58 The Agricultural Papers of George Washington 



manure, when the cart can be spared and the ground is in 

 order for its reception, either for carrots, potatoes, tobacco, 

 or other things, is not to be neglected. Grubbing and filling 

 up gullies, in the fields which are to receive crops this year, 

 is also essential. And, if these should not afford sufficient 

 employment, the overplus time may be spent in clearing 

 swamps, or the sides of them, so that they may hereafter, 

 when drained effectually, be tended in tobacco previous to 

 their being laid down in grass. 



At this place, I propose to plant about thirty thousand 

 tobacco plants, in field No. 4, round the houses and stacks, 

 where they will be most convenient to the manure; and, 

 where the ground is not very rich, I would join a gallon or 

 a large double handful of manure to each hill. The ground 

 for the crop ought to be broken up early, either with the 

 ploughs or hoes, that the green sward may have time to 

 rot. If thirty thousand hills cannot be got here, the de 

 ficiency may be made up by the gate that goes into field 

 No. 5. 



River Farm 



Early and good ploughing at this place is indispensably 

 necessary. The field No. 7, intended for spring grain, that 

 is, barley and oats, would, if justice were done to it, call for 

 a second or cross ploughing by the time the ploughs will 

 begin to break it up. Consequently, field No. 1, designed 

 for corn, will hardly get more than a listing, and the field 

 No. 4, which ought to have received a crop of sundries, must 

 go altogether uncultivated this year. 



After field No. 7 is sown with barley, oats, and grass-seed, 

 the latter in the proportion mentioned at the other places, 

 if the preparation of No. 1 for corn cannot be postponed, 

 without involving injurious consequences to that crop, the 



