ESTIMATES OF IXCOME FROM FARMING IN 

 VIRGINIA. 



To the Editor of the Fanners' Register. 



Sir, — I have for somsiime wished 1o senJ you 

 the Ibllovvinu; communicalion, but a variety olcir- 

 cuiiistances ii;iv8 combined to prevent it. Having 

 leisure to-day, I avail mywelt" of the opportunity. 

 1 am induced to believe, that there are very lew 

 farmers or planters in the habit of keepinir a cor- 

 rect account of the proceeds of their farms, viz : 

 the various credits that ou<;ht to be given at the 

 end of the year. The outgointrs they are obliged 

 to know, b(>cause their accounts must be regularly 

 paid, hut 1 believe the aijjriculturist Irequenfly finds 

 himselt' in arrears. This I know fi-equently haj)- 

 pens, and it is generally ascribed to an unproduc- 

 tive farm, when it is owing entirelv to neglect or 

 extravagance. I have for a length of time enter- 

 tained the opinion, that old farms in Virginia, 

 partly exhausted, and not very judiciously man- 

 aged, were paying from 10 to 12 per cent, and 

 good firms properly cultivated, paying from 15 to 

 20. Some of the credits I shall give in this com- 

 munication, may appear novel ; but I trust, a mo- 

 ments reflection will convince the reader that they 

 are correct, and ought to be allowed. The great 

 mistake or difficulty in Virginia farming, is, that 

 there are man}' unnecessary debts incurred ; many 

 slaves that arc consumers, and of course render 

 little or no service. Such expenditure requires a 

 considerable demand on the products of the agri- 

 culturist, and is not always taken in accounr, or 

 allowed to stand as a credit to the ihrm. If we 

 are disposed to live beyond our income by wasting 

 the profits of our labor, we are the sufferers, and 

 it is certainly correct to credit the farm with all its 

 products. This, however, will not be allowed by 

 those who are looking forward for what they call 

 dear profits. It is mortiiying and extremely dis- 

 couraging, to see our old farms in eastern Virgi- 

 nia, deserted — lands naturally the best in the 

 world abandoned, and the inhabitants daily emi- 

 grating to the far west, in search of wealth or gain. 

 I feel well assured, indeed, I do not hesitate to say, 

 that nothing but a correct system of agriculture is 

 required in eastern Vircjinia, to make us the hap- 

 piest and most independent people upon earth. I 

 am not extravagant, when I say a, well mana(>;ed 

 gullied farm in Vu'ginia, yields at this time, nearly 

 as much profit to the owner, as the rich cotton 

 farms of the south, (the high price of their sta- 

 ple to the contrary notwithstanding.) It woold, 

 at first view, seem slranire, that I should advance 

 such an opinion, but let us make the calculation. 

 In doing this, I will attempt to give a plain state- 

 ment of facts, and will not, in order to prove mv 

 assertion, refer the readers to active, energetic 

 managers, but will refer them to my own manaije- 

 ment, on a worn farm, which has been in hard 

 cultivation for the last sixty years. It is pretty 

 generally known by my friends and neighbors, that 

 I have but little taste for acrricultural pursuits, and 

 although I have a farm, and manage it in my own 

 wav, yet I am no manager ; indeed, I lack enerirv 



Vol. IV-73 



and industry, and acknowledge with shame, that 

 I have been through life, too liind of ease. 



The farm I live on, contains 410 acres, and if 

 brought in market, at this time, would probably 

 sell for ij'>3,000. Most of my slaves are hired an- 

 nually, and I keep only seven employed in the 

 field, which would make five elective hands ; and 

 as Virginia laborers, would sell for $3,500. Horses, 

 oxen, stock, plantation utensils, &c. &c. I put 

 down at .^4,000, making a capital of $7,500 ; the 

 interest of which, amounts to ,^450. 



Let us now see how the credits of the above 

 nirm stands for one year. I have taken the year 

 1835, because the products of 18.36 are not yet 

 ascertained. Here, ! will remark, that I have not 

 taken any account of the number of consumers in 

 iTiy fixmily, or the necessary expenses incurred on 

 the firm. Two-thirds of the slaves are consum- 

 ers, but this is my loss; the farm must be credited 

 with its products, viz : — the increase and every 

 thing made, grown, or manuliictured. The cre- 

 dits are, 



192i bbls. corn, at $5, $962 50 



17.5 bushels wheat, ^t?!, 175 00 



250 bushels oats, at 63 cen-ls, 157 50 



6225 lbs. tobacco, 510 25 



8 thousand weight fodder, at .«:1, 80 00 



Straw, shucks and top-fodder, 60 00 



Flax and cotton, 30 00 



15 bushels sweet potatoes, 15 00 



15 do. . [ri^h do. 15 00 

 Cabbage, beets, parsnips, turnips. 



onions, asparagus, peas, and 



other garden vegetables, 60 00 



16 lambs (dressed,) 30 00 

 16 lamb skins, at 25 cents, 4 00 



4 muttons (dresseii,) at $3. 12 00 



4 mutton skins, at 50 cents, 2 00 

 2800 lbs. pork, at .«!7 50, 210 00 



120 lbs. lard, at 13 cents, 15 60 



8 pigs, at 50 cents, 4 00 



500 lbs. beef, at 6 cents, 30 00 



50 lbs. tallow, (beef and mutton,) 6 25 



2 cow skins, 4 00 



100 lbs. wool, at 50 cents, 50 00 



Apples, pears, cherries, grapes, 



and other orchard fruits, 40 00 



600 water-melons, at 12| cents, 75 00 



100 musk- melons, at 10 cents, 10 00 



5 cart loads puinpkins, 10 00 

 16 dippers, (gourds,) 2 00 

 12 brooms, 1 50^ 



8 gallons honey, at .«1,50, 12 50 



6 lbs. beeswax, at 25 cents, 1 50 

 200 chickens, at 12^ cents, 25 00 



18 turkeys, at 63 cents, 11 34 



15 geese, at 37^ cents, 5 62 



50 doz. egcrs, at 20 cents, 10 00 



15 lbs. feathers, at 34 cents, 5 00 

 Spinning and weaving 200 yards 

 cloth, cutting out and making 



up do. 50 00 

 Making 18 pair coarse shoes, at 34 



cents, 6 00 



