THE CULTIVATOR. 
63 
FARM LANDS OF VIRGINIA. 
The call of our Orange Co. correspondent in the Dec. 
no., has brought us the following: “ A Virginia Farm* 
er ,” who dates from Lynchburg, says: 
“ The most desirable part of Virginia, as it regards I 
health, original fertility of soil, and cheapness of price 
in proportion to its value, is the vein of red land called 
the Piedmont region, and embracing the counties of 
Orange, Albemarle, Nelson, Amherst, and Bedford. It 
is a belt of land from fifteen to twenty-five miles wide, 
east of the Blue Ridge mountains. The rocks are all 
primitive, consisting of quartz, sandstone, &c. with oc¬ 
casional beds of granite. It is that region of country in 
which the finest Virginia tobacco has been raised. The 
soil is generally red, with occasional changes to grey or 
sandy. The growth upon it is white and red oak, hicko¬ 
ry, poplar, ash, dogwood, and very rarely pine. It is 
admirably adapted to the growth of clover, and gypsum 
produces a powerful effect upon it. The lands when 
improved produce fine wheat, Indian corn, tobacco and 
oats, as well as garden esculents and fruits. As you ad¬ 
vance from the lower part of this region of country to 
the counties of Nelson, Amherst and Bedford, the lands 
become cheaper in proportion to their quality. In Am¬ 
herst and Bedford counties, great advantages will be de¬ 
rived from the James river and Kenawha canal, which 
is now in operation as far as the town of Lynchburg, and 
within about 20 miles of the Blue ridge. It will be soon 
carried through the mountain. The lands have been 
generally cleared for the cultivation of tobacco, and are 
in a state to be Improved by judicious farming. Lynch¬ 
burg furnishes a ready market for the products of Am¬ 
herst and Bedford counties. The schools are such as 
are generally found in Virginia. A teacher is generally 
engaged in every neighborhood, and churches of the 
different denominations of christains may be found at 
convenient distances. It will not be necessary to bring 
stock of any kind, or farming utensils, or furniture, if 
the farmers wish to settle in Amherst or Bedford. In the 
other parts of the Piedmont region, the writer is not so 
well acquainted. The cheapness and facility of getting 
the products of the farm by water carriage, give to those 
two counties a decided advantage over the other coun¬ 
ties. The prices of land in this region, vary from five 
to fifteen dollars per acre, according to quality and im¬ 
provements. The best course to he pursued by persons 
wishing to purchase land in this region of country, would 
be to send an agent to examine the country. To exam¬ 
ine the northern part of this region, the agent would pass 
from Alexandria in the District of Columbia, through the 
counties of Fairfax, Fauquier, Madison and Culpepper, 
to Orange and Albemarle. To examine the other coun¬ 
ties along the line of James river, he would pass through 
Richmond, and with the packet or steamboat go to 
Lynchburg, where he could pass into the counties of 
Bedford, Amherst and Nelson. The land is generally in 
a bad state of cultivation, but is susceptible with judi¬ 
cious management, of the highest improvement. Being 
neither a land seller nor buyer, the writer has written 
this for no other purpose than to answer the inquiries in 
the Cultivator.” 
Mr. Nathan Loomis, who moved from the Mohawk 
Valley to Fairfax co. (Va.) two years since, after stating 
the condition of churches and schools, and some other 
matters for which we have not room, says: 
“ I believe it is a pretty general opinion at the north, 
that the land here was originally very poor, and that it 
lias been starved out—exhausted. Such opinion is erro¬ 
neous. -Fair crops of tobacco, wheat, corn and oats, have 
been produced on the poorest land in Fairfax. That 
constant cropping without applying manure, will deteri¬ 
orate land in a long series of years is most true; should 
any one want proof of this, let him examine this county 
and be convinced. Its fertility has been Impaired, but 
not exhausted. Reduced soil may be easily improved so 
as to equal its original fertility. The like examination 
will establish this fact. A large portion of the land in 
this county has been thrown out to commons, which pro¬ 
duces a vigorous growth of sedge; or when sufficient 
.time has elapsed, the sedge is supplanted by pines of ra¬ 
pid growth. The sedge makes a thick strong turf. It 
requires a stout pair of horses to break it up, and it should 
lie a year after being well turned over before it is cross 
plowed. I have cross plowed some six months after 
turning over; but this checks decomposition, the exposed 
roots become dry and strong, and are slow to decay. 
Clover and timothy take, even without manure of any 
sort. Plaster and lime operate finely. Nova Scotia 
plaster is had in Georgetown, D. C. 15 miles from this 
place, ready for use, at 5| per ton. I need not say any 
thing of such portions of plantations as have been con¬ 
tinued in cultivation, and from which people obtain their 
support and produce for market; nor of the unbroken fo¬ 
rests of oak, hickory, chestnut, &c. which remain in large 
parcels. People will examine before they purchase. I 
suppose the inquiries were made to learn whether it is 
worth the while to make the examination. The price 
of land varies from $3 to $12 or $15 per acre.” 
Another correspondent, who resides four miles from 
Mount Vernon, says :— C( The sandy or loamy land upon 
or near navigable water, is cheap, and well watered, and 
capable of high and rapid improvement. Oyster shells 
or lime can be had in any quantity. 150 bushels of lime, 
2 gallons of clover seed, and 2 bushels of plaster, will 
more than restore pristine fertility. Churches are plenty, 
but the preachers badly paid. Schools can be made in 
any neighborhood, and to the taste of those who pay the 
teacher. Every article a farmer can want may be pur¬ 
chased in Alexandria. Horses, cows, sheep and hogs are 
plenty, and not inferior to any in New-York, that are not 
better fed. Sheep do well without feed, save when snow 
covers the ground. Horses, cows, sheep and hogs have 
more extensive liberty than man, for they range over the 
whole state, save the enclosures that are five feet high, 
and so close that the animal trespassing cannot creep 
through.” 
LIEBIG’S FAMILIAR LETTERS ON CHEMISTRY 
Editors of the Cultivator —In the latter part of 
Nov. ult. while in the commercial metropolis of our 
state, I visited the large book establishment of Wiley & 
Putnam, and gave you a hasty sketch of an examination 
of their long catalogue of agricultural and other books.* 
It is now intended to present some remarks on one of 
the books brought with me at that time, from that great 
mart of modern literature and science. It is a recent 
publication, and strongly recommends itself to the atten¬ 
tion and perusal of the farmer and his sons during fhe 
reign of Avinter evenings. Since the nights have length¬ 
ened and the field labors closed, I have read it with pro¬ 
fit and delight, and I feel assured that other cultivators 
of the soil, both young and old, will reap benefit by fol¬ 
lowing suit. The book is small and cheap and good. 
If the reader do not understand all that its pages contain, 
it will nevertheless cause him to reflect, to think deeply, 
and to inquire what he knoAvs concerning the condition 
of agriculture in his neighborhood, its susceptibility and 
means of improvement. e ‘ To think,” says a medical 
author, <e is to theorise.” Therefore he who thinks and 
acts, puts theory in practice. We are all more or less 
theorists, whether we be of the Knickerbocker stamp, 
obstinate and unchangeable, and haters of book farming; 
or whether we yield to the impulse of the times and seek 
for improvement with the advance of the arts and scien¬ 
ces. The old fashioned unchanged farmer, thinks and 
theorises upon the ancient method of his forefathers, and 
determines that method to be the only true and correct 
one. He is umvilling to read, to study, or be instructed 
in the art he has long practiced. Dr. Rush* says that 
persons in a slate of derangement often reason correctly, 
but upon false premises. So some of the old farmers are 
like monomaniacs, so set in their own way that they think 
agriculture requires no aid from books ov periodicals,, 
and that it requires no alteration or improvement. Lei 
us then call upon the young to read and to study the sci¬ 
ence as well as the art of agriculture. 
Here then is one of the books for them. It is entitled 
“ Familiar Letters on Chemistry , and its relation to Com- 
* This ‘‘hasty sketch” has never been received—E ds. 
f Rush on Diseases of the Mind. 
