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- 



