334 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 6 



their own little territory. I think it is often cher- 

 i.^hed by our people, to an excess which frequently 

 injures, them. 



The lands in Prince William county and Fau- 

 quier, from 20 to 30 miles from Dumfries (a town 

 on the Potomac, about 30 miles below Alexan- 

 dria) are, I think, much superior to the lands in 

 Fairfax, beinn^ both more level and richer, with a 

 greater quantity of meadow land, thoug^h they 

 nial<e still less of it than we do — their system of 

 farming is, certainly worse than in Fairfax. 

 Hence, their yield ol" the several kinds of crops, 

 thniiirh on better land, does not average more than 

 with us. They have been, and are siili, more un- 

 li)riunately attachi^d to tobacco than we have been. 

 The soil of both these counties is much alike, be- 

 ing of a reddish clay ; at the distance of two or 

 three feet fiom the surface, a thin stratum of a 

 stone resemblinif slate is f )und ; hence, their sprmgs 

 are not so abundant, nor is the water as good as 

 could be wished ; but when wells have been dug, 

 the water has been (bund as good as any where. 

 The average fee-simple prices of their lands, are 

 from 20s. to 30s an acre — the terms of rents are 

 as much as they are in Fairfax. 



The county of Loudoun lies on the Potomac, 

 above Fairfax, and is, perhaps, the best farming 

 county in the state, being thickly settled with 

 Quakers and Germans, from Pennsylvania. The 

 lowest corner of the county is about 10 miles from 

 tide-water, and it extends up the river with the 

 meanders thereof, upwards of 50 miles. It is well 

 supplied with sprinirs, water-courses, and mea- 

 <lows, what are called the bottom lands on the 

 -river, are very rich, but the soil throughout the 

 county is generally stiff, and of a reddish cast. 

 The upper parts of the county are mountainous; 

 better than half the county is in woods, as is also 

 the case with the too last mentioned counties. 

 Much more attention is paid to meadows here, 

 than in either of the counties yet mentioned, it be- 

 ing the first object, in general, in every settlement, 

 and their chief concern afterwards. The bottom 

 lands on the river sell from 31. to 51. an acre ; in the 

 interior part of the county Ironi II. 10s. to 31. an 

 acre. There are many leases lor lives in this 

 county, given some years ago, by gentlemen hold- 

 ing quantities of lands, at 21. and 51. an hundred 

 acres; but the common mode of renting, on the 

 expiration of leases, is !br a term of years not ex- 

 ceeding, in general, 21, and form 10/. to 20Z. an 

 hundred acres. It is also common, in many m- 

 stances, to rent, for one-third of the produce. The 

 average produce of wheat per acre, is from 8 to 10 

 bushels on their common lands, which, like those 

 in Fairfax, have been much exhausted. Their 

 fresh, or river lands, produce liom 10 to 1.5 bushels; 

 the average produce of Indian corn is about 15 

 bushels ; of rye, 20 ; speltz, 30 ; oats, 25 ; and bar- 

 ley 30, though the last is chiefly raised for the pur- 

 poses of home-brewing, and by the Germans. 

 They manufacture most of their own linen and 

 woollens in this county, and distil most of the spir- 

 its used, from rye, peaches, and apples, and make 

 a considerable quantity of cyder for market : they 

 also make many wagons for sale, and almost all 

 iron utensils ibr their own use. Their meadows 

 yield them better than a ton an acre. I forgot to 

 mention above, the produce of buck-wheat ; I am 



ready observed with respect to the smaller product 

 of the farm, peas, potatoes, &c. must suffice for 

 all the counties I have to mention. I have no 

 doubt but the Germans and Pennsylvanians of 

 Loudoun would reap more profit from them than 

 we do ; but their distance from market has hither- 

 to prevented them from raising them for sale, and 

 we seldom attend to what is consumed on the 

 farm. 



I shall now proceed to Berkley, which, in point 

 of fertility, is, without doubt, the richest county 

 in the state. This county lies also on the Poto- 

 mac, and is penetrated by the Shenandoah, which 

 empties into that river. The lands here, which 

 are called the valley, running parallel with the 

 Shenandoah, and between that and the north 

 mountains, may be divided into four classes: — the 

 first quality sells at 4/. an acre ; second at 31.; third 

 at 21. and fourth at 1/. 10s. in fee-simple. The 

 mode of renting lands is here too, either by the 

 year, or short term of years, as there are no lands 

 which rise faster in value. The first quality rents 

 from 20 to 30/. an hundred acres ; the other quali- 

 ties in proportion ; and none for less than 10/. — 

 The lands of the first quality are considered as too 

 rich for wheat, and, in the general method of 

 seeding, do not succeed so well as those of the 

 second, being more liable to fall, and the rust. It 

 is probable this may proceed from their not giving 

 it seed in proportion to its strength, or from their 

 sowing it as early as their other grounds. That 

 very rich grounds do not succeed so well on early 

 sowing, I am convinced, fi-om several trials which 

 I have been witness to, by a neighbor of mine on 

 a rich island. This spot, which, when sowed in 

 August, would yield scarcely any thing but straw, 

 when sowed in the latter end of October, or first 

 of November, yielded abundantly. The second 

 quality produces from 15 to 20 bushels, when fiil- 

 lowed ; the third from 10 to 12 ; and the fourth fi-om 

 8 to 10. The first-rate lands produce from 40 to 50 

 bushels of oats per acre, and rye in proportion ; 

 the other qualities li-om 20 to 40. Indian corn 

 from 20 to 40 bushels, according to the quality of 

 the land, and buck-wheat from 30 to 60. — 

 Barley would, no doubt, succeed well on such 

 lands ; but I am informed that they raise none. 

 The natural^ meadows are certainly superior to 

 any to be met with any where ; what is called 

 the English blue grass, flourishes in the greatest 

 luxuriancy, and is common throughout the county. 

 The average crop of timothy is nearly two tons 

 an acre. The soil of the best lands is dark and 

 fine; of the second lighter and intermixed with 

 soft stones ; that of the third and fourth rates still 

 lighter. The whole surface of the ground, when 

 cleared, is covered with blue grass. I must now 

 observe, with respect to the counties of Loudoun 

 and Berkeley, that the completion of the naviga- 

 tion of the Potomac, (which we expect will hap- 

 pen, at the farthest, in two years) will be attend- 

 ed with immense benefits to them. Their pro- 

 duce, ol" every sort, will be brought to market on 

 as cheap terms as those who live at the distance 

 of eight or ten miles. This circumstance, added 

 to the superiority of their lands, certainly renders 

 them the most desirable of any counties in the 

 state ; and when it is considered that they already 

 have the two flourishing towns of Alexandria and 



told that the Germans and Quakers frequently raise I George Town for iheir markets, and an act of 

 it from 30 to 60 bushels an acre. What I have al- ' Congress for establishing their permanent resi- 



