286 
and, therefore, the frost has not materially affected the prospects for a 
cotton-crop. 
Our correspondent in Greenville County also reports on the morning 
of April 26 the most destructive frost in that locality which has 
occurred within the memory of the living. Grape-vines that had grown 
“upwards of a foot” were killed outright. Indigenous varieties of 
grape-vines suffered the most. His own Scuppernongs are all destroyed 
for this year. The Concords stood it the best. He has never before 
known grape-fruit to be destroyed by frost in that county, though his 
remembrance extends back nearly fifty years. Cherries, plums, and 
strawberries, all nearly grown, were killed. Even blackberry and 
raspberry blossoms were smitten, though not all. Potato-tops, nearly 
six inches high, were cut down to the ground, and pease, radishes, and 
beets were killed absolutely. Forest-trees were blackened, the common 
maple being the only tree among the deciduous which escaped unin- 
jured. Next to that in power of resisting the frost were the red elm, 
the beech, and the hickory, in the order named. 
WEATHER AND CROP PROSPECTS IN VIRGINIA.—Our correspondent 
in King George County reports: 
With the exception of the 8th and 9th, when the mercury rose to 82° and 87°, April 
was uniformly cold. There was, however, only one frost, on the 26th, and that, though 
sharp, did no harm. The mean temperature was 56°.2, about three degrees lower 
than last year. There were several light rains, and one heayy one on the 16th, 
when it fell all day. The aspen was in bloom on the Ist ; the apricot on the 5th, when 
the first whip-poor-will was heard; the cherry and peach on the 6th; the plum and 
purple magnolia on the 8th; pyrus-japonica on the 9th; spirea and wild plum on the 
10th; pears and red-bud on the 11th; spice-wood on the 12th ; flowering-almond on 
the 13th ; eayly apples on the 14th; lilac on the 15th; dogwood on the 21st; calican- 
thus on the 29th; and bird-cherry on the 30th—generally about ten days earlier than 
last year. The bloom of fruit is very full, and the indications are favorable for a plen- 
tiful yield. 
Wheat has improved considerably, but bare and thin spots are visible, which must 
in some degree curtail the product, notwithstanding the favorable season. The Fultz 
wheat maintains its ascendency. Corn-planting began about the middle of April, and 
(May 1) is still in progress. The land is for the most part in good condition. 
Rains have amounted to but little over half the average for twenty years, and were 
as follows: April 1st-2d, 0.025 inch; 9th, 0.16; 11th-12th, 0.135; 16th, 0.745; 20th-21st, 
0.095; 23d, 0.10; 25th, 0.005 ; 28th, 0.29—total, 1.555 inch. 
CAUSES OF HIGH PRICES OF LAND IN CALIFORNIA.—Our corre- 
spondent in San Joaquin County reports that the price of lands for 
farming and grazing has doubled since 1860, and is still increasing. And 
yet this advance in price he represents is neither a result of improve- 
ment in the land nor of increasing profits from agriculture, but rather 
of causes which greatly hinder agricultural prosperity: First, the 
greater and more valuable portion of what was the public domain is 
now held at high prices by speculators, who obtained it partly by direct 
purchase at the lowest rate, partly by ‘‘ agricultural scrip, at 374 cents 
per acre,” and partly by the confirmation, through false testimony, of 
fraudulent or pretended Spanish grants; secondly, by a recent decision 
of the General Land-Office, what little of public land is left in the foot- 
hills and mountains is held to.be mineral in character until proved to 
be more valuable for agricultural purposes, thus throwing the burden 
of proof upon the tiller of the soil. Our correspondent is decided in 
his opinion that it ought to be the other way, that the agriculturist has 
the primary claim upon the soil, and therefore all lands should be regard- 
ed as agricultural until proved to be more valuable for some other pur- 
pose. He further claims that while land-speculators and mining-specu- 
lators are apt to be strongly represented in Congress by parties indi- 
rectly if not directly interested, the Department of Agriculture is al- 
