FARMERS' REGISTER— GENERAL SYSTEM OF CULTIVATION, &o. 17 



For the Farmers' Register. 



MEMORANDA 



Of tlic general system of cultivation and lni= 

 Xjroveinent practised by 



Fielding Lewis, Esq. of Wyanoke. 



Reports of tlie practices and opinions of expe- 

 rienced and sii.ccessful farmers, however incom- 

 plete, or limited in their plan, are generally, inter- 

 esting and histnictive to those who have still to 

 contend with similar difficulties, and are able to 

 make use of similar means for the improvement 

 of their lands. Independent of these general con- 

 siderations, there are other circumstances peculiar 

 to the farm of Mr. Lewis, v/liich may cause a re- 

 port of its management to be more satisfactory 

 than might be piesented elsewliere, even though 

 equal intelligence and industry had been exerci- 

 sed, and equal or greater improvements made. 

 Under these impressions, I offer the following 

 memoranda of a visit recently made to Wyanoke, 

 (April the 19th, 1833,) the time of which was dili- 

 gently employed in viewing the farm, and inaking 

 inquiries, tlie answers to which will be here pre- 

 sented. The general appearance of the land Mill 

 be described as it struck upon the first view of a 

 stranger : but the details of practice, or opinions, 

 will be given as furnished by Mr. L. aided (when 

 he found it necessary) by reference to tlie diary of 

 his operations. 



The lower part of Wyanoke, belonging to Mr. 

 Lewis, is situated on the north side of James Ri- 

 ver, in Charles City County. The whole farm 

 (exclusive of 150 acres of land outside of the en- 

 closure, principally low marsh,) consi.*^ts of 600 

 acresof land, almost entirely arable. It is a low 

 peninsula, surrounded by the river and a small 

 creek, except on one side, Avhere a straight land line 

 forms a boundary. The whole peninsula, though 

 nearly level throughout, is no where entirely so : 

 but has a gently undulating surface, which serves 

 to keep the soil abundantly dry, without there be- 

 ing any where enough declivity to be objectiona- 

 ble. The whole of the arable land was cleared 

 iong ago; and as its natural boundaries forbid an 

 alteration of the extent of the farm, the quantity of 

 land subjected to tillage has not varied in half a 

 century. For this reason, the rate of improve- 

 ment may be here estimated with a degree of pre- 

 cision that is rarely attainable on other farms, 

 where new clearings or other circumstances have 

 frequently served to alter the extent of land culti- 

 vated. AVyanoke is altogether of that class of 

 low lands which are found at intervals along the 

 tide water of James River — which seem to have 

 been formed by the alluvion of the river, but 

 which formation could not have taken place, un- 

 less the water had then both a volume and rapidi- 

 ty very far exceeding what now exist, and a long 

 continued elevation withal, 20 feet higher than has 

 ever been known. Such an origin, apparently, 

 had the fine lands of Curie's Neck, Shirley, Berk- 

 ley, Westover, Flower de Hundred, Brandon and 

 Sandy Point, and various other tracts, which, not- 

 withstanding all the existing diversities of soil, and 

 of elevation, maintain a general resemblance. 

 Wyanoke stretches out so as to form an angle in 

 the course of the river ; and the many depressions 

 in the land extend througli from west to east, and 

 nearly parallel to each other, seemingly as if the 

 Vol. I.— 3. 



river had passed over in its direct course, forming 

 the land by its sediment, and leaving in these de- 

 pressions the channels or traces ofthe strongest cur- 

 rents. The upper or western side of the land is 

 the highest, and the elevation gradually increases 

 through the adjoining land (Dr. Minge's) which 

 is of the same apparent formation and general 

 character. But contrary to what might be expect- 

 ed from such natural causes, the upper and most 

 elevated lands are the most argillaceous, and the 

 eastern and lowest extremity ofthe peninsula, is a 

 silicious sand, of which the particles of course are 

 much heavier. This lower extremity has but a 

 fijw feet of elevation above the highest tides ; and 

 the depressions are there low enough to be often 

 covered by the tides, unless where protected by 

 short dykes. The few and narrow strips thus in- 

 jured or lost, form the only unproductive or waste 

 land within the mass of arable. The western end, 

 which is generally tlie highest, may be called a 

 good loam of medium texture, equally removed 

 from adhesiveness and looseness. The lowest and 

 some other parts are very sandy and loose in tex- 

 ture, and the great body of land is of different 

 grades between these two extremes. In its im- 

 poverished state, and when under tillage, a great 

 part of the farm in dry weather might suffer inju- 

 ry from the force of high winds. 



The general fertility and peculiar value of the 

 low lands referred to above, are well known. Low- 

 er Wyanoke seems to differ from all in being more 

 sandy, and until improved, was also much jX)orer, 

 than the greater part of those lands. Enough still 

 remains unimproved to indicate the general quality 

 of nearly all the farm in 1794, when Mr. Lewis be- 

 came its owner, and perhaps long after. A consi- 

 derable space, which has never yet been limed 

 now appears even more unproductive tlian Mr. 

 L. estimates its probable yield ; viz : 15 bushels of 

 corn, or 8 of rye. Such poor land he finds more 

 profitable in rye or oats, and therefore does not 

 sow in wheat ; but supposes it might bring 5 or 6 

 bushels to the acre. The natural growUi now on 

 it is very meager, and throughout is in part formed 

 of sheep sorrel and heii's nest grass. This piece 

 is very level, and has well improved ground lying 

 along side. It is rather more sandy than the ave- 

 rage of the fiirm. Except for the reddish brown 

 colour of this and the other unimproved land, there 

 is no perceptible indication of its having been rich 

 in a state of nature, which Mr. L. supposes was 

 the case with the whole of Wyanoke, though all 

 was impoverished before he first knew the farm. 

 All the spots that have not been limed (and they 

 are in various places) show a considerable growth 

 of sorrel — and it appears in smaller quantity even 

 in many places that have been limed, tlius prov- 

 ing sufficiently the original suitableness of the soil 

 to that weed. The reddish brown color belongs 

 to all the land, being the darker where most im- 

 proved. The subsoil is not very different from 

 the soil, but is more sandy. No clay any where.* 



* Two samples of soil were selected to ascertain by- 

 subsequent examination the actual pi-oponions of sili- 

 cious sand contained. The land from which one sam- 

 ple was taken was considered by Mr. L. to be of me- 

 dium texture, compared with the whole farm — had 

 l)ccn limed at his usual rate some years before, as well 

 as manured, and now supposed to be capable of yielding 

 32 or 33 bushels of corn, and aftei"vvards, 14 or 15 bush- 



