110 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



three years rest in grass, to be grazed hard the 

 third year. 



The Committee has no doubt this may be a 

 good rotation for Col. Randolph's farm ; but at 

 the same time they would suggest simply whe- 

 ther it would not be a better rotation with seven 

 fields to have first wheat on land to be fallowed 

 that has lain out two years ; then two years rest 

 under grass; then corn and tobacco; then wheat; 

 then two years rest under grass, to be grazed 

 hard and trampled the last year for the wheat 

 which is to follow. At any rate, they do not 

 hesitate to express the opinion that this system 

 would be too hard an one for most of the farms 

 in this vicinity, especially with Mr. Randolph's 

 rotation of it ; though his farm may improve 

 under it, inasmuch as it has reached a stage of 

 improvement which will bear a more frequent 

 repetition of crops without prostration. 



The Committee has not had time to enter 

 into further detail of this system of rotation. — 

 For the information of those not so well ac- 

 quainted with this farm, however, and for the 

 more correct appreciation of the exceptions we 

 have taken to it, it may not be amiss to state 

 that clover hay is cut to a considerable extent 

 from some one or other of the fields while lying 

 in grass, and, of course, all the manure, both 

 animal and vegetable, which the farm affords, to- 

 gether with a liberal use of plaster of Paris is ap- 

 plied to one crop or another during the rotation. 



The fixtures, such as fences, gates, &c. are 

 remarkably good, and generally in good repair. 

 Many of the fences are made of stone of the 

 height of from two and a half to three feet, with 

 a capping of three rails confined by stakes and 

 caps, which we consider an improvement on the 

 old mode of making stone fences ; that is, en- 

 tirely of stone to the height required; they are 

 of course more liable to tumble and require re- 

 pair, especially with such stone as is usually 

 put into fences. 



The farm buildings also deserve particular 

 notice. They are, for the most part, well 

 planned and built, and in a good state of repair. 

 The barn is the most complete we have seen 

 anywhere, possessing the advantage of roomi- 

 ness, convenience in arrangement, complete ven- 

 tilation and economy of covering or roofing, and 

 good fixtures in the way of threshing out wheat 

 and freeing it from the chaff, this being all done 

 by horse-power and at one operation. This 

 barn is three stories high ; the lower story of 

 brick and stone ; and we would recommend to 

 any member of the Club who has not seen it, 

 to examine it for himself. We had omitted to 

 mention that there is a stable for work-horses in 

 a part of the lower story of this barn which is 

 convenient and comfortable ; and as the subject 

 of stabling is one a good deal neglected in this 

 part of the country, we would also recommend 

 this to the notice of the Club. 



There is one exception which we feel com- 

 pelled to make to the farm buildings, to wit, the 

 negro cabins. These, or at least such of them 

 as we saw, were not in keeping with the gen- 

 eral improvement which we witnessed. They 

 appeared to be small and rather rude in the 

 style of construction, and withal rather detract- 

 ing from the general air of neatness and good 

 management which characterized the farm. — 

 We do not wish to be understood as saying that 

 the cabins were not comfortable ; for we had 

 not an opportunity of going inside of them, and 

 consequently do not feel ourselves competent to 

 pronounce on them in this respect. We hope, 

 therefore, that Col. Randolph will respond to 

 this expression of our opinion in such a manner 

 as to satisfy us on this point. 



The tools and farm implements which we 

 saw were not remarkable, with the exception, 

 perhaps, of two ; one of these was a London 

 barshare plough, which we think possesses de- 

 cided advantages over the three-horse ploughs 

 commonly used in this vicinity for breaking up 

 fallows, especially in turf land. This plough 

 was doing decidedly superior work to the three- 

 horse McCormick, when we saw them both at 

 work on the same land ; though we must say 

 that we did not think the ploughing remarkably 

 good with either. The other implement to 

 which we alluded, was a one-horse plough 

 called a skimmer, to be used in working corn 

 for the purpose of stirring the soil, and at the 

 same lime, cutting up the running brier and 

 sassafras sprouts, to which our mountain lands 

 are peculiarly subject. It gives the land a good 

 superficial working and kills the grass and 

 weeds at the same time. Its shape is that of 

 two sides of an equi-lateral triangle with the 

 angle working in front. It cuts about fifteen 

 inches in width and runs from three to four 

 inches under the ground. 



The crops were very good for the season ; 

 though the corn, tobacco, and oat crops had been 

 recently much curtailed, in consequence, we 

 suppose, of the long drought we have had this 

 summer. 



The stock of cattle, hogs, and sheep are very 

 good, and from their appearance show that they 

 have been cared for. The working cattle are 

 particularly good : they are mostly of a cross of 

 the North Devon breed, and a finer specimen 

 of oxen we have rarely seen. 



The Committee are sensible that they have 

 been unable to do justice to the farm of Col. 

 Randolph, from the want of opportunity to ex- 

 amine it critically since the duty has devolved 

 on them, and they are compelled to pass over 

 many things which would be of interest to the 

 Club. 



William W. Minor, 

 Franklin Minor, 

 Hugh Minor. 



