284 



FARMERS' REGISTER— PRODUCTJ^ OF LOWER VIRGINIA. 



coach, is as barren as an African desert. Add to 

 this the fact that the puljlic roads are very gene- 

 rally made throut;'h the poorest parts of our coun- 

 try, along- the ridges that form liie back-bonos of 

 the peninsulas, into which it is divided by tlie ri- 

 A-ers, andtlie mistakes of travellers are readily ex- 

 plained. Even in the richest portions of our coun- 

 try, where tlie sand is abundant, every particle of 

 soil is removed from the beaten tracks of the roads, 

 and carried off in dust, or washed away by show- 

 ers. It is a great blunder to suppose that sandy 

 lands are necessarily poor. Except some few fcrms 

 on the low grounds of the James and Rappahan- 

 nock rivers, I doubt if there is one acre of fertile 

 land in the whole tidewater region that is not es- 

 sentially sandy. And strange as tlse statement may 

 appear to one unacquainted with it, it is neverthe- 

 less true, that in all our lands, except those lliat 

 are recently alluvial, sand is absolutely necessary 

 to give them value. Let me explain : Experiments 

 have been fairly made, and they fully prove that 

 no land on tidewater will bear cultivation frequent- 

 ly without its presence. It is usual in the clay 

 soils of upper Virginia, to divide a farm into four, 

 five, or six fields, and to cultivate them then in ro- 

 tation ; using them, Avhen fallow, for pastures, and 

 if sufiiciently fertile, for cutting grass. But a very 

 sandy piece of land may be cultivated every year 

 in a substantial crop; and, if well managed, im- 

 prove by the system. I will speak of this pre- 

 sently. 



Mr. Gilmerandtheauthoroftlie" Prize Essay," 

 are cited to sustain the correctness of the views of 

 the author of the General Description. What op- 

 portunities the gentleman first named may have 

 had for a personal examination, I have not learned. 

 My present means of reference do not allow me 

 even to see the work in which his essay is incor- 

 porated. But if he has never seen the country, or 

 has .seen it on the stage roads only, his authority as 

 a witness is worth nothing. To the authority of 

 the other, perhaps my objection is almost as strong. 

 I am aware that he resides within the region he 

 proposes to describe. But let it be borne in mind, 

 that his is the poorest part of it, in the vicinity of 

 the line that divides it from the middle section — 

 where nature seems, by way of offset to the great 

 commercial advantages bestowed on the region of 

 the falls, to have inflicted her direst sterility. Im- 

 mediately below and above these (except in the 

 narrow strijis of river low grounds,) the earth ap- 



gears to me almost incapable of im{)rovenient. 

 t.ichmond itself stands on a range of hills that can- 

 not be fertilized. Those w ho possess lands about 

 it that are worth cultivation, have carried the soil 

 from other places and spread it on tlie surface. That 

 the description given by this gentleman of the 

 country which he inhabits is true, I shall not there- 

 fore question ; but I object to his making that a ge- 

 neral description of lower Virginia, which is true 

 of a very small portion only. 



Some questions are asked by "J. E. H." and I 

 have no disposition to evade them : " Why is it 

 that the stream of emigration has flowed so un- 

 ceasingly from that quarter (tidewater,) to other 

 regions.'' — that the march of its population is in a 

 declining ratio when compared with other districts 

 of the State.''" The answer to these is obvious. — 

 The cheapness of rich land in the West and South 

 has carried off the population. This might suffice : 

 but another cause, one of a moral character, has 



been equally efficient. Slaves form the laboring 

 population of the country ; and the farmer who for 

 the want of them, cultivates his land with his own 

 iiands, feels that his occupation is degrading. He 

 removes, therefore, to a part of the world where he 

 may labor without subjecting himself to mortifi- 

 cation. This species of pride has banished a large 

 portion of those who have emigrated. 



That the proprietors of rich river margins some- 

 times complain, is undoubtedly true. But I have 

 never known that they complain more- than other 

 people. The merchants complain of dullness in 

 business — the lawyers of the scarcity of suits — the 

 physicians of the healthiness of a season — and the 

 undertakers and grave diggers of the paucity of 

 deaths. The farmers that I have known are gen- 

 erally dissatisfied with the weather, and sometimes 

 Avitb the overseers ; but I have rarely known one 

 to acknowledge that his farm was unproductive. 

 And when sucha complaint is made, I always sus- 

 pect that the farmer is more in fault than his farm. 

 The truth is, that the inhabitants of lower Virginia 

 are the most extravagant people in their habits that 

 are any where to be found. Their revenues, even 

 with the careless management that almost every 

 where prevails in this region, would be very suffi- 

 cient for more moderate wants. A reform in this 

 particular is more wanted than in any other. 



It is to be regretted that no means of ascertain- 

 ing our exports exist. Not an article of produce 

 winch the farmers of tidewater carry to market, is 

 subjected to any inspection by Avhich its quantity 

 is recorded. I have no disposition to hazard any 

 conjecture on the subject. But so far as my know- 

 ledge is certain, as depending on facts that are no- 

 torious, I will venture to give it. This will suf- 

 fice for my purpose. 



Indian corn may be considered our principal 

 crop, because it is a large one in almost every por- 

 tion of our country. Virginia corn is known in 

 every market from Newport to Savannah, and in 

 the West Indies, Buenos Ayres and Madeira; be- 

 sides a considerable quantity that is carried to the 

 upper country to supply the deficiency on the wheat 

 and tobacco farms. How much the last item 

 amounts to cannot be ascertained. On the James 

 River Canal alone, 17,115 bushels passed up in 

 1832.* With the exception, perhaps, of a small 

 portion of country above the falls of Roanoke, eve- 

 ry bushel that leaves Virginia is made on tidewa- 

 ter. " Virginia wheat," too, invariably forms an 

 item in the prices current of Baltimore and New 

 York. Every bushel of it is produced on tide- 

 wafer. That which is raised above the falls, and 

 a large quantity from below, are converted into 

 flour, and pass the inspections established in the 

 different towns. Oats also are carried in very large 

 quantifies to Richmond and the northern cities, 

 where they are quoted as " Southern oats." These 

 are the principal crops. In addition to them may 

 be mentioned some that are less important, from 

 which consideralile revenues are derived by those 

 who cultivate them. Cotton, castor oil, beans, 

 peach brandy, j)eas and sweet potatoes, are produ- 

 ced in gieat abundance in some limited districts, 

 chiefly for the northern markets. 



* Taken from the books of the toll keeper. It is pro- 

 per to state, that tlie article " corn," includes meal, 

 shorts and bran. The two last, however, form a very 

 small portion of the aggregate quantity. 



