Mr. Thornton took his guest to Blairville that evening as they had planned and he assured Percy that should he decide to purchase land in that section they would let him have three hundred acres of their land at ten dollars an acre. "I will let you know after I get the samples analyzed for you," said Percy. "The price is low enough and the location ideal, but still I want to have the invoice before I buy the goods. I will write you about sending the samples to the chemist after I hear from some I sent him from Montplain." CHAPTER XIX FROM RICHMOND TO WASHINGTON THE next day Percy spent a few hours at the State Capitol in Richmond, where he found the records of the State of much interest. Thus he found that in practically every county there was more or less land owned by the commonwealth, because of its complete abandonment by former owners, and the failure of any one to buy when sold by the state for taxes. Under such conditions the title to the land returns to the State, and after two years it may be sold by the State to any one desiring to purchase and the former owner has no further right of redemption. Some of these lands which are owned by the State, and on which the State has received no taxes for many years, are still occupied by their former owners or by "squatters"' and may continue to be so occupied unless the land should be purchased from the State by some one else who would demand full possession. Such purchasers, however, are likely to be unpopular residents in the community, if the transaction forces poor people from a place they have called home, even though they had no legal right to occupy it. Percy found that the report of the State Auditor showed that the clerk of the court of Powhatan county had returned to the State $1.05 "for sales of lands purchased by the commonwealth at tax sales," while from Prince Edward county the State received a similar revenue amounting to $17.39 for the same year. The total revenue to the commonwealth from this source amounted to $667.85 for the year. Contrasted with this was the revenue from "Redemption of Land," amounting to $27,436.38, suggesting something of the struggle of the man to retain possession of his home before it becomes legally possible for another to take it from him beyond redemption. According to the records about a million acres of land are owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia alone. Percy decided to go to Washington to learn what definite information he might obtain from the United States Department of Agriculture. On the train for Washington he found himself sitting beside a Virginia farmer. "These lands remind me of our Western prairies," Percy remarked. "You have some extensive areas of level or gently undulating uplands."