104 
VIRGINIA LANDS.—FRUIT-TREES. 
ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. 
VIRGINIA LANDS. 
The interest you have taken in imparting infor¬ 
mation to persons settling in Virginia, especially 
those who are leaving Dutchess and other counties 
of this state, has induced me to communicate such 
information as I possess toward advancing the ob¬ 
jects of the emigrants. It is with pain, however, 
that I learn of this desertion of the Empire state, 
which contains within its limits all the capabili¬ 
ties of the seaboard, and may, under a judicious 
method of cultivation, compete with the favored 
west. There is a two-fold interest awakened in 
the breast of Americans in consequence of our 
political constitution, which I fear will for a long 
time impoverish one state to enrich another. We 
are of two nations, natives of a state, but citizens 
of a union of states; how far the place of our 
nativity may have claims upon us beyond those of 
the federal union, must depend upon individual 
peculiarities; but so long as it can be shown that 
a precipitate desertion of our fatherland is not 
called for as a means of improving our finances, 
it ought to be maturely considered before being 
entered upon. I have no hesitation in stating, 
that the New Yorker who leaves this state to bet¬ 
ter himself in Virginia, will be disappointed in 
time. But I will not withhold such information 
as I possess, although it is neither extensive nor 
valuable. 
The richest lands of eastern Virginia are situa¬ 
ted along the river courses, and in the tide-water 
districts to a certain extent. There is, however, 
an exception to the fertility of the tide-water lands 
on the south side of the James river, near its em¬ 
bouchure, where there exists large level tracts 
of sand, which yield indeed fine sweet potatoes, 
but only when well manured. The sandy deposites 
stretch to the seacoast, with occasional extensive 
tracts of marsh-lands and swamps, which are 
sources of deadly malaria, but become of eminent 
fertility when properly drained. Upon the north, 
between the James river and the Rappahanock, 
lie extensive plains well furnished with marl , and 
although impoverished, still susceptible of great 
improvement. 
But it is upon the great rivers, on their alluvial 
deposites, that the rich soil of eastern Virginia is 
found. This does not, however, extend through¬ 
out their whole extent. The James river above 
Richmond to Lynchburg, presents a valley varying 
from a quarter to two miles in width, containing 
lands as rich as any in the world. Here immense 
crops of the finest American wheat, and much to¬ 
bacco is produced from year to year without ap¬ 
parent exhaustion. But upon the hill-sides which 
form the flanks of the valley, the case is widely 
different. The hills rise usually abruptly, or with 
an inclination of from 10 to 20 degrees. They are 
therefore very subject to washing, and their culti¬ 
vation is difficult. Above Richmond they are 
formed of transition and primary rocks; and al¬ 
though fertile before exhaustion, are not sufficient¬ 
ly improveable for the purposes of our primeval 
farmers, who look to their crops and forget the 
soil. The alluvial portions of the district are, 
however, worth from $50 to $100 per acre, are 
sought after with avidity, and sell in large tracts. 
The secondary formation of eastern Virginia lies 
between Richmond and Petersburg, and in a band 
having an inconsiderable width, but which stretch¬ 
es through the state, running to the shores of the 
Potomac. It presents us with some of the most 
sterile and unimproveable land of the whole 
country. 
The lands lying west of this strip, and forming 
nearly half of the counties of Virginia east of the 
Blue Ridge, are of the transition formation, and 
contain red clays which are very rich when newly 
cleared, and improveable for many years. These 
tracts also present us with white pipe-clays of very 
little value. The native farmers, however, think 
much more of the flats upon creeks, and small 
streams which intersperse the state in every por¬ 
tion of this geological formation. They risk all 
the chances of freshets, and place the major part 
of their crops upon them—and not without reason, 
for however shallow the hill-side soil may be, 
that of the bottoms is frequently deep and mellow. 
In the south, the Roanoke, Stanton, and Dan 
rivers present the traveller with alluvial bottoms 
frequently of great extent and fertility. The lands 
here, which in some tracts rival the formation on 
James river, are to be obtained at a much more 
reasonable price—they are indeed further from 
markets—more subject to inundations, and unpro¬ 
vided with a canal as in that case; but the Roan¬ 
oke and Stanton are sufficiently deep for small 
steamboats, and the enterprise of our northern 
people would introduce them, under which circum¬ 
stances they would be almost as valuable as 
James river lands. The upper portions of the 
Dan are at present but sparsely populated; but 
the Virginians themselves have turned their at¬ 
tention to that portion of their country. Emigrants 
would do well to visit that section of the stale, 
especially the county of Pittsylvania. 
H. D. X. 
FRUIT-TREES. 
Amidst the great agricultural improvements of 
the age, the subject of Horticulture has not been 
entirely overlooked, but a new impulse seems to 
have been given to this branch of rural industry. 
Yet I doubt whether the great mass of the com¬ 
munity are aware of the pleasure, nay, I will say 
the profit to be derived from a good fruit garden, 
or an orchard of the finest varieties of fruit. In¬ 
deed, I question whether one fourth part of our 
population have ever tasted of a choice pear or 
cherry. There is as much difference between a 
good pear and a poor one, or a good cherry and a 
poor one, as there is between a crab apple and a 
Spitsenberg or a pippin. 
I have recently noticed an article going the 
round in the newspapers, stating that there is a 
stately pear-tree near Kinderhook, that has pro¬ 
duced the past season five barrels of pears. This 
no doubt is a valuable tree, and yet I am quite 
sure that there are hundreds of trees in our coun¬ 
try much more productive. As facts are stubborn 
