190 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



No. 3 



size and distance; though doubtless those who 

 are accustomed to the phenomenon, learn to judge 

 much better than strangers, and therefore cannot 

 be so much deceived. The cause oi" the decep- 

 tion is the pecuhar state of the atmosphere, which 

 makes a near object appear to be very distant; 

 and as the angle, from the eye of the observer 

 formed by hnes to the opposite outlines of the ob- 

 ject, continues to be determined by its true distance, 

 the supposed size is just what the extension of those 

 lines would inclose, when at the supposed great 

 distance of the object. As we rode along, ano- 

 ther equally large and equally deceptions object 

 came in view. It was nothing larger than a 

 "blind," made for baiting and shooting wild-ducks. 



The roads in Matthews are the best in the 

 world. This is owing to the almost perfect level 

 of the surface, the absence of all streams, or other 

 water, and to the firm, yet sufficiently open tex- 

 ture of the soil. Every road has good ditches on 

 each side, which serve not only to prevent water 

 affecting it, but also furnish earth to raise slightly 

 the middle of the road. 



The whole county of Matthews is so well fur- 

 nished with tide- water rivers, and inlets, that it is 

 believed that not a farmer in the county is more 

 than three miles from navigable water, and most 

 of them not one mile. Yet with all this, the coun- 

 ty is remarkably exempt fi'om the bilious diseases 

 wiiich are supposed to belong to the low country, 

 and especially to the low borders of tide-water. 

 The explanation is found in this fact — and it would 

 be worth tnillions of property, and thousands of 

 lives, to the country in general, if properly applied 

 — that there is not one mill-pond in the county. 

 One pond-mill only is on the dividing line between 

 Gloucester and Matthews, which, as usual, se- 

 cures its annual snug little harvest of disease and 

 death : but beyond its influence, there exists that 

 state ol" health, and its accompaniments of physi- 

 cal power, energy, and capacity lor enjoyment, so 

 as to prove clearly to any reasonable and thinking 

 people, that not one mill-pond (of the usual varia" 

 ble height of water,) should be suffered to remain 

 in all the lower and miildle parts of Virginia. But 

 the subject is too copious to treat heVe, and too 

 UTiportant to be neglected ; and therelbre I will 

 present these facts and my commentary thereon 

 at another time. I will merely observe here that 

 the uncommon exemption from autumnal diseases 

 which are the iruit of malaria, on the low-grounds 

 of Gloucester, in which respect that region comes 

 next to Matthews, and li-om mill-ponds, the 

 sources of these diseases, is a blessinir which 

 alone gives value to their fertile soil, productive 

 and convenient waters, and refined and delightful 

 society. Tide-mills and wind-mills are used in 

 Matthews ; and also, but to a less extent, in Glou- 

 cester ; as most of the low-ground proprietors 

 there are also not far distant from some pond-mill 

 on the highlands, of which the owner risks poison- 

 ing his own family, and certainly brings disease 

 or death to some of his neighbors, to gain a few 

 hundred bushels of toll-corn, and that at an ex- 

 pense often exceeding its value. However, I can- 

 not blame mill-owners for availing of the profit 

 conferred on them by law, by infecting and killing 

 their neighbors, (when it is indeed a profit,)— no? 

 would I propose, as a general measure, to deprive 

 them of any such existing advantage, except for 

 full pecuniary, or other sufficient compensation, to 



be made in return. But I do blame the legisla- 

 tive bod}', which permits the continuance and in- 

 crease of these enormous and wide-spread evils— 

 and also the blind and besotted carelessness and 

 contentment of the people, who suffer the heaviest 

 of these infiiciions, and who will neither learn the 

 cause, nor seek for a remed}'. To this subject I 

 will return — and again and again, while there re- 

 mains any hope of awakening proper action. 



From each ol" the rivers of Gloucester, there is 

 a vessel which runs every week, to and from 

 Norfolk; and there is one also which goes as regu- 

 larly to and from Baltimore. These packets be- 

 long to a number of the farmers of the neiglibor- 

 hood, and are intended, and effect the object, ta 

 carry their products to market, and bring back 

 their purchased conimodities, in the most conve- 

 nient and cheap manner. The captain of the 

 vessel is not only the carrier of the articles, but 

 the general agent and salesman of all the shippers: 

 and in this manner the trouble and expense of a 

 Gloucester farmer, in sending any surplus products 

 to market, are not as great as if he lived only a 

 mile or two from the town to which they are sent. 

 This is another great source of convenience and 

 profit to this region so favored in its position; and 

 conduces to the economizing and selling of many 

 small surplus products, which would otherwise be 

 wasted. 



The productive value of the land in the Glou- 

 cester low-grounds, and there being almost none 

 which is not fit for tillage, when cleared and 

 drained, have caused clearings to be very general; 

 and the scarcity of wood, both for fijel and fencing, 

 is one of the greatest inconveniences suffered by 

 the farmers. Pit-coal is already in regular use 

 as fuel in some houses on North river. For 

 fencing, chestnut, which fortunately was a plenti- 

 fiil growth of the high-lands, has been recently 

 the main reliance for the low-ground farms, even 

 at 7 or 8 miles distance by land-carriage, and the 

 timber [lurchased at a high price. As rails of this 

 timber are almost secure from rotting, when not 

 in contact with the earth, these costly fences 

 are still cheap improvements. But the chestnut 

 timber is now vary scarce, and can no longer be 

 counted on as a sufficient source of supply. Ditch- 

 es and banks, for which the land is so admirably 

 adapted, will probably hereafter be made to serve 

 for inclosures; and in aid of this important oliject, 

 deep and wide ditches will have an important va- 

 lue, in addition to the several others already men- 

 tioned. 



All the low-ground farmers are now sufl"ering 

 greatly by the depredations of cut-worms and 

 bud-worms, or wire-worms, on the young corn. 

 Some have been compelled to plough up, and 

 plant again, many acres of their fields ; and the 

 land not so treated, in many cases, requires to 

 have two-thirds of the places replanted; and the 

 loss, to the future product, as well as in present 

 labor, is enormous, this spring, throughout the 

 low-grounds. The great number of these worms, 

 I'should have supposed, might be sufficiently ac- 

 counted ihr in the usual practice of breaking up 

 the land for corn, late in winter, or in spring. On 

 clover-sod, especially, so treated, elsewhere, great 

 injury from worms would be counted on. But 

 here, there must be some other cause still more 

 favoring their depredations ; as I was told of parts 

 of fields having been ploughed very early in win- 



