VIRGINIA 89 



land, indeed, is sandy and thin; the negroes lazy and 

 thievish, the head of the family careless and easy; and 

 no thought is given to means of betterment and a saga- 

 cious use of many natural advantages, whether be- 

 cause not the custom or in appearance somewhat 

 tedious. 



In these lower parts of Virginia little or no hay is 

 made; the dry sandy soil does not bring it willingly, 

 and they do not understand how to make use of their 

 marshes. Their horses, and such cows as are kept 

 about the house for milking, are fed on corn-fodder, as 

 long as the store lasts ; and afterwards must shift for 

 themselves. Wheat, pease, and other straw is cast out 

 as useless ; during the war, when Pensylvania and 

 Maryland teamsters came by with the army, the people 

 of this region made the important and new dicovery 

 that horses eat small-cut straw, and I was asked in all 

 seriousness whether our German horses condescend to 

 this sort of feed. Swine and cattle multiply prodig- 

 iously, but there is so little attention given to their 

 keep that besides what is fattened and salted for family 

 use or for sale, many head of cattle perish for lack of 

 suitable feed, given over to their fate in the woods and 

 swamps, where often there is abundant nourishment to 

 be had, (and quite as often very meagre), but the main 

 dependence must be reeds and sedge throughout the 

 winter. The whole compass of the Virginian hus- 

 bandry consists in, first, raising a good supply of maize 

 for the planter's family, his negroes, and his cattle; 

 then, tobacco and a little wheat for keeping up appear- 

 ances; and, for the rest of the year, doing nothing 

 at all. If the corn crop fails, those who own many 

 negroes suffer great loss, or it may be, are in want 

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