MODE OF FARMING. 99 



soil of manure, deficiency in the quantity of 

 seed, and in intenseness of atmospheric heat 

 it no doubt arises that land of the greatest ap- 

 parent fertility produces crops short in the 

 ear, and seldom weighing more than 60 Ib. 

 per bushel British measure ; and that the 

 wheat fields of the States do not show those 

 fine waving crops we are accustomed to see in 

 Britain. 



Mules are chiefly used for agricultural pur- 

 poses, both here and in Maryland ; they are 

 large strong animals, seemingly from Maltese 

 asses, and, I understand, endure the heat of 

 the climate much better than horses. 



From the period of the year at which I vi- 

 sited Virginia, I had not a very good oppor- 

 tunity of forming a judgment of the manner 

 in which field work is performed. I learnt 

 sufficient, however, to convince me not only 

 that it is done in an old-fashioned and ineffi- 

 cient mode, but that the Virginia landowner 

 would find his account in bringing from a good 

 district in England or Scotland, a person prac- 

 tically conversant with grain and stock farm- 



