1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



579 



The widow hus all the buildinjrs, with but a third 

 ot" the larin in value, and |)erhaps a sixth in ex- 

 tent, and in proi'.uct. Her's is only a iilo estate, 

 and obvionsly she has not the means to keep ihe 

 huildiniis in repair; and it' site had the means, it i 

 would not he to her inierest to do so. This is also 

 a very reirnlar part oi' the systoni." i 



" SiK-h evils as liiese," said M , " must he | 



very t'requenliy produced to more or less exient, in ] 

 the division of every Hirm anion<j se\eral lieirs.'" 

 "So they are, unless it was much too hirije lor 

 one larin before — hutseldoin lo sucii a ruinous ex- 

 tent, as in this case. The smaller the larrn and 

 the shares, the ixreater the loss to the pro[)rietors. 

 " Is there no remedy, or means, to prevent sach 

 enormous losses, public; as well as private ?" 



"A very easy and sure means would be, to di- 

 rect b)' law the sale of every estate, both land and 

 slaves, as well as other profieriy, unless divided, 

 and tne distribution specially directed, by the will 

 of the deceased proprietor. I would not inlert'ere I 

 witli the privilejxe of every man to in|ure or des- j 

 troy the value of his estate by his own deliberate 

 act; but I would not so frame laws as to do this 

 act for him, and indeed almost compel its beinir ! 

 done ill every case." 



" Weil, if the loss is so irreat and the means of 

 safety so easy, why are they not adopted by the 

 letjisiature?" 



" They have never even been proposed, and if 

 proposed, probably would not oet the support of 

 twenty votes. It is a general feature of our code 

 in Virginia, to take such special good care of the 

 estates of deceased persons, that it will condemn 

 the heirs to certain and great loss, and often pro- 

 bable ruin, lest they should incur a risk of loss in 

 some other wav. The law is so fearful that heirs 

 would spend ilieir estates, if sold, and in money, 

 that it preft'.rs to ruin the heirs by compelling them 

 to hold land, that is incapable of yielding, in sepa- 

 rate shares, halt' its proper |)roduct, whether by 

 sale, rent, or tillage by the owner.'" 



They next had a view of a larire mansion 

 house, which seemed newly repaired ani painted, 

 and the odices, larm buildings and fences in ex- 

 cellent order. " I knew this estate," said 



M , " when its condition was much worse ; 



indeed something approaching to that of my own 

 at present, except that its lertiliiy had not been 

 near so much exhausted. What has produced a 

 change so different from what is seen generally ?" 

 " This farm was bought about fifteen years 



ago, by Mr. L , one of the heirs among 



whom it was to have been divided, to prevent the 

 loss of value that such division would have inevi- 

 tably produced. A rare conjunction of fivorable 

 circumstances permitted such a purchase to be 

 made — all the heirs being of age, and willing to 

 sell together, and a purchaser being tbund rich 

 enough, anu willing to make so large a purchase. 

 No larmer of the county, owing to, the prevailing 

 habits of waste, could have found the means lo 



make such a purchase. Mr. L -, though 



born in an old and wealthy fiimily in this country, 

 and still regarding it as his home, was placed in 



early life, in acouniing house in , where 



he has continued to reside, and is now in the pos- 

 session of considerable weahh, gained by com- 

 merce. A towns-man and a riierchant could not 

 know much of practical agriculture ;, but he, had 

 Bound and correct opii^ions as to the general value 



of the lands of his native county, and of die gross 

 delects in the tillage, and still more in the economy, 

 of the land-holders. He brought his systematic 

 commercial habits to bear upon his iiuvning, and 

 ihoiiirh he was under the additional great disad- 

 vantage of not residing generally on his land, and 

 of course yieldingthe management loan overs(»er, 

 both his success and profit fiave been remarkable. 

 Me lias been throughout as [)ariiciilar and exact 

 in keeping the accounts of liis farming, as ol his 

 commercial transactions — and he hucly assured 

 me that he had made a neit annual [)rolit of eig'it 

 per cent, on the whole cost of purchase, stockiiig, 

 and cultivating the land." 



"Is there any peculiar merit, or mode of im- 

 provement in his practice, besides industry and 

 general attention being paid to method and econo- 

 my ?" 



"" None — unless it be this : he is abundantly 

 cautious in testing the value of any new improve- 

 ment — but when once s itisfied of its being good 

 and f)rofitable, he pays for it to as great an extent 

 as circumstances permi; the use, without a lessen- 

 ing of profit. Such things, he very properly re- 

 gards as the investment of capital in a stock 

 yielding more than ordinary profits, and makes no 

 limit to the investment as long as there is such 

 stock to buy, and he has money to buy it. It is 

 obvious, that to hie mercantile education and ha- 

 liiis, this course is owinir, and that his large avail- 

 able capital enables him easily to make such in- 

 vestments. But siill, every lurmercould, to very 

 great exient, act according to the same rule ; and 

 there are very few who do not lail even to make 

 theatiem|n. Ask of all these wretched managerg, 

 whose lands we shall pass by in our day's ride, 

 and you will learn that every one is perlectly as- 

 sured that if he could "find lime," or "spare 

 money,"'"' lo ado[)t some particular improvement to 

 sufficient extent, that he could make a large pro- 

 fit, say twenty per cent, and ol'ten much more, 

 uj)on the outlay. And yet all these persons are, 

 in various ways, devoting far greater an)ounls of 

 time or expense to, other labors on their iarms, 

 which do not biitig them 3 per cent, clear profit, 

 if indeed, any. Now the notions of these menaa 

 to the profit of practices, which they say they are 

 not able to adopt, are, in some instances true, and 

 in many others, j/crlvaps, false. Nevertheless, 

 they all fully confide in ihe truih of their several 



opinions, and ought to do as Mr. L would 



doy undertake them v.-iih as much certainty as he 

 would sell out a six per cent, stock, lor the purpose 

 of buyiiiff in another that would yield ten per 

 cent, on the same capital." 



The next fiirm was very diflerentfrom the last, 

 but yet afforded equally strong evidences of coin- 

 Ibrt and a thriving condition. The dwelling house 

 had originally contained one small room and a gar- 

 ret, and this had been added to, at different times, 

 by sheds, and wings, and new apanments, some 

 of which were longer than the original body, so 

 that the whole formed an odd and ludicrous arclii- 

 tectural juiuble. Yet eve:y thing showed the 

 hantl of industry and care,, and that economy was 

 consulted in every arrangeiuent. 



'In this liouse," said C , "a very poor 



man of the name of O ~ , began his nu.rried 



!i"e, and on the surrounding land, his unreniiiting 

 labors for thirty years have been applied. Hi* 

 house and ius clearings, his tamily and hi* naoney. 



