338 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 



is light, and, in most, of the stales, paid by a con- 

 tribution of labor, which rarely exceeds two daj's 

 in the year, for each male laborer. Dutiable arti- 

 cles is a distinct tax, the quantum of which de- 

 pends upon the consumption, upon the disposition 

 oC the consumer: with the aid, therefore, of the 

 laws (which I sent you) every man can cal- 

 culate, better than 1 am able to do for him, the 

 amount of his own expenditures in this way. 

 An additional duty, or excise, was imposed last 

 session, and this being now sent, will, il' I am not' 

 mistaken, fwith what was mentioned in my for- 

 mer communications) bring ercri/ tax, direct and 

 indirect, to your view, to which, property in this 

 country, is suhjected, either by the general gov- 

 ernment, or the laws of the states of Pennsylva- 

 nia, JNIaryland, and Virginia, to which the obser- 

 vations have been confined. 



IJeei", and other meats, grain ol' all sorts, and 

 flour, butter, cheese, and other things, in quanti- 

 ties to make them an object, are always, I con- 

 ceive, in demand; and are sought after bj' the 

 purchasers. The sail of lesser articles, at a dis- 

 tance from market towns, may sometimes stick 

 on hand; but rarely, [ believe, forego a sale, if 

 they are worth the transportation. 



Sheep thrive very well in the middle states, 

 though they are not exempt from diseases, and 

 are ohen injured by dogs; and more so, as you 

 approach the mountains, by w-olves. Were we to 

 use horses less, and oxen more, on our farms, (as 

 ihey do in the New England states, J we should, 

 unquestionably, find our account in it; yet, strange 

 as it may seem, feic are in the practice of the 

 latter; and none push the raising of sheep to the 

 extent they might, and ought, to do. The fact 

 is, we have, in a manner, every thing to learn that 

 respects meat and profitable husbandry. 



Bakewelfs breed ol" sheep are much celebrated, 

 and deservedly, I presume; but if entrusted to a 

 conmion bailiff, (or with us is called an overseer^ 

 they would, I should apprehend, soon degenerate, 

 for want of that care and attention, which is ne- 

 cessary to preserve the breed in its purity. But 

 the great impeilimeni is the British statutes; these 

 discourage men oi" delicacy, in this country, from 

 attempting what miirht involve the master of a 

 vessel in serious consequences, if detected in the 

 breach of them. Others, however, less scrupu- 

 lous, have attempted to import English rams with 

 success, and, by this means, our flocks, in many 

 places, are much improved — mine, for instance, 

 though I never was concerned, dirictly nor indi- 

 rectly, in the importation of one, further than by 

 buying lambs which have descended from them.* 



Our modes — system we have none — are so dif- 

 ferent from yours, generally speakinir, and our bu- 

 siness being carried on so nmch within ourselves, 

 so little by hiring, and still less by calculation, that 

 I fi-ankly confess to you, I am unable to solve 

 your query respecting sheep-walks, or how many 

 sheep an acre of woodland jjasture would support. 

 I shall have pleasure, at all times, as far as I pos- 

 sess the means, or can command them, to give 

 you every information that can contribute to your 

 man satislaction, or that of a friend; but 1 am so 

 thoroughly persuaded of my inability to throw 

 new lights upon any branch of husbandry, in a 

 country where it is so well understood as in Eng- 



* The average weight of the fleeces behvj; 51bs. 



land, and that any thing I could write to you on 

 that subject, would only serve to expose the defec- 

 tive practice of my countrymen, and be considered 

 as the beacon of ourignorance, that I amrat her dis- 

 inclined to see any production of mine in a work 

 where so much uselLil information is conveyed to 

 the public, as is to be found in your annals of ag- 

 riculture. 



With verj' great esteem, 

 I am sir, 



Your most obedient servant. 



G. Washington. 



June 2lst. 



P. S. — I have not yet received the account of 

 taxes I promised you, and for which 1 had written 

 to Virginia; but 1 will send it by the first convey- 

 ance aJier its arrival. 



This letter goes by Mr. Pickney, Minister fi"onj 

 the United States to the Court of London, * who, 

 being detained a day or two longer than was ex- 

 pected, by the vessel in which he is to embark, 

 , has given me an opportunity of asking Mrs. Jel- 

 I ferson fwlio is well acquainted with the souih- 

 I western parts of Virginia, near Charlottesville, J 

 and JNlr. Peters, fone of the best fiirmers in the 

 I slate of Pennsylvania, about six miles from this 

 I cityj), to give me tlieir sentiments on the several 

 I queries contained in your letter. IMiese j'ou will 

 \ hnd inclosed herewith, t in their own words. J 

 ' iMine, and each of theirs, are written without any 

 previous consultation; and maybe considered (njy 

 estate in the neighborhood of which I am best ac- 

 quainted, lying about midway between theirs,) aa 

 the opinions of men living north, south, and in the 

 centre of the district, of which an account was 

 given to you in my conmiunicalions of the 4th of 

 December, last. 



NOTKS OX MK. VOUXG's LKTTER. 



Paragraph 3. "Is the labor (of negroes at 9/. 

 sterling) to be commanded in any amount," — if 

 taken by the year, it may be commanded in any 

 amount, but not if wanted on particular occasions 

 only — as for harvest, for particular dressings of the 

 land, &c. 



Par. 4. The labor of a negro, Mr. Young rec- 

 kons, cent, per cent, dearer than the labor of 

 England. To the hirer of a negro man, his hire 

 will cost 91. and his subsistence, clothing, and 

 tools, 61. making 15/. sterling, or, at the most, it 

 may sometimes be 18/. To the owner of a ne- 

 gro, his labor costs as follows: suppose a negro 

 man of twenty-five years of age, cost 75/. sterling; 

 he has an equal chance to live thirty years, ac- 

 cording to Buffon's tables; so that you loose your 

 principal in thirty years — then say, 



* Through which channel I recommend any letters 

 you may favor me witfi, to pass. 



t At the end of tliis letter. 



X On applynig to Colonel Hamilton, for the statement 

 mentioned in Mr. Peters 's letter, he put into my hands 

 togetlier, with the statement, several communications 

 which were made to him last )'ear, by some of the 

 most respectable farmers in this part of the countiy, 

 in consequence of an application from him, informa- 

 tion on certain points respecting farms; and, as they 

 appeared to contain some matters worth attention, I 

 had them coi)icd, and they are also inclosed. 



