32 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



will certainly be advantageous to the posterity of such 

 rich and important families, has in the neighborhood of 

 New York and elsewhere stood much in the way of 

 cultivation and settlement, whereas the back parts of 

 Pensylvania, Maryland, and even a portion of Vir- 

 ginia, have been more rapidly settled, poor families 

 being able to get title to small tracts of land. The 

 smallest possession has for every man more charm than 

 the most imposing leasehold. In addition, the Vir- 

 ginians of the lower country are very easy and negligent 

 husbandmen. Much and very good land, which would 

 yield an abundant support to an industrious family, re- 

 mains unused when once a little exhausted, no 

 thought being given so far to dunging and other im- 

 provements. New land is taken up, the best to be 

 had, tobacco is grown on it 3-4 years, and then Indian 

 corn, so long as any will come. And in the end, if the 

 soil is thoroughly impoverished, they begin again with a 

 new piece and go through the rotation. Meantime wood 

 grows again on the old land, and on the new is at pains 

 to be cleared off ; and all this to avoid dunging and all 

 the trouble involved in a more careful handling of their 

 cattle, if dung is to be had. 



Although we had not yet come far into Virginia, 

 there was to be observed already a considerable differ- 

 ence in .the arrangements of the plantations and the 

 character of the people on this side the Potowmack. A 

 plantation in Virginia, and also in the lower parts of 

 Maryland, + has often more the appearance of a small 

 village, by reason of the many separate small buildings, 

 which taken all together would at times hardly go to 

 make a single roomy and commodious house. Here 

 are living-rooms, bed-chambers, guest-chambers, store- 



