want something" he said
for about Sl5 per acre 1
which can grow crop the
first season. Would like for II
to have bearing apple orchard
and fairly good six or sever
room house. l have had hun
dreds of letters from owner,
and agents in eastern n d
northern Virginia. but nothing
from Southwest Virginia.
And something like this wa,
the answer.
you might buy "a farm il
Southwest Virginia if you
would come in person and bring
along a few Colorado state
bonds properly endorsed fol
transfer. You would, of course
have also to establish a frs
class record to show that yol
would be a desirable neighbor
Ii your credentials are satlsfac
tory you might buy some reas
onably fair land for about $7l
per acre; somewhat better lane
for 500 or $3.50; but if you go
whota native regarded as hi
cream place it would be cheaI
for $500 and not exorbitant n
$3.50 per acre, house, barn nno
etceteras extra"
SouthwestVirginia blue gras
is about as Drofitable as a polt