J837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



357 



ailvisahle; es!|)ecially wliere ihe Ibrmer are entire- 

 ly iuiacr|uaiiiie(l willi tlic liitter. 



It' tilt re ho those who are dispopprl to take these 

 farms in their iiiuiivitlefi state, on the terms which 

 hnve been riKMitioiieil, it is an ohjcet of siitiicient 

 niajjniiutle lor them, or one oi' tiieni in bchall' of 

 the rest, to come over and investiirate the premi- 

 ses thorouirhly, that there may be nothinjr to rt;- 

 proach themselves, or me, wiili, if (though unin- 

 tentionally) there should be delects in any part of 

 the inlbrmaiion heri'in given. Or, if a society of 

 t;irmers are disposed to adventure, it is still more 

 incumbent on them to send over an agent, for the 

 purpose above-mentioned ; lor with me tiie mea- 

 sure must be so fixed, as to preclude any cavil or 

 disc,u?sion therealter. And it may not he mat 

 apropos to observe in this place, that our overlook- 

 ers are ijcnerally engaged, and all the arrange- 

 ments for the ensuing crops are made, before the 

 first of Se[)teraber in every year : it will readily be 

 perceived, then, that if tliis period is suffered to 

 pass away, it is not to be regained until the next 

 year. Possession might be given to the new- 

 comers at tlie season just mentioned, to enable 

 them to put in their grain lor the next crop ; but 

 the final relinquishment could not take place until 

 the crops are gathered; which of Indian corn 

 (maize), seldom happens till towards Christmas, 

 as It must endure hard ti-osts before it can be salely 

 housed. 



I have endeavored, as fjir as my recollection of 

 facts would enable me, or the documents in my 

 possession allow, to give such inlormation of the 

 actual state of the farms, as to enable persons at 

 a distance to form as distinct ideas as tfie nature 

 of the thing is susceptible, short of one's own 

 view: and havinii communicated the motives 

 whicli have inclined me to a change in my system, 

 I will announce to you the origin of them. 



1st. Few ships, of late, have arrived fi^om any 

 part of Great Britain, or Ireland, without a num- 

 ber of emigrants; and some of them, liy report, 

 very respectable and (lill-handed farmers. A num- 

 ber of others, they say, are desirous of following, 

 but are unable to obtain passaijes ; l)ut their com- 

 ing in that manner, even if I was apprised of their 

 arrival in time, would not answer my views, for 

 the reason already assigned ; and which, as it is 

 the ultimatum at present, I will lake the liberty of 

 repeating, namely, that I mirst carry my |)lan into 

 complete execution, or not attempt it ; and under 

 such auspices, too, as to leave no doubt of the ex- 

 act fulfilment : and 



2d!y. Because from the number of letters, 

 which I have received myself (and, as it would 

 seem, from respectable people), inquiring into 

 matters of this sort, with intimations of their 

 wishes, and even intentions, of migrating to this 

 country, I can have no doubt of succeeding. But 

 I have made no reply to these inquiries ; or, if 

 any. in very general terms ; because I did not 

 want to engage in correspondences of this sort 

 with persons of whom I had no knowledge, nor 

 indeed leisure for them, if I had been so disposed. 



I shall now conclude as I began, with a desire, 

 that if you see any impropriety in making these 

 sentiments known to that class of people who 

 miffht wish to avail themselves of the occasion, 

 that it may not be mentioned. By a law, or bv 

 pome regulation of your government, artisans, I 

 am well aware, are laid under restraints ; and, for 



this reason, I have studiously avoided any over- 

 tures to mechanics, ahhouLfh my occasions called 

 (()r them. But never haviriir heard that difliciil- 

 ties were thrown in the, way of husbandmen i)y 

 the goverimient, is one reason ti)r my bringing 

 this matter to your view. A second is, tiial hav- 

 iriif yourself expressed seiitimenis whiili showed 

 that you had cast an eye towards this country, 

 and was not inattentive to the wellare of it, I was 

 led to make my intentions known to you, that if 

 yon, or your friends, were dis[)(ised to avail your- 

 selves of the knowledge, you miiiht take prompt 

 measures tor the exe/'uiion. — And 3dly. I was 

 sure, if you had lost siirht of the object yourself, 

 I coidd, nevertheless, rely upon such information 

 as you miuht see fit to give me, and upon such 

 characters, too, as you might be disposed to re- 

 commend. 



Lengthy as this epistle is, I will crave your pa- 

 tience while I add, that, it is written in too much 

 haste, and under too great a pressure of public 

 business, at the commencement of an important 

 sef^sion of Congress, to be correct, or properly di- 

 gested. But the season of the year, and the ap- 

 prehension of ice, are hurrying away the last ves- 

 sel bound from this port to London. 1 am driven 

 therefore to the alternative of making the matter 

 known in this hasty manner, and giving a rude 

 sketch of the farms, which is the subject of it; or 

 to encounter delay: the first I preferred. It can 

 hardly be necessary to add, that 1 have no desire 

 that any formal promulgation of these sentiments 

 should be made. 



To accomplish my wishes, in the manner here- 

 in expressed, would be agreeable to me ; and in a 

 way that cannot be exceptionable, would be 

 more so. 



With much esteem and reirard, 

 I am, sir, your n)ost obedient servant, 



G. Washington. 



j^rthur Youngs Esq. 



923 



Dogue Run farm. 



Field, No. I. 



JL 



III. 



IV. 



V. 



VI. 



VII. 

 Meadow, 



70 acres. 



74 



74 



71 



75 



73 



80 



38 

 18 

 12 



