750 



FARMERS' REGISTER— PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. 



FARMING IN VIKGINIA AND NEW YORK. 



Columbia Couniy,N'. Y. 3Iarch 1,IS34 

 * * * I ajiTee with you in opinion, tliat ^'ir- 

 g;inia has as <i,oo:l farmers as any in Ihe world ; 

 atid I am liappy to see, by the nunihcr aiul excel- 

 lence of the communications in the Rei^ister, that 

 the mind, as well as tiie botly, is lirou^ht inlo I'e- 

 quisition by them — for they leach as well as they 

 practice. It is extremely fortunate for all, that an 

 opportunity is now afforded, throuii'h the pages of 

 the Register, to disseminate o[)inions and practices 

 so valuable to the agricultural interests of the 

 south — for, in comparison to the benefits which 

 are to result from tliis free intercourse of intelli- 

 gence and experience, which is of daily, yes, hour- 

 ly api)lication, to nine-tenths of your population, 

 your gold mines are i)iit as the droppings of wheat 

 to the full gathering a rich and abundant harvest. 

 The agricultural is your great interest ; and if, 

 by improvement, you could double tlie amount of 

 produce of your farmers generally, of corn, wheat, 

 cotton, and tobacco, how small would be the in- 

 come of your gold mines, compared to harvests so 

 rich and abundant ! But it is very questionable whe- 

 ther farms of the large size, if young, can as pro- 

 fitably be brought info cultivation as smaller 

 ones: and in one respect, we have an evident ad- 

 vantage over you, in not employing intermediafe 

 persons, (by the name of overseers,) to direct our 

 operations in husbandry. We assume the mot- 

 to, " that the head of the master is worth more 

 than both his hands" — and that there is much 

 truth in the saying of Dr. Franklin, " if you want 

 to have your business done, go — if not, send." 

 The multiplied operations on a farm — particidarly 

 a large one — want constant and watchful supervi- 

 sion ; and there is no one that can so profitably 

 conduct its diversified operations, as the one tiiat 

 is immediately interested in its results. Again, 

 how far it is an advantage to do tlie work on a 

 farm by free labor, is another subject for conside- 

 ration, and to the discussion of w hich, I do not 

 feel myself competent. It has its advantages ; 

 and unquestionably, its disadvantages: but with 

 us, it is a conceded point, that a white man will 

 do more work in a day than a black one. 



QUERY. 



Lenoir County, N. C. 3farch 24. 

 I am afraid the scarceness of lime deposites in 

 this part of the county will be the greatest obsta- 

 cle to its being extensively used. I know of but 

 one rich deposite in this county, and that has al- 

 ready enhanced the value of the land 50 per cent. 

 1 wish some of your numerous correspondents 

 would give a statement, derived from experiment, 

 of the value of marsh umd as a manure. For it 

 that be valuable (and I have no doubt that it is,) 

 we have the most ample resource. 



QUKRY. 



Northampton County, N. C. 3Iarch 29. 

 I should like to see a more detailed account of 

 the horse power and machinery advertised by Par- 

 ker & Smith, by some practical mechanic, or 

 other experienced person — especially as to its ap- 

 plicability to a horse mill — its probable durability 

 and cost, &c. 



LABORS AND RETURNS OF LARGE FARMING, 



I have executed two improvements at ***** 

 *****, since I became the pioprietor, (which is 

 only two or three years,) that I take some pride 

 in, !)ecause they required energy and great labor 

 to accomplish. The first is a farm house, well 

 framed and underpinned, in the shape of an L, 

 piofected or close on the north, and east, open to 

 the south and west, nearly two hundred feet in 

 length, twenty feet in width, and about the same 

 in height, (exclusive of fhe roof, which is covered 

 with the best Juniper shingles,) divided into two 

 stories, by large beams, about ten feet apart ; the 

 weather-boarding, which is of pine, was tarred on 

 the inside, and lap, before it was put up, and on 

 the outside afterwards; which, if repeated once in 

 a few years, makes a very dural^le covering. A 

 thrashing machine is fixed at fhe east end. This 

 house is used in summer to protect the small grain 

 as soon as it can be carted in; and as it is thrash- 

 ed, the straw is returned to fhe second story and 

 roof, by placing rails from one beam to another — 

 and from aliout half way the beams, the rails" go 

 to the floor on the back of the house, so that the 

 cattle (oxen and milch cows,) that occupy the first 

 story, can feed themselves, tlie rails answering the 

 purpose of a rack. There is a farm yard attach- 

 ed to this house, with running wat-er passing 

 through, to which the stock have free access, and 

 therefore can never be neglected in that respect. 

 In addition to having fhe small grain entirely pro- 

 tected from the weather, and shelter afforded the 

 stock, an immense quantity of manure is made. 



The second improvement mentioned, I have 

 been enalded to accomplish, in a great measure, 

 by the first. The imj)roved condition of my oxen 

 has enabled me to enclose the w hole estate, (I sup- 

 |)Ose six or seven miles in extent, being about two 

 thousand acres, and bounded by {)ublic roads, ex- 

 cept a hundred or two yards,) w ith very large 

 chesnut rails, which have been cai'ted five or six 

 miles : they are so large indeed, (and chesnut rails 

 are not valuable unless they are,) that good ox wa- 

 gons and team could only carry twenty five to 

 thirty of them at a load. It is impossible to form 

 a correct estimate of the labor of this undertaking. 

 If enclosures could be disjiensed with, by a diffe- 

 rent ari'angement as to stock, how many acres 

 could have been improved, by the application to 

 that object of the same labor. I shall never have 

 occasion, however, to repeat it, unless the fence is 

 consumed by fire. I have preferred, for this outer 

 enclosure, the old fashioned crooked (or worm) 

 fence. We make better straight cap-fences (as 

 they are called) in this county, than I have ever 

 seen elsewhere; but they suit better for division 

 fences — and unless neatly and properly made, 

 which is a slow operation, they are not de- 

 sirable: whereas, the crooked fence can be taken 

 down and put to rights, by common hands, very 

 rajudly. 



The ])rofits of agriculture are generally consi- 

 dered very small in Virginia. I do not think so. 

 The ***** ***** estate, which was a very large 

 investment, has netted me more than eight per 

 cent, per annum; and I have given no credit for 

 supplies furnished, considering them an offset 

 against my personal services : in addition to which, 

 there is a consideraiile per centage in the increas- 

 ed value of laborers, stock, &c. If a projjcr re- 

 presentation was made, much of our land would. 



