1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



211 



from eight bushels, particularly as applicable to 

 Maryland, has been thus calculated: rent or inter- 

 est of capital, one bushel and a half; once plough- 

 ing and harrowing, one bushel; seed, one bushel; 

 taxes, which are next to nothing, and all other lit- 

 tle expenses, half a bushel; total lour bushels, 

 leaving a profit of four; straw is reckoned to pay 

 all expenses of harvesting and thrashing, which 

 it could not do, were it not in Maryland particular- 

 ly valuable, for hay is there scarce, and all cattle 

 are maintained in winter on straw and grain; but 

 these four bushels cannot be fairly stated as profit; 

 where in a three or four year's rotation, fallow 

 and rubbish pastures intervene, their expenses 

 must be paid for by the maize and wheat. The 

 wheat grown in this district, particularly in Mary- 

 land, though not the heaviest, is thought to make 

 the best flour of any in the United States; the 

 best will weigh G31bs. and there, as in New York, 

 60 lbs. are held to be the average, according to 

 which purchases are made. 



[To be continued.] 



REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTORS 

 OF THE RICHMOND AND FREDERICKSBURG 

 RAIL ROAD. 



The board, at its first meeting, appointed Mon- 

 cure Robinson, Esq., the chief engineer of the 

 company, with instructions to organize his party of 

 assistants, and have the location of the rail road 

 commenced as early as practicable. Both in the 

 location and construction of the road, he was in- 

 formed, that the board desired to proceed as -vi- 

 gorously as practicable, having clue regard to econ- 

 omy and stability of execution. Acting under 

 these general instructions, Mr. Robinson proceed- 

 ed to organize a party of assistants and to execute 

 during the past summer and fall, minute and ex- 

 tensive surveys, preliminary to the selection of any 

 part of the. route. The result of these surveys, 

 has been the location of a line of railway between 

 Richmond and the Mattapony, superior in every 

 respect even to the sanguine anticipations of the 

 board, and the execution of which, will, it is as- 

 certained, be effected at a considerable reduction 

 from the first estimate of the engineer. 



The examinations which the engineer is now 

 making between the Mattapony and Fredericks- 

 burg, will, it is believed, result in improvements in 

 this part of the line, equally important. Should 

 this belief prove well founded, it is confidently an- 

 ticipated that the whole expense of the work to 

 Fredericksburg, including the cost of depots, ware- 

 houses and water-stations, locomotive engines, 

 cars and carriages, will not exceed an ao-greo-ate 

 sum of 650,000 instead of $763,182 21 cents, the 

 first estimate. 



At a meeting of the board on the 2nd of Octo- 

 ber, the engineer was authorised to put under con- 

 tract in December following, such portion of the 

 line as might then be in readiness. The portion 

 then in readiness embraced 27 miles between 

 Richmond and the North-Anna, and was put 

 under contract by the engineer on the 27th of De- 

 cember, agreeably to previous notice. The work 

 was undertaken generally by highly industrious 

 and responsible contractors, at reasonable prices, 

 and has so far been prosecuted by them with great 

 energy. In consequence, however, of the unfa- 

 vorable winter and spring, as much progress has 



not been made towards the completion of their 

 contracts, as it was expected would have been 

 made by this time, and it is feared that the same 

 cause may prevent in some cases a reasonable 

 profit being realized by the contractors. Latterly 

 the work has been prosecuted under more favora- 

 ble circumstances than existed in the winter and 

 spring, and the anticipation of the board, that this 

 first division of the road would be completed by 

 the close of the present year or very early in the 

 next, they feel confident will now be realized. 



The president was authorized at the first meet- 

 ing of the board, to make purchases of real estate 

 in the City of Richmond tor a depot. Under the 

 authority given him, he has purchased lots No. 

 477, 478, and parts of lots No. 496 and 7S9; lot 

 No. 477, being at. the corner of H and Eighth- 

 streets, lot No. 496, next above it, lot No. 478 in 

 its rear, and lot No. 789 next below. By the. act 

 incorporating the company, it was requisite that 

 the point at which the rail road was to terminate 

 within the corporation should be approved by the 

 common council. It appearing to the board most 

 expedient, to conduct the rail road from the Rich- 

 mond Turnpike along H street to a point at or 

 near the intersection of the said street and Eighth 

 street, and lor the present to terminate the same 

 by suitable connections with the contemplated 

 warehouses and workshops of the company on 

 the lots before mentioned, a resolution was adopt- 

 ed on the 22nd of December, 1834, requesting the 

 approbation of the common council to this plan, and 

 on the 23rd of that month the common council ap- 

 proved the proposed location of the road and pre- 

 sent termination of the same,and authorized the pro- 

 secution of the work within the limits of the city 

 on the said location. The warehouses and work- 

 shops have since been put under contract and are 

 now in progress, and no doubt is entertained that 

 they will be ready for use at as early period as will 

 be necessary to meet the construction of the first 

 division of the road before mentioned. 



Arrangements have been made for placing on 

 this portion of the road immediately on its comple- 

 tion the requisite engines and cars for the accom- 

 modation of the trade and travel. So soon also 

 as this portion shall be ready for use, Messrs. Ed- 

 win Porter & Co. have agreed to connect with it 

 their lines of stages and steamboat transportation 

 to and from Washington City, and to deliver and 

 receive passengers and their baggage on and from 

 the cars of the company. As the accomplishment 

 of this portion of the road will reduce the distance 

 to Fredericksburg, now 67 miles, to 59 miles, and 

 the time of travelling it more than one-third, it is 

 obvious that the whole travel through Virginia 

 on the northern and southern mail route must pas3 

 upon the rail road as soon as this first division of 

 it shall be in readiness for use. 



In view of this result the board confidently anti- 

 cipate being enabled to declare a dividend to the 

 stockholders in little more than twelve months 

 from the present time, and before much more than 

 fifty per cent of the stock shall have been paid 

 in. 



At an early meeting of the board Dr. Joseph M. 

 Sheppard one of their body, was requested to make 

 proper arrangements with the owners of such lands 

 on the route as were required for the purpose 

 of the company, and in those cases in which no 

 agreement could be made with the owners, to take 



