257 



into smiling farmsteads — the log houses in the 

 valleys surrounded with luxuriant meadows and 

 the hill-sides clothed with grain. Some of the 

 best grass farms I have seen in the State are in 

 these coves. Burk's Garden, owned by the 

 Messrs. Raders, is certainly unsurpassed for 

 fertility, besides many others. Nicholas Court- 

 house, or Summersville, is quite a thriving 

 village, and bears the marks of much recent 

 improvement, owing, it is said, to the energy, 

 taste and enterprize of Dr. Price, formerly of 

 Mecklenburg county. They sadly need a court- 

 house, but the people have been over taxed to 

 make roads, and require a breathing spell. 

 They paid four hundred per cent, on revenue 

 tax for the completion of the Gauley Bridge and 

 Weston Turnpike, besides working from ten to 

 thirteen days on the. county roads. 



From the courthouse I went up Muddletee, 

 which has some fine farms, with superior mea- 

 dows, as also the streams making into it. The 

 lands on Birch are equal to any lands in the 

 State for corn, wheat, tobacco, as also the lands 

 on Elk river. This is a beautiful stream, and 

 can be made navigable for steamboats to Sutton 

 at a reasonable outlay. Its banks abound in 

 the richest iron ore, cannel and bituminous 

 coal. Crossing from Elk, by Sycamore, Twenty 

 mile creek, there is some good land, and some 

 as rough and barren as any in the State. Re- 

 crossing the turnpike, we passed up Laurel 

 creek to the section known as the Meadows and 

 Panther Mountain, which affords evidences of 

 high cultivation- 1 — being thickly settled in small 

 farms, which show unmistakable evidences of 

 thrift and plenty — land sells higher than in 

 other sections. The wilderness is lately settling 

 up, but is rapidly becoming opened; new farms 

 appearing on every hand. Returning to the 

 courthouse by the "Open Rocks," the greatest 

 natural curiosity in the State, we passed into 

 the Kentucky settlement, over a miserable ford 

 at Gauley river. This section is very productive 

 and has some fine farms. Much unimproved 

 land is still unsold in this section, belonging to 

 Be McD. Moore, Esq., of Lexington, of superior 

 quality. Recrossing Gauley at Persingen's run, 

 we went up Glade creek, but this, to me, seemed 

 cold and crawfishy, and the timber — white oak — 

 shows evidences of frequent frosts. McMillan's 

 creek is one meadow, and such meadow ! yield- 

 ing one and a half to three tons of hay per acre. 

 Crossing over to Beaver and Stroud's glade, we 

 found some beautiful land. Callaghan had a 

 fine survey, but has sold off much; the best has 

 been bought by Maj. T. G. Harris, and Mc- 

 Farland, of Richmond. There is still much 

 good land in this section unsold. There is, from 

 this up to Fork Lick, much very superior unim- 

 proved land — limestone — and if ever the Slav- 

 ing Cabin road is completed, will be one among 

 the best sections of the county. Recrossing 

 Gauley at Cranberry, we examined the lands 

 between this and Williams's river. This is high 

 table-land, of unsurpassed fertility ; the timber 

 of such size — poplar, black oak and walnut — as 



to be almost incredible. This is superior grass 

 land, and lays well for farming purposes. Most 

 of this section has been purchased, two or three 

 years since, by gentlemen from Eastern Vir- 

 ginia, at two to three dollars ; that offering for 

 sale is held at five dollars. If improved, this 

 land would be worth fifty dollars per acre for 

 grazing purposes. Crossing on to Cherrytree, 

 we passed the improvements making by Mr. 

 Morris, Hon. R. M. T. Hunter, Messrs. Garnetts 

 and others, well known East; they will soon 

 have fine farms. From this to Meadow river, 

 and Greenbrier settlement, is a wilderness, 

 though said to contain some superior farming 

 and grass lands. The whole county is alpine — 

 with rich vegetation to my eye, seems pecu- 

 liarly adapted to Sheep-Hvsbandry. It is 

 superior grass land, and remarkably adapted to 

 farming, that all important auxiliary of sheep- 

 husbandry. The flocks of native sheep pre- 

 sented an uncommon fine and healthy appear- 

 ance. Dr. Price, we understand, has introduced 

 some superior imported Cotswolds, and is ar- 

 ranging for a large flock of Silesian Merinos. 

 This move will be all important to the future of 

 the county; and we doubt not, in ten or fifteen 

 years, that this will be the largest wool-growing 

 county in the State. 



I would advise all persons, desiring to change 

 their locality, to visit this county, especially 

 Elk, Fork Lick, Cranberry and Cherrytree, they 

 will find superior lands at three to five dollars. 

 Those visiting that region would do well to con- 

 sult with Maj. T. G. Harris and Dr. Price, both 

 gentlemen from Eastern Virginia, and who, I 

 doubt not, will give every information with 

 pleasure. The society now moving into the 

 county is of the very best, and this will add much 

 to the future value as a permanent home ; in- 

 deed, take it all in all, Nicholas possesses, with- 

 in herself, the amplest resources of wealth, and 

 is destined to be the best county in the State. 



I have written the above with the view of 

 calling attention, of those desiring a change, to 

 this county ; they have only to see, to be as 

 highly pleased as 



Cosmopolite. 

 N. B. — Those visiting this region must not 

 expect to find houses, etc. ; all, nearly, live, as 

 yet, in primitive log cabins, but give you an Old 

 Virginia welcome, feasting you on the best from 

 field and wood. I may write again, during my 

 tour through this terra incognita. 



[For the Planter. J 



MANURE OF FLESH. 



Mr. Editor.— By request of F. G. R., Esq., I 

 advertise my mode of preparing and using 

 manure made of dead animals. 



For the last ten years I have leased my lands, 

 except my present residence, where I attend 

 exclusively to grazing, without manure. When 

 I did farm I had a vault for dead animals, about 

 eighteen feet square and six feet deep. This 

 was made in clay grounds, immediately below 



