390 



FARMERS' REGISTER— MOUNTAIN REGION OF VIRGINIA. 



day and a half, and withal was not used to work- 

 ing in the sun: he probably used the molasses too 

 feely. I am induced therefore to believe that ex- 

 perience so far justifies this change, and would, 

 whh deference, recommend it to others, especially 

 as it was rather common tor our mowers to com- 

 plain and " lay up" about the winding up, or very 

 soon alter harvest, when we used spirits. 



c. 

 Hanover, Sept. 16, 1834. 



P. S. I have been told that many of the hogs 

 in this neighborhood have died in the course of the 

 summer — those who turned their hogs out have 

 probably suffered most; one of my neighbors who 

 did so has lost about half her stock. 



THE MOUNTAIIV REGION OF VIRGIIVIA. 



Fairfax Countij, Oct. \st, 1834. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



I have lately returned from visiting some of the 

 waterino- places over the mountains, and as I am 

 watchful of every thing in which the great interest 

 of agriculture is concerned, I will give you and 

 your readers a short sketch of what 1 could see 

 from mv carriage window. I saw nothing worthy 

 of notice until I reached the farm of Charles Cal- 

 vert Stewart, Esq. This is situated in the red 

 sandstone district, the most improved and improva- 

 ble part of Fairfax county. The harvested crops ap- 

 peared to be abundant — the crop of com, then in 

 full shoot and silk, was strikingly so. Fourteen 

 miles farther on we entered the hills, or mountain 

 country. I wish sir, I had descriptive powers to 

 give you a "bird's eye" view of this delightful 

 country, which is surely destined to be the pride 

 and boast of Virginia. Broken down in health 

 and vision, in the fulness of my heart, imagina- 

 tion mingled in the vegetable and animal joy 

 around me. Pleasant are thy high places, and 

 green thy mountains, O Virginia. And yet sir, 

 40 years ago this very land was a heavy article at 

 20 shillings per acre. Broken, and gullied, it 

 seemed the home of misery: and now from the use 

 of good ploughs, clover, and plaster, it is the hom.e 

 of plenty. Hundreds of fat cattle bellow around 

 the hills. May I ask why this whole land cannot 

 do the same? Will the good people of Virginia 

 shrink irom that duty which makes them rich, and 

 their State respectable? We know that they 

 would readily meet and make a president for this 

 whole union— yet I much doubt if they would 

 meet and say that the law should protect every 

 man and his property — I mean, sir, his land. As 

 for the horse he requires no five loot fence "so 

 close and strong that the tresspasser cannot creep 

 through" and as for monej', or old clothes, they 

 have no need of a strong five foot chest — it is poor 

 mother earth that must be persecuted, defaced and 

 desolated. When the "blast of war" is blown to 

 what description ol' property do we look to support 

 it? Mainly, sir, to this very unprotected outlawed 

 land. 



Upon passing the mountain you reach a coun- 

 try created out of very different materials and evi- 

 dently for a different ])urpose. It is limestone base, 

 with sometimes a thick and then a thin covering. 

 No better land could be found for the i^roductionof 

 small grain. The cultivators evidently depend 

 upon the known powers of their land, and tax it 



extravagantly. This practice will be corrected by 

 the division of propert}^ To speak generally, 

 this Valley is unskilfully cultivated — yet I otlen 

 heard of %Q0 per acre for land. The drought has 

 been very severe and the crop of corn with some 

 exceptions bad. A Chinese mandarin with full 

 poioers would soon make the land of this Valley 

 worth ^'100 per acre. 



JEREMIAH. 



For the Fanners' Register. 

 AN IMPROVED BIETHOD OF SEEDING BEDDED 

 LAND IN AVHEAT. 



Instead of sowing (as is usual) a single bed at 

 once, sow from the centre of one bed to the centre 

 of the other, by which means you will have your 

 wheat thickest on the top of your bed — whereas 

 by the old plan it is almost always thickest in the 

 water furroAv, where it is sure to be lost if the land 

 is low and wet. t. g. b. 



From the Southern Rehgious Telegraph. 

 HAMPDEN SYDNEY COLLEGE. 



The commencement at this Institution took 

 place on the 24th September last. The order of 

 exercises was as follows. 



I. An. Oration — On the advantage or pleasures 

 of reflection — Goodridge jl. IVilson, Prince Ed- 

 Avard. 



II. jin Oration — On the importance of variety 

 of knowledge, with some incentives to literary ex- 

 ertion. — John T. Harris, Cumberland. 



III. An Oration — On some of the peculiar 

 traits in American history. — Anthony Thornton, 

 Cumberland. 



IV. The Cliosophic Oration — Milton and By- 

 ron — their comparative excellencies. — Francis B. 

 ff'atkins, Goochland. 



V. An Oration — On the importance of ascer- 

 taining the proper limits of the human mind and 

 the objects to which it should be directed. — Henry 

 E. Madison, Prince Edward. 



VI. The Philosophical Oration — Progress and 

 prospects of society. — Robert B. White, Winches- 

 ter. 



VII. Master^s Oration — Alexander Scott. 



VIII. Master's Or atioiv— Thomas, S. Flour- 

 noy. 



IX. Degrees conferred. 



X. An Oration — On the duty of American 

 scholars as citizens of the republic — with the vale- 

 dictory addresses. — James H. Morrison, Lunen- 

 burg. 



The degree of Bachelor of Arts was conferred 

 on John T. Harris, H. E. Madison, Jas. H. Mor- 

 rison, Anthony Thornton, Francis B. Watkins, 

 R. B. White, and G. A. Wilson. 



On Thursday the 25th, the Institute of Educa- 

 tion held its second anniversary meeting, when it 

 was addressed in a highly interesting and able 

 manner by James M. Garnett, Esq. of Essex, on 

 the advantages of Literary Associations. 



Form the Louisiana Register. 

 CORN. 



J)Ir. Editor: — As the season is now approach- 

 ing when farmers will commence gatherino; corn 

 ! crops, I deem it my duly, (as a farmer,) to inform 

 ! them, through the medium of your paper, how to 



