RED-LAND DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA. 



181 



South Carolina was either purchased in Charles- 

 ton or in Georgia, a considerable quantity was 

 obtained in the Bahamas, through the active ex- 

 ertions of friends who resided in Providence. 



In 1780, when England had no fine manufac- 

 tories, the best Cottons brought to her market 

 were from the Dutch plantations of Berbice, 

 Demarara and Surinam. These then command- 

 ed respectively 2s. Id., Is. Ud., to 2s. Id., 2s.* 

 In 1786, Bourbon Cotton,t remarkable for fine- 

 ness, but deticient in length, was worth-from 7s. 

 6d. to 10s. per pound. It was superseded by 

 Sea-Islands, which in '99 sold readily in Liver- 

 pool at 5s. to 5s. 3d.t per pound. Its price in 

 this State, in the infancy of its production, was 

 generally from 9d. to Is. It soon rose to Is. 4d. 

 and Is. 6d. — then to 2s. and upwards,^ at wliich 



* Edwards's West Indies, vol. iiL p. 92. 

 t Bourbon Colton was first imnorted into Manches- 

 ter in 1783. 

 t Sraiiher's Liverpool, p. 157. 

 5 From 1798 to 1809, both inclusive, a distinguished 

 [To be continued 



it remained until 1806, when the planter for the 

 first time experienced the baneful ctFcct of re- 

 strictions on commerce. From the superiority 

 of this Cotton to tliat raised in any other coun- 

 try, even from the same seed, the staple at first 

 was objected to, as too long, and by one or two 

 Enghsh spinners, it is said', it was actually cut 

 shorter.* 



planter of this State sold his Cotton in Charleston at 

 the foUow-ing prices : 



s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 



1798 1 



1799.... 1 4 



1800 2 2 1 



1801.. ..2 12 18 



1802 2 3 2 1 2 4 2 7 2 18.}- 1 7-1 



1803. ...1 ^19 18 17 16 26 



1804.... 1 6 2 6 



1805.... 2 1 1 9 1 6i 



1806. ...1 11 1 9 1 7 



1807.... 1 8 17 1 25c. 18c. 13c. 10c, 



1808 30c. 25c. 23c. 15c, 



1809.... 26c. ' 



* Smithei,'s Liverpool, p. 135. 

 in next number.} 



THE CENTRAL OR RED-LAND DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA. 



ITS SOIL AND ADVANTAGES DESCRIBED. 



We might vouch, if voucher were needed, 

 for the accuracy of die following sketch from 

 the pen of Hon. W. L. Goggin, who so well 

 and faithfully represented that District m the 

 last Congress. 



The field, however, for eligible in%^estment, 

 for men who have smsil capital in money, but a 

 better sort of capital in skill, and industry, and 

 economy, is not confined to any particular Dis- 

 trict of the Old Dominion. We verily believe 

 that tlie world does not afl^brd a more inviting 

 field for the exercise of these manly virtues, 

 than does that entire and vast region, whose 

 head springs find their way through a thou- 

 sand creeks and rivers into the Chesapeake 

 Bay 



Where are such sheep-walks, such inexhaust- 

 ible beds of lime, of coal, and of iron to be found, 

 as in the mountains of Maryland and Virginia ? 

 And then descending to tide water, ^^'here such 

 long and deep rivers, such growth of wood and 

 timber, such beds of marl and of oy.sters ? Much 

 as is thought and said of tlie profit of capital em- 

 ployed in manufactures, it is nothing compared 

 with what might be realized by a company 

 with large capital skillfully engaged and direct- 

 ed, in the purchase of wood and thnber land.s, 

 with their marl-beds and oyster-flats, on the 

 tide-^vater counties of both those States. Half 

 a million of New-England working-men would 

 rapidly grow rich on their waste lands and un- 

 used resources. 

 (385 



There are hmidreds of fine estates that might 

 be bought, a great part of die purchase money on 

 time, the wood and timber of which would pay 

 for them three times over, with adequate capital, 

 managed with tolerable discretion, in preparing 

 and sending them to tlie markets of Baltimore, 

 Philadelphia, New- York and Boston ; all of 

 which are easily and cheaply accessible. 



Washington City, Jan. 20, 1845. 

 J. S. Skinner, Esq. 



Your fonner connexion with the American 

 Farmer had made your name familiar to most 

 of us of Virginia, and ^ve are pleased to find 

 3'ou again wielding your pen in another quarter. 

 The allusions j-ou make to the soil, the resources 

 and the natural advantages of the Old Domin- 

 ion, are as just as they are well-timed. I trust 

 that many of your New-York readers may be 

 led to look for themselves into the truth of what 

 j-ou have said. Lot them come among us, of all 

 parts of that Old Commonwealth, as they have 

 already done into the neighboring county of 

 Fairfax, and w^e promise to show them an 

 abundance of the fincsst lands, ^vhich may be 

 bought at reduced prices, — a country than w hich 

 none can be more beautiful, more healthful, witli 

 better advantages of water-power for transport- 

 ation or machinery, widi a .soil originally more 

 productive or susceptible of a higher state of i 

 improvement. As you are desirous " to collect ' 

 all })racticab!e information conccrnmg the con- ( 

 dition and price of lands, in the regions men- ( 



