1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



237 



disadvantages of remote residence, but also under 

 those caused by his prejudices against the facili- 

 ties offered by our cheapest and best labor. 



Mr. Kenrick is altogether mistaken as to slave- 

 ry being the cause of the admitted agricultural de- 

 gradation of the fine region near Portsmouth and 

 Norfolk, and, in a less degree, that of lower Vir- 

 ginia generally. The holding of slaves doubtless 

 in some manure helps to produce the general re- 

 sult, just as the facilities ibr comfort, ease, and rich 

 products of land and labor, so abundantly ofiered 

 to our countrymen by other circumstances, all tend 

 to lessen exertion, and to make us indolent and 

 careless. This is but according to the nature of 

 man ; and if there were not a slave in Virginia, 

 there would still be so much more ease in acquir- 

 ing the bare necessaries of life (and, on the sea- 

 board, many of its luxuries also,) that our people 

 would, in labor and frugality, still be fiir behind the 

 crowded people of Massachusetts, who, on a rocky 

 and barren soil, and under a rigorous climate, must 

 both toil and save incessantly — or starve. It is be- 

 cause necessity does not drive, that perhaps on no 

 one farm in Virginiais there so much economy of 

 means, and of expenditure, as is general in the 

 north. But in other respects, there is as well plan- 

 ned, and as skilfully executed agricultural practice, 

 and ahoge\her far better farming, in Virginia, than 

 in Massachusetts. It is true that good farming is 

 rare here ; and so it is elsewhere. But it will 

 surprise Mr. Kenrick to be informed that our best 

 farming in lower and middle Virginia is always 

 to be found in connection with, and absolutely de- 

 pendent on, the most complete establishment and 

 entire use of slave labor. We could name many 

 farms in Virginia, of which the skilful and excel- 

 lent cultivation, the system of improvement, and 

 the general management, could not be deemed 

 otherwise than admirable, even to a New Eng- 

 lander the most intolerant of and prejudiced against 

 slavery; and we may add, though not bearing on 

 our proposition, that these are generally the places 

 where the comforts of the slaves are best cared 

 for, and their condition is better than that of ninety- 

 nine-hundredths of the free laborers throughout all 

 other parts of the world. It may be true, on each 

 one of these our very best cultivated and best 

 managed farms, that a Yankee might pick up a 

 comfortable income, and means for maintenance, 

 in the matters regularly and continually wasted, 

 and totally lost. But it may also be said, that 

 without the cultivation and returns being very 

 good, and there being much profit actually made, 

 so much waste and loss could not be afforded. 

 Even with all our admitted fiiults of system, and 

 of execution, we feel assured, fi'om such informa- 

 tion as we have, that there are many farmers in 



Virginia who deserve to rank in their profession 

 at least as high, if not higher, than the best in 

 New England. Still, v;e yield the palm, and 

 freely award the praise, to these our northern 

 brethren, of greater economy in every thing, com- 

 prehending better habits of labor, and of frugali- 

 ty. But this latter difference, and superiority on 

 their part, are owing to the difference ofother cir- 

 cumstances — the greater pressure of necessity in 

 the one case than the other, and not to the exis- 

 tence or absence of slavery. Nor do we mean to 

 under-rate these highly valuable elements of agri- 

 cultural success. On the contrary, we have con- 

 tinually admitted and applauded the superior me- 

 rits of our northern countrymen in these respects, 

 and recommended their example to be better fol- 

 lowed liere. 



There are m.any circumstances which have con- 

 curred to depress the agriculture of Virginia, 

 which we will not here stop to rehearse; and there 

 is no part of the state where agricultural skill and 

 products are lower, compared to the great natural 

 advantages of the lands, than in the region in 

 which Mr. Kenrick is now cultivating, and to 

 which lie more especially refers, in these respects. 

 And if a number of his more industrious and fru- 

 gal countrymen will come among us, and avail of 

 the advantages which ours' so much neglect, we 

 are confident that, eitlier with the benefit, (or in- 

 cumbrance, if so considered,) of slaves, or with- 

 out, that they can even now make far greater ag- 

 ricultural profits than any where in New England. 



If the capabilities of an agricultural region are 

 to be estimated by its loorst instead of its best 

 practices, we might, perhaps, find even in Mas- 

 sachusetts, subjects for condemnation as great as 

 any in Virginia; and grounds on which to pro- 

 nounce the northern people as deficient as any 

 elsewhere, in system, m judgment, and even in 

 their peculiar and acknowledged merits of provi- 

 dent foresight and economy. We will quote, 

 Ibr example, a passage copied fi'om the Survey of 

 Berkshire by the Agricultural Commissioner of 

 Massachusetts, which has just been published, 

 and from which excellent report we shall copy 

 sundry items of good husbandry, with much more 

 gratification than we thus present defects for com- 

 parison and illustration. 



"Yet with all this it must be admitted that the 

 agriculture of the county in extent and productive- 

 ness is far below what it should be. As well as I 

 could learn, E<rremont is almost the only town in 

 the county, which raises not only its own bread, 

 but has some for exportation. Vast amounts of 

 flour, grain of various kinds, pork and dairy pro- 

 duce are brought into the county from the neigh- 

 boring states of New York and Vermont. It 

 was asserted as a fact, and if so, it deserves no- 

 tice, that two years since some families in one of 

 the best towns" in the county were without bread 

 of any kind for a time, from die impossibility of 

 obtaining if. They were persons Ibr example 



