312 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Fine Cattle. — The Abingdon Democrat was told 

 some days since by a gentleman who has recently 

 paid that neighborhood a visit, that Mr. Charles A. 

 Smith, residing at Clifton, Russell county, has 320 

 head of cattle, whose average weight is one thousand 

 pounds. Mr. S. has been offered $45 each for the 

 whole lot, but declines selling for less than $50. 



Rather Personal. — A New York editor, finding 

 a cabbage seed in a letter received from a brother 

 quill, wants to know if his correspondent has a 

 habit of scratching his head while writing. 



TO LAND OWNERS 



In the counties of Henrico, Chesterfield, Goochland, 

 Povdiatan, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Buckingham, 

 Albemarle, Augusta, Appomattox, Amherst, Bed- 

 ford, Roanoke, Prince Edward, Charlotte, Halifax, 

 Greensville, Montgomery, Amelia, Dinwiddle, Not- 

 toway, Henry and Pittsylvania, in Virginia; or 

 Guilford, Davidson, Rowan, Cabarras, Mecklenburg, 

 Rockingham, Warren, Granville, Iredell, Catawba 

 and Caswell, in North Carolina. 



Mr. Joseph Borra, an Italian gentleman, who 

 has for many j^ears been engaged in the manufac- 

 turing of silk goods in his native land, desires to 

 go into that business in any of these counties. He 

 proposes to purchase at least one thousand acres 

 of ])roductive land on the following terms : 



He will improve the premises by building on 

 them comfortable houses for the accommodation of 

 from fifty to one hundred families who have been 

 accustomed to the raising of silk. He will, how- 

 ever, erect suitable houses for manufacturing silk 

 cloths of various kinds, and will improve the land 

 for tlie proper raising of grain as well as of the 

 mulberry tree. He will expect to have the use of 

 the premises thus improved, for a term of five years 

 without interest, at the expiration of which period 

 he will pay one-third of the purchase money ; and 

 the balance, with legal interest thereon, in two and 

 four years thereafter — the seller, in the meantime 

 withholding the title to the property, which, with 

 the first payment and all the improvements, will be 

 his in the event of any default in the tv/o last pay- 

 ments. It is required that there shall be on the 

 premises water power sufiicient to drive the neces- 

 sary machinery. 



Mr. Borra is now in Richmond, Virginia, and will 

 be pleased to treat with any person who has land 

 of good quality to dispose of on the above terms. 



We know that there are gentlemen in the above 

 counties who own large bodies of lands, which is 

 not cultivated, and which consequently brings them 

 no interest. We do not see how they can turn such 

 property to as good advantage as by embarking in 

 the proposed scheme, which it seems to us, if it 

 shall succeed, must greatly enhance not only the 

 value of their other property but of all the pro- 

 perty in the neighborhood. If, on the other hand, 

 there shall be a failure of the enterprise of Mr. 

 Borra, the seller will receive more than legal inte- 

 rest on the property sold, in the value of the build- 

 ings and other improvements which will have been 

 put on the property. 



Regarding this as an enterprise of great impor- 

 tance, not only to this immediate neighborhood but 

 to the State at large, we trust that Mr. Borra will 

 receive the encouragement which may be necessary 

 to enable him to prosecute his scheme to success. 



Mr. Joseph Borra is aware that the five years 

 credit without interest is not usual or customary. 

 Nor would he ask the land on such terms, did he 

 not know that he will have to grant an acre of 

 ground and a dwelling to each emigrant family, free 

 of charge, during this same period, as an induce- 

 ment to listen to his scheme and consent to enter 

 into the enterprise. 



After a personal examination of the soil and cli- 

 mate of these counties during the last four months, 

 it is the opinion of Mr. Borra that the lands are 

 better adapted for the culture of the vine than the 

 State of Ohio, where the experiment has proved 

 eminently successful. The land is not so rich as 

 in Ohio, but it seems better for this kind of crop. 

 As he has been engaged in this business, also, he 

 desires to plant a vineyard in connection with the 

 silk business. His address is Richmond, Virginia, 

 where all letters of inquiry should be sent. 



To such persons as seek information on this last 

 subject we would refer them to the following ex- 

 tracts from the "Journal of Pharmacy," published 

 by authority of Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, 

 " On the production of Wine, Brandy and Tartar, in 

 the Valley of the Ohio": 



" During a recent visit to Cincinnati, we had se- 

 veral opportunities of inquiring into the progress 

 of the grape culture in that neighborhood, and 

 were gratified at the very considerable progress 

 that has been made in that branch of industry. 

 The hillsides around the city are thickly spotted 

 with vineyards, and the culture of the vine is spread- 

 ing from farm to farm; the excess of produce, be- 

 yond the demand of the table, finding a ready mar- 

 ket at the wine presses of the large growers and 

 wdne makers. The difiiculties and discouragements 

 incident to all new enterprises are being gradually 

 overcome, the kinds of grape best adapted to the 

 soil and climate have been ascertained, and the wine 

 growers now look forward to an annual increase of 

 their crops. In 1846 there were 83 vine^^ards in 

 the neighborhood of Cincinnati, containing 284 

 acres under cultivation, and 114 acres bearing, and 

 24,000 gallons of wine were made. In 1852, 1200 

 acres were in culture, and 750 bearing, and the 

 yield was calculated to be 500,000 gallons, but a 

 small portion of the grapes or wine called sparkling 

 (or Champagne) Catawba, was worth $1,000,000. 

 A basket of grapes will yield from three to three 

 and a half gallons of juice. Mr, Buchanan com- 

 menced planting his vineyard in 1843 ; in 1853 he 

 obtained from five acres 4236 gallons, or 847 gallons 

 from an acre. In particular spots, there has been 

 obtained 800 gallons from an acre, but 650 gallons 

 is considered a large yield," 



PAYMENTS TO THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



To the 1st of October, 1854, 



All persons who have made payments early enough to 

 be entered, and whose names do not appear in the following 

 receipt list, are requested to give immediate notice of the 

 omission, in order that the correction may be made in the 



next issue : 



James T, White to January 1855 $2 00 



Joseph Blanton to April 1855 1 00 



James Bowen to September 1854 1 00 



Maj, James Paxton to May 1855 1 00 



A, G. Morton to January 1854 7 00 



L. W, Allen to January "1855 1 00 



John Goodwin to September 1855 1 00 



