VIRGINIA. 



777 



William H. Walker, Jonathan Ross, H. Henry 

 Powers, Wheelock G. Veazey, Russell S. Taft, 

 and John W. Rowell. No general election was 

 held daring the year, and there was no session 

 of the Legislature. 



Finances. For the year ending July 31, 1885, 

 the total receipts were $689,774.24. The total 

 disbursements were $666,613.80. Among the 

 largest items are Auditor's and court orders 

 paid, $325,219.42; and temporary loan paid, 

 $275,310.37. The liabilities, on account of the 

 Agricultural College and United States surplus 

 funds, foot up $155,500. 



Agriculture. The average annual hay-crop for 

 the past decade has been about 1,075,000 tons. 

 The crop of 1885 was about 10 per cent, short 

 or, in round numbers, 970,000 tons. A suc- 

 cession of dry seasons for several years, and the 

 damage caused by grasshoppers and the white 

 grub in this and previous seasons, have resulted 

 in a diminished yield in some counties. A 

 large second crop of hay was secured. The 

 grain-crop was generally good. Less wheat is 

 raised in Vermont than formerly, many farm- 

 ers sowing barley or other grain instead. About 

 100,000 bushels of rye are raised annually in the 

 State. Hops are grown to a limited extent, and 

 a small quantity of tobacco is raised in Wind- 

 ham County. The dairy interest is languish- 

 ing. Many farmers are abandoning wool- 

 growing and selling their flocks. The follow- 

 ing is an estimate of the crops of the harvest 

 of 1885 : 



Estimated yield of other farm productions 

 for 1885 : 



Wool . 2,250,000 pounds. 



Butter 27,000,000 u 



Cheese 1,500,000 " 



Maple-sugar 11,500,000 " 



Orchard fruits $500,000 value. 



The yield of orchard products was unusually 

 small. 



The average maple-sugar crop of Vermont 

 is about 12,000,000 pounds. It is worth more 

 than $1,000,000, and is harvested before the 

 season of planting begins. Vermont produces 

 about one third of the annual maple-sugar crop 

 of the countrr. 



VIRGINIA. "State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, William E. Cameron, Readjuster ; Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor, John F. Lewis ; Secretary of 

 State, H. W. Flournoy ; Treasurer, Isaac R. 

 Barksdale ; Auditor, Morton Marye ; Second 

 Auditor, Frank G. Ruffin ; Attorney-General, 

 Frank 8. Blair ; Superintendent of Public In- 

 struction, Richard R. Farr ; Commissioner of 

 Agriculture, Randolph Harrison ; Superintend- 



ent of Land-Office, Joseph A. Wingfield ; Rail- 

 road Commissioner, George A. Martin. Court 

 of Appeals : L. L. Lewis, B. W. Lucy, R. A. 

 Richardson, T. T. Fauntleroy, and D. A. Hinton. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met on 

 Dec. 2, and was in session at the close of the 

 year. On the 15th, John W. Daniel, Demo- 

 crat, was chosen United States Senator. The 

 following State officers were elected : Auditor, 

 Morton Marye ; Second Auditor, Frank G. 

 Ruffiu ; Treasurer, A. G. Harman ; Secretary 

 of State, Henry W. Flournoy ; Superintendent 

 of Land-Office, Joseph A. Wingfield ; Superin- 

 tendent of Public Instruction, John L. Bu- 

 chanan ; Commissioner of Agriculture, Ran- 

 dolph Harrison ; Railroad Commissioner, H. 

 G. Mofiett. The new terms begin with 1886. 



Finances. On Oct. 1, 1885, the apparent cash 

 balance in the treasury was $594,687.48 ; the 

 actual balance by the Auditor's books (the dif- 

 ference being as to warrants issued and not 

 yet presented) was $406,802.73. This, how- 

 ever, does not state the actual condition of the 

 treasury. Some minor items go to reduce the 

 available cash balance in the treasury ; but to 

 the credit account must be placed the market- 

 able value of Riddleberger bonds to the amount 

 (face value) of $2,030,943.10, purchased under 

 acts of March 15 and Aug. 25, 1884, which 

 bonds are by law convertible into cash when- 

 ever the exigencies of the treasury require it. 

 "The interception of the revenue," says the 

 Governor, in his message of Dec. 3, " by pay- 

 ment of taxes and dues to the Commonwealth 

 in coupons since the last meeting of the Gen- 

 eral Assembly, has not reached such an extent 

 as to seriously disturb the administration of 

 public affairs. For the fiscal year herein treat- 

 ed the amount of coupons forced upon the 

 treasury in payment of taxes and other dues 

 was $122,000 less than for the preceding fiscal 

 year. It appears that the available funds and 

 convertible property now in the treasury reach, 

 in round numbers, the sum of $1,615,213.- 

 89." The amount of the public debt outstand- 

 ing, other than Riddleberger bonds, is as fol- 

 lows: Principal and interest to July 1, 1882, 

 $28,020,532.83 ; interest subsequent to July 1, 

 1882, to and including Julv 1, 1885, $2,731,- 

 699.49 making outstanding,* Oct. 1, 1885, $30,- 

 752,232.32. 



There had been funded up to Oct. 1, 1885, 

 $7,517,032.71 of the old indebtedness, princi- 

 pal and interest, and the amount of bonds and 

 certificates issued under the acts of Feb. 14, 

 1882, and Nov. 29, 1884, in lieu thereof, was 

 $4,971,590.66, of which there are in the hands 

 of the public creditors, $2,190,514.92. 



Oyster Interest. On this subject the Governor 

 says : " Since 1857 there has been a constant 

 drain upon one of the largest resources of Vir- 

 ginia's wealth, by the absolute destruction of 

 her oyster-beds. It is claimed that the prop- 

 erty of the people of Virginia, in the waters of 

 Chesapeake Bay, has been protected since 1882 

 as never before, and in the mean time the re- 



