22S 



FARMERS' REGISTER— MR. CRAVEN'S REPORT. 



from driving in. I then commence the thatch, which 

 any handy laborer can execute. The process is, 

 to spread a layer of straight rye straw all around the 

 stack, two or three inches thick, and sufficiently lar 

 out to form an eve with the butts out. I then go 

 on to finish the stack or rick, by drawing in, and 

 thatching every two feet, ivith the straw turned 

 head out, after the first layer, and the straw kept 

 aa far out as it will lie on the stack, until brought to 

 a sharp edge on the top, which isfinislied by tying 

 faggots of rye straw, and straddling the toji, which 

 is confined down witli a pole. 



20tli. I always save my own clover seed, prin- 

 cipally by combing with hand combs, Avhen the clo- 

 ver is not too nuich tangled for the combs to work. 

 I have saved the seed this season from the whole 

 of the land, from -which I mowed the one hundred 

 and fifty thousand pounds of liay, and am sure that 

 it cannot be less than filly bushelsj and may be one 

 hundred. 



21st. I consider this question fully answered in 

 my communication to the judges. 



22d. I have never considered my management 

 of my slaves to be correct, having tilways been too 

 much in the habit of scolding, as a substitute for 

 correction; but I have little doubt that I have al- 

 ways got a reasonable quantity of work from them. 

 My first care is to see that they are both well fed 

 and clothed, and although it is greatly to be la- 

 mented, that as they are better treated, they are 

 apt in the same proportion to behave worse, yet I 

 have never felt case or content, when knowing 

 that they were in want of either, and have there- 

 fore provided them with comfortable houses, good 

 clothing, and a plenty of food: this, I consider not 

 only the duty, but the interest of every master. 

 The most difficult part of their management, is the 

 regulation of their discipline in such manner as to 

 ensure their observance of it, without so far cow- 

 ing or discouraging them, as to render them inac- 

 tive in, or indifferent about their labor; for under 

 such circumstances, the master or overseer will find 

 much more difficulty in obtaining from them their 

 due, and necessary portion of labor. I seldom re- 

 quire of my slaves to work in the night, and am 

 careful that they always have labor to perform 

 within doors, in bad weather. It is a great advan- 

 tage to own slaves in ftimilies, in order that the 

 husband and wife may be always together at 

 home. The double consequence is, that they are 

 more comfortable and happy, and nmch more val- 

 uable; and besides of easier management. Un- 

 der conviction of this truth, I have,"by purchase, 

 sale, and exchange, so managed, as to have but 

 two slaves ai home, who are not thus settled with 

 their wives or husbands; and these two, are slaves 

 which I have lately acquired, viz: only two years 

 since. 



I now submit to the committee, a detail of the 

 nett proceeds of my farm from the crops of the 

 two last years, viz., "1827 and 1828; the crop of the 

 latter not having been sold, though the crop of 

 wheat is all delivered at the mill. My crop of 

 1827, was as follows: — One thousand eight hun- 

 dred and seventy bushels of Lawler and Mexican 

 wheat, which brought me in Richmond, in flour, 

 five dollars per barrel; say, three hundred and 

 thirty-nine barrels at five dollars, delivered by my 

 own hands, and thirty tons of plaster brought in 

 return loads. - - - ^1,695 



My crop of tobacco sold for 



I hauled fi-om this farm this year, about 

 five hundred loads of wood, with the 

 teams and hands which made the crops 

 at one dollar and fitly cents per load. - 



To this, mny be added, oats sold, - 

 Bacon and pork sold, 

 Six hundred pounds of butter at Is. 

 Ten veals, sold at five dollars each. 



750 



^3,175 



^120 



120 



lOO 



50 



^390 



JOHIf H. CRAVEX, 



Connnunication to the Judges referred to, in the 

 preceding jinswers. 



The undersigned, reports to the judges appoint- 

 ed by the Agricultural Society of Albemarle, to 

 examine and report on the farms ofl'ered lor pre- 

 mium, that he had been in possession of that part 

 of the farm offered for the premium, known as Pen 

 Park, eleven years; and of that pait lying on the 

 east side of the river and called Frazdvlin, eight 

 years. The first, or Pen Park, had been entirely 

 exhausted lor many years. As evidence of this 

 fact, it was leased to a friend of mine in 1803, with 

 several hands, for less than the hands would have 

 hired for without the farm; and such was its ex- 

 treme poverty at that lime, that, although the les- 

 see cultivated only the best parts of it, he was ne- 

 ver able, although an industrious, managing Dutch- 

 man antl a good farmer of the day, to raise more 

 than three bushels of wheat to the acre. So Avell 

 known was the character of the farm for poverty, 

 that, although the mansion house was much better 

 than is usual on lands offered either for sale or lease; 

 yet, for several years neither purchaser or tenant 

 could be found, and for some time, it lay out as a 

 common. The recollection of some of you, gen- 

 tlemen who have known the farm as long, or longer 

 than I have, might supersede the necessity of 

 further particulars on this subject. I will however, 

 mention a conversation that occurred very soon 

 afler I made the purchase, between mysell'and one 

 of my neighbors, who had been partly raised on 

 thefarm, and himself a judicious manager. "Well, 

 I am told you have purchased the Park." "I 

 have." "Do you ever expect to make a farm of 

 it?" "I am going to tiy." "If you ever do, I will 

 agree that I am no judge of land. It is impossible. 

 I admit there is a part of it that you may improve, 

 but there is a great part of the land, that has no 

 foundation, was always poor, and can never be 

 made rich." A gentleman who had lived on the 

 farm more than thirty years ago, on seeing it last 

 summer, remarked to me "Sir, you have not im- 

 proved this farm — you hav^e created it." 



I will here mention to the committee that I never 

 have had funds in hand. I have not only gone in 

 debt for the land, but have had to get hands and 

 stock from the proceeds of the land; which circum- 

 stance has certainly prevented me from improving 

 as fast as I otherwise should have done. 



When I purchased this fiirni there was only a 



temporary fence around the open land, and nothing 



like a rail or cross fence upon any other part of it. 



A barn standing upon eight tottering blocks, the 



730 i hull of a large house, without either glass, plaster- 



