102 On Virginia Husbandry, 



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rarely sold, but distributed among my overseers, and 

 people: that which comes to my own table is stalled for 

 a few months, and fed with corn-fodder, (corn blades 

 and tops,) clover and vegetables. We have but few in- 

 stances of the hollow horn here, though immediately on 

 the south side of Rappahannock, there is a distemper the 

 nature and origin of which is not yet known, and proves 

 very fatal to cattle. On my plantations generally, I work 

 horses, oxen and mules ; the latter, which I greatly pre- 

 fer, are by far the most numerous, the oxen that are 

 used for heavy burthens, are worked with a common 

 voke and bow ; the few that plough work in a collar, 

 and are geared some what like horses. — I do not drill 

 my grain, but generally cover it with the plough, fol- 

 lowed by the hand hoe, to make a finish ; it is generally 

 put in, in September amongst the corn as it stands on 

 the field. I fallow my land in the fall. When I plant my 

 corn in the spring, I plough deep or shallow, though I 

 prefer the former, according to the soil. — ^ Orchards sue- 

 ceed tolerably well here, though I think the peach pre- 

 ferable to the apple for produce. — I have no particular 

 defence for either, except to have the trees looked over, 

 and pruned once a year. I have no doubt but Colonel 

 Taylor's mode of recovering his land, by its own nui- 

 sances may be a good one ; but then he can raise very 

 little or no stock. 



Most respectfully I remain 



Your obedient servant, 



John Tayloe. 

 June Sth, 1809. 

 Richard Peters Esc^- 



