VIRGINIA. 



849 



to such patients as could be safely allowed to re- 

 turn home. The average per capita cost of main- 

 tenance was $108.38, which is increased to $112.30, 

 if the cost of insuring the buildings and of the 

 transportation of patients be included. Never in 

 the history of the hospital has the cost been so 

 small. 



In the Eastern State Hospital the number 

 treated was 659, the largest number in any year 

 since it was established. On Sept. 30 the number 

 was 564. The superintendent says in his report: 

 " 1 have on file 18 applications for admission, 

 with no hope of providing for their reception in 

 the near future, except in the ordinary course of 

 removal by death or discharge. It has been my 

 purpose, since assuming charge of this hospital 

 in February last, to give relief to as many of 

 this unfortunate class as it was possible to do, by 

 receiving, all who applied, until the capacity of the 

 institution is taxed to its highest degree.'' The 

 per capita cost for the year was $128.25. 



In the Central State Hospital the number 

 treated was 1,015, and the daily average was 860, 

 the largest since it was established. At the close 

 of the year the number of patients was 852. The 

 per capita cost for the year was $88.87. 



In the Southwestern State Hospital the num- 

 ber of patients during the year was 489. The 

 largest number at any one time was 410. The 

 per capita cost for the year was $129.62. The 

 superintendent in his report says : " The most 

 important need here is the early completion of the 

 new building " ; and again : " Of applicants, 122 

 have been admitted ; some have gone to other 

 hospitals, some have died in the jails or at their 

 homes, and some are still waiting for want of 

 room. Strenuous efforts have been made on the 

 part of this hospital, and on the part of the other 

 State hospitals also, to admit as many as pos- 

 sible, and especially to keep the county jails free 

 from insane, as near as we could; but this has 

 been impossible. Some remain in jail at this time. 

 As said before, the number in jail varies often 

 each day, as the friends often, when no room can 

 be had at the State hospitals, come at once and 

 take them out of jail on bond." 



Agriculture. The .Commissioner of Agricul- 

 ture says in his report: " This department is now 

 chiefly a fertilizer bureau, and is giving to the 

 farmers of the State valuable protection, in se- 

 curing for them fertilizers up to their guarantee. 

 Our farmers spend annually over $4,000,000 for 

 fertilizers. This is a large expenditure of money, 

 and without careful protection they could be 

 easily defrauded out of large sums. The commis- 

 sioner in a neighboring State reports that the 

 farmers in his State lost annually at least 25 

 per cent, in value in the fertilizers they bought, 

 before the State required the fertilizers sold there- 

 in to be inspected by law. If such were true in 

 this State, this department is saving our farmers 

 over $1,000,000 annually. 



" Owing to the stringent pure-food laws which 

 have been passed by other States, except Virginia, 

 this State has become the dumping ground for 

 much adulterated food and feeds. The extensive 

 and increasing sale of oleomargarine and butter 

 .sululterations in this State, which is advertised 



and sold here as Virginia butter, has ruined our 

 home-made butter market. .Jellies, preserves, 

 molasses, canned goods, and other country-made 

 articles of diet, also food made from cereals and 

 flour, are so much adulterated that the health 

 of many people is no doubt seriously impaired, 

 while the market price for the pun; articles is 

 reduced below the cost of production by our 

 farmers." 



The commissioner says the Slate contains 15,- 

 000,000 acres of uncultivated arable laud. 



Military. The Adjutant Uem-ral says in his 

 report for the two years 1898-'0i): " The Virginia 

 regiments went into the volunteer army of the 

 United States with the desire and the "expecta- 

 tion of seeing very much more active service than 

 fell to their lot, and the fact that the names of 

 no battles are inscribed upon their flags is no 

 fault of theirs. They performed well the duties 

 which were assigned to them, and endured as 

 Virginia soldiers should the many privations and 

 hardships incident to army life in the field in time 

 of war. The total number of officers and enlisted 

 men who served in the four Virginia regiments 

 during all or a portion of the time those regi- 

 ments were in the United States service is 198 

 officers and 5,128 enlisted men. The losses by 

 death were 2 officers and 68 enlisted men." 



Oysters. The report of the State Board of 

 Fisheries shows that $54,320.69 was collected 

 from the State oyster beds and fishing grounds, 

 and paid into the State treasury in the year end- 

 ing March 31, 1899. The net amount of revenue 

 derived from the fish and oyster industries in that 

 time was $34,247.96. The State's revenue from 

 fish and oysters for the fiscal year ending Sept. 

 30, 1898, was $30,000, and the expense of enfor- 

 cing the law that year was $2,000 in excess of the 

 total amount of the revenue from the industry. 



Confederate Monument. On June 6 a monu- 

 ment was unveiled in Stonewall cemetery, Win- 

 chester, in commemoration of 149 Confederate 

 soldiers of South Carolina who are buried there. 

 The shaft is of Italian marble, 18 feet high, shaped 

 in imitation of Cleopatra's Needle. 



Dismal Swamp Canal. The Dismal Swamp 

 Canal was formally opened on Oct. 14. The Tal- 

 bot was the first war ship to pass through it. 



Legislative Session. At the session of the 

 Legislature in January among the bills passed 

 were these: 



To incorporate the Big Sandy and Cumberland 

 Railroad Company. 



For the creation of the Norfolk, Portsmouth 

 and Newport News Railway Company. 



To incorporate the Independent Order of Gali- 

 lean Fishermen. 



Authorizing the Jefferson Davis Monument As- 

 sociation to transfer all its funds and property 

 to the United Daughters of the Confederacy. 



Requiring the teaching in the public schools of 

 the effect of alcohol on the human system. 



Several amendments to the game laws. 



A bill to punish wife beaters caused a lively de- 

 bate. It provided that the offender should be 

 beaten with stripes. 



Numerous bills of local interest and importance 

 were passed. 



VOL. xxxix. 54 A 



