1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



335 



(lence bptween these jilacop, I think it cannot be 

 doubted that they arc the most eliijible situations 

 in the Union. In the subjoined table, you have 

 tiie prices current, as accurately as I could ascer- 

 tain them. 



Prices current, in Viro-inia money, 6s. the dol- 

 lar. Eest horses, from 20/. to 25/. ; second rate, 

 from 12/. to 20/. ; small horses may be bought 

 much lower. Oxen from 8/. to 15/. a pair; steers 

 unbroke, at 21. 10s. to 3/.; best milch cows at 4/. ; 

 second-rate at about 2/. 10s. to 3/. ; veal, at 2(1. to 

 2.W. and Sd. per lb. ; mutton, at 3d. per lb. ; pork, 

 Irom 20s. to 30s. per lOOIbs. ; butter from 6d.. to Sd. 

 per lb. ; cheese, from 4d. to 6d. per lb. ; tallow, at 

 Sd. per lb.* Sheep, from 6s. to 15s. ; hogs, 12 

 months old, from 12s. to 15s. according to size, 

 beef', at 2d. to 3(/. ; geese, li-om Is. to 2s. ; turkeys; 

 2s. ; ducks, 6d. to 9rf. ; hens, from 6d. to 8d. ; 

 chickens, from 3s. to 4s. per dozen. 



Wheat, about 4s. 6d per bushel , buck-wheat, 

 2s; corn, 2s ; beans and peas, 3s. to 4s. ; turnips 

 and potatoes, from 9^/. to Is. 



Hackled flax, li'om Is. to Is. Sd. per lb. ; hemp 

 from the break, from 2Ss. to 30s. per lOOlbs. ; iron, 

 li-om 25/. to 27/. per ton. 



In the county of Fairfax, from its vicinity to 

 market, several of the above articles will average 

 higher. 



s. d. 



7 6 



2 6 

 6 

 9 6 



3 



Hates of the taxes on property. 



On land, for every 100/. valuation 



On negroes, each above 12 - - 



On horses, each - _ _ . 



On chariots, per wheel . . - 

 On riding chairs, per wheel 



Parish levies from 10 to 301 bs. of tobacco per 

 titheable.f 



County taxes much the same. The two last 

 vary each year, according to the number of poor 

 to be supported, and the number of criminals ; but 

 for the latter we are reimbursed py the public. 



Our taxes have been also been diminishing eve- 

 ry year since peace, so that no country has less rea- 

 son to complain of public burthens at present. 



The above is a list of our State taxes. The on- 

 ly lax imposed by the general government, and 

 which the farmer feels, is the tax on stills ; this is 

 about 6d. a gallon. Thonah, from its novelty, it 

 has excited some murmur.^, I cannot think it can 

 be considered as unreasonable, or improper, by 

 those who reflect either on the i^reat injuries pro- 

 duced by the cheapness of distilled liquors among 

 us, or the excessive profits made by the county dis- 

 tillers. 



I cannot conclude, without regretting that I have 

 not been able to find you a more accurate account, 

 in many particulars. I flatter myself it is at least 

 a faithful one ; I have used my best endeavours to 

 make it so. It has certainly not been in my pow- 



* Mutton 3d. and tallow 8d. ! Fat 8hecp not too com- 

 mon. 



A. Y. 



fWhite males, and nesrro males and females, above 

 16 years of a^e, are subject to this tax. The tobacco 

 with which it is paid may, on an average, be esti- 

 mated at three-half-pence per lb. Note in General 

 Washinglo7i's hand- writing. 



er to pay any compliments to our farmers lor their 

 management. 



I am, dear Sir, 



With the greatest respect, 

 Your most obedient servant. 

 The President of the Untied States. 



The following detached information is commu- 

 nicated b}'' persons on whose knowledge and ac- 

 curacy, reliance may be placed. 



The writer hereof, is best acquinted with that 

 trad of land, which crosses Virginia, from north- 

 east to southwest, by the names of the Uull-run 

 Mountains, South Mountains, and Green Moun- 

 tains, and is generally six or eight miles wide, one 

 half of which is the mountains itself, and there- 

 fore steep; the residue lies at the foot, on each 

 side, in large waving hills perfectly accessible to 

 the plough. It is of a dark red color — the richest 

 of it is a pure mould, or loam, without the least 

 mixture of sand or grit, though often a good deaf 

 of broken stone; when first cleared of its timber, it 

 lies loose for about a foot depth, that is to ^ny, as 

 far down as the frosts have penetrated, but below 

 that, for many feet, the earth is still the same, but 

 hard, as having never yet been opened by the 

 frost; when it has been turned up by the plough, 

 and has been exposed to the frost a winter or two, 

 it is nearly as rich as the original first soil. This 

 land is excellent for wheat and r3-e; but yields- 

 poorly in oats; for Indian corn it is middling. 

 The fi-uits which abound, are apples, peaches and 

 cherries. The country perfectly healthy, and the' 

 climate more moderate in summer than that be- 

 low, and in winter than that above: Most of the" 

 parcels of land held by individuals, have been so 

 laid out, as to contain about one-third of the firs? 

 quality, as above described; one-third of a mid- 

 dling quality; and one-third of barrens, well tim- 

 bered. The husbandry is, in general, very slov- 

 enly — under such as it is, the lands of the first 

 quality will produce thirty bushels of wheat to the 

 acre, when fresh, and being tended alternately in 

 wheat and Indian corn, (the latter of which is a 

 great exhauster,J wi'hout ever being rested or 

 manuredy they fiill at length, down to eight or ten 

 bushels the acre. The soil of middling will yield 

 twelve or fifteen bushels of wheat the acre, when 

 fresh, and fall down to about eight. The grasses 

 which have been found to succeed best, are red 

 clover and orchard grass; green sward does well 

 also; only one good cutting of these can be count- 

 ed on, unless the ground can be watered. A tract 

 consisting of three qualities before mentioned, in 

 equal quantities, in that part, which lies near the 

 Rlvanna river, say about Charlottesville, will sell 

 lor about 22s. 6d. to 27s. 6d. sterling the acre, on 

 an average; it will be more or less, in proportion as 

 there is more or less of the best or worst qualities 

 — produce is water-borne from hence to the tide- 

 waters seventy miles distant. Advancing north- 

 eastwardly along the same mountains, these lands 

 are dearer, though their produce cannot be wa- 

 ter-borne till they reach the Potomac. Going 

 south- west wardly along the same mountains, 

 lands become cheaper. Where they cross the 

 Fluvanna, or James river, they are about two- 

 thirds of the price before mentioned; and from 

 that part their produce may also be water-borne 

 to tide- waters, one hundred and thirty miles dis- 

 tant. 



