Our Trip to the Country [pp. 166-169]

OUR TRIP TO THE'COUNTRY.
tants from confining themselves to one branch of industry. Their
wants, and the commodities with which to pay for the supply of
these wants, being different-they contain within themselves the
germs of an internal trade, which, when free from artificial re strictions, and enabled to flow in improved channels, may some
day attain vast proportions, rivalling and exceeding their already
extensive commerce with foreign nations."
It must, I think, be conceded, that this country was acting un wisely in abruptly severing our former prosperous commercial
relations with such a power as these Provinces seem destined
to form. There are social, commercial and political reasons why
this unwise legislation should be amended; and I am glad to
see an influential portion of the press taking up the question in
earnest.
ART. VIII.-OUR TRIP TO THE COUNTRY-VIRGINIA.
WE have just returned from visiting a considerable portion of
Eastern Virginia, with which we were very familiar before the war.
On the whole, the results of our observations, inquiries and
investigations have been quite satisfactory. We travelled by railroad, steam-boats, in buggies, on horseback, and afoot. The first
thing- that excited observation was to find that scarcely anyVirginians are now to be seen travelling by public conveyances. At
this we were much pleased, for we supposed at the time, as we
afterwards found to be the fact, that they were all at home making
and saving money. The exorbitant charges of our railroads to
home passengers and to home freights, have had an admirable
effect. It keeps our people at home and at work, and induces
them to make less for miarket, and more for home consumption.
The products of the farm are already much more various than
before the war. Hogs, that were scarce in this section before
the war, because the large farmers preferred buying Western pork
to raising it themselves, are now cheap and abundant. Enough
have been raised not only to supply the country, but to furnish
abundantly the neighbouring towns and villages. There being
more pasture land than usual, cattle and sheep are better, and we
think more numerous, than formerly. Cotton for home use is commonly and successfully raised, and spun and made into cloth at home.
Homespun has taken the place of broad-cloth. With abundance
of fish and oysters in the rivers, and plenty of game in the woods,
people who are industrious live comfortably, almost luxuriously,
with little occasion to buy even fiom country stores, and with no
need of going to town to make purchases. Never were the
country people so kind, generous and hospitable, for, making
everything within themselves, they do not feel the cost of sharing
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