288 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 5 



soil, and could derive no benefit from the neutral- 

 izing power of calcareous manures, which is their 

 most valuableeff'ec.ton worse soils: but no doubt the 

 other properties of those manures would prove 

 highly beneficial here, and on every other soil not 

 already calcareous. 



Twice ploughing the clover lay, produces a bet- 

 ter crop of wheat than once. This is also Mr. 

 C 's opinion: but he ih.'nks the sinirle plough- 

 ing which he adheres to, has more than compen- 

 sating advantages in better securing the fertilizing 

 power of the clover turned in. Certainly, sound 

 theory seems to support this opinion ; and the au- 

 thorhy of Arthur Young, and the practice of good 

 farmers in England, had taught me to expect 

 from the single ploughing, a belter succeeding 

 crop, as well as more fertilization. Young de- 

 nounces ploughing clover lays more than once, on 

 any soil clean and light enough to prepare lor 

 wheat in that manner. 



A singular practice has prevailed here to some 

 extent. From so lew cattle being kejjt, there is 

 always a large surplus of coarse tbod and litter, 

 the only use of which is to be converted to ma- 

 nure: and to aid this object, the iarmers here often 

 receive cattle Irom the neighboring poor lands, 

 and support them free of charge through the win- 

 ter. As a matter of mere economy, I doubt the 

 propriety of this practice — as the Ibod consumed 

 by a cow would have been worth more as manure, 

 than the excrement left from it, after supporting 

 the animal with hs nutritious parts. 



Heard of no lime having been used as manure, 

 between Shirley and Richmond, and only one 

 small experiment with marl, at Curies'. I did not 

 see the spot, nor the stratum ii-om which the ma- 

 nure was taken. Saw a fine body of marl, (which 

 I think is gypseous from appearances) at Evelyn- 

 ton, on the border of Herring Creek, in Charles 

 City. No use has been, or will be made of it by 

 the owner, who however is zealously engaged in 

 hunting for and digging gold ore, inSpottsylvania. 

 He will be a lucky miner if he derives as much 

 profit from his gold, as he loses by neglecting the 

 marl at his place of residence. 



# # # # # ^ # 



York county. — The farm called King's Creek, 

 on York river, and on the creek of the same name, 

 is the finest and most beautilul body of land in this 

 part of the country, under the most execrable ma- 

 nagement. It is 1800 acres : some back land high 

 and poor — but the greater part, on and near the 

 river, is a level sandy loam; deep, rich and neutral 

 soil — part nearest the river bank lughly calcareous, 

 from the quantity ol' oyster shells which have been 

 on the surface before the settlement of the country. 

 We had no means of obtaining any accurate infor- 

 mation as to products — and the miserable cultiva- 

 tion of the fields, and the close grazing, forbade our 

 seeing the full worth of the land. This estate 

 sold a Jew years ago, for ,*(40,000, in 8 yearly pay- 

 ments, without interest. It then had a splendid 

 dwelling home, which has since been burnt. * 



* I should giuiss that this land (excluding the 

 poorer half) would now make 25 bushels of corn, 

 and 12 or 15 of wheat — and much more if put un- 

 der a proper rotation, and decent management. It 

 was supposed that if now sold, tliis place would 

 command ift25,000. At even ^30,000 I should 

 consider this estate very cheaj), if it was not in 

 the oyster country: but ikcrr, where every advan- 



tage of good and cheap living is found — good na- 

 vigation and choice of markets — rich soils, or the 

 best manures ior improving poor ones — a curse 

 seem to tall in every fjody, and scarcely a profita- 

 ble farm, or thriving farmer, can be heard of. 



Belfield, below,is another excellent farm, though 

 inferior greatly to the last. This has 1000 acres, 

 a dwelling iioiise and farm houses of suificient ex- 

 tent, and middling value, and sold tor §8,000. 

 The c|ualiiy and appearance of the land very like 

 King's Creek, though of less value and fertilh}'. 

 Here there is abundance of rich marl, which is 

 used to very good purpose, though not very ex- 

 tensively as yet. The owner is PtIr. R 



M , a lawyer who resides in Williamsburg, 



and gives up the management of his land almost 

 entirely to his overseer. Fortunately he has a 

 good one, (from Charles City,) and this farm seem- 

 ed to me the iiiosl profitable for the investment, 

 not only in present returns, but in the system of im- 

 provement, and future prospects, of all that I view- 

 ed or heard of 



Porto Bcllo, the land of Mr, 13 , and the two 



last mentioned estates, lie on the best waters of 

 York river lor obtaining the finest oysters. V^es- 

 sels are alwa3's waiting (during the season, from 

 September to May) tor loads, to be carried to the 

 north, and a number of boats are engaged every 

 day in catching oysters for their supply. The 

 great quantity opened for the inland market, on 

 the adjacent landings, fijrnish lime that is now 

 used largely to improve the lands j and the "oys- 

 ter crackings" make a still better manure, which 

 had accumulated in large quantity, but has latter- 

 ly been all used. The crackings are the thin parts 

 of the oyster shells, which are broken in opening 

 them, and are small enough to be used without 

 burning, and thus retain all the animal matter 

 which fire destroys. Lime is aUo used by Mr. 

 B , and others between Porto Bello and Wil- 

 liamsburg — and to as much advantage as can be 

 expected on the three-shift and grazing rotation. 

 Saw marl on Mr. B.'s land so easy to apply, that 

 it would be cheaper than buining lime, though the 

 shells were already in heaps on the field. The 

 marl certainly was poor and sandy, and therelbre 

 he had thought it not worth using: but it was so 

 accessible, and well situated, that after once 

 opening a pit properl}', a mule could marl the first 

 30 acres in as many days. 100 to 120 bushels of 

 slaked lime is considered here (as also among the 

 good flirmers on James River) a flill dressing, lor 

 safetj-: but though that opinion is doubtless cor- 

 rect, as to caustic lime, still that quantity cannot 

 give half the calcareous matter the soil usually re- 

 quires, and that 400 bushels of good marl would 

 give. The lime will therefore need renewal — 

 and in comparing the cost of using marl and lime, 

 perhaps the cost of the latter ought to be doubled, 

 to be fairly opposed to marling. 



Heard that R in Gloucester, the seat of 



the late G P is now offered for sale tor 



igiTOOO. It has 700 acres of very good land, 

 and a building which has been the most costly, as 

 well as largest private mansion in Virginia, but is 

 now so much out of repair, that it would be cheap- 

 er to pull it down and build another house out of 

 the materials. 



In Williamsburg, which is half tnu-n, half coun- 

 try, much putrescent manure is collected fioni the 



