THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



25 



For the Southern Planter. 



PROFITS OF GRAZING IN FAUQUIER. 



Mr. Editor,— \x\ a communication I had the 

 pleasure to address yon, which appeared in 

 the October number of the Southern Planter, 

 an account was given of a crop of wheat 

 grown upon my farm. I now send you another 

 paper of which grazing, as a branch of Fau- 

 quier husbandry forms the subject. Before, 

 however, going into detail, allow me to say 

 that the amount of profit exhibited is, by no 

 means, remarkable in Fauquier or Loudoun; 

 and even if it were, I should deeply regret to 

 appear to boast upon such a theme. Authentic 

 information, showing what hex been done in any 

 department of agriculture, creating thereby 

 proper and laudable emulation in others, is, 

 certainly, to be desired. To this object I am 

 willing to contribute; and, in passing, let me 

 add, this is my apology for troubling you 

 again. 



It is to be regretted that farmers in Virginia 

 are so reluctant to publish accounts of the 

 products of their estates. For, however mo- 

 desty may deter them from doing so, surely 

 they are, nevertheless, withholding a body of 

 valuable statistical information which might 

 lead to increased attention to an occupation, 

 which, having long held the front rank in in- 

 dustrial pursuits, has, of late years, assumed 

 a dignity and importance pertaining to the 

 highest and most honorable vocations. 



In the autumn of 1851 I purchased sixty- 

 three head of small-sized western stock cattle 

 at a fraction over nine dollars per head, which, 

 after adding to the number two head of my 

 own rearing, at nine dollars per head, averaged, 

 at prime cost, to be exact nine dollars and 

 nine cents per head. They were turned on a 

 blue grass sod field of fifty-eight acres, and 

 had access to another contiguous sod field of 

 sixty acres. No other stock of any kind were 

 allowed to run with them. As soon as winter 

 set in, they were fed plentifully on wheat straw, 

 and occasional'^ on chaff. About the first of 

 March, feeding on what is called in this sec- 

 tion of country, slalk-f odder, was commenced 

 with them, and continued till the early part of 

 May. They were not removed from the two 

 fields from the time they first entered them till 

 they were driven off to market, except for 

 about a week, during which time they were 

 turned on wheat stubble. They were regularly 

 salted twice a week. No corn nor grain of 

 any description was given them. These cattle, 

 thus treated, I sold this fall, for twenty-four 

 dollars ($24) per head, at home. 



It will be perceived, therefore, that they 

 yielded a Ret profit of fourteen dollars and 

 ninety-one cents ($14 91) per head, which will 

 be found to be one hundred and sixty-six and 

 two-thirds per cent, upon the money invested 

 in them. My neighbor and brother-in-law, 

 Major John Thomas Smith, surpassed this— 

 Laving realized a profit of one hundred and 



seventy-five per cent, upon his sale of fat cattle 

 this fall. 



At the risk of being tedious, and I fear, 

 egotistical, I will dwell, for a moment, upoil 

 some of the facts above stated, in order that 

 inferences of a general and practical interest 

 may be deduced therefrom. 



It will be found, upon calculation, that the 

 prime cost of the sixty-five head of cattle was 

 five hundred and ninety dollars and eighty-five 

 cents, ($590 85.) They were sold, twelve 

 months after the purchase, for fifteen hundred 

 and sixty dollars, ($1,560.) If the former 

 sum be subtracted from the latter, nine hun- 

 dred and sixty-nine dollars and fifteen cents 

 ($9G9 15) will remain — constituting the profit 

 upon the cattle. Now the value of land upon 

 which they were grazed, rated at fifty dollars 

 ($50) per acre would be five thousand nine 

 hundred dollars, ($5,900.) If to this sum the 

 cost of the cattle be added, it will be found 

 that the net profit ($969 15) realized upon 

 them is equivalent to fifteen per cent, interest 

 upon the estimated value of the land and the 

 prime cost of the cattle combined. No other 

 element of expense, in my opinion, should be 

 charged, because I think it will be conceded 

 that the increased value of the land, from 

 year to year, under a judicious system of 

 grazing will more than compensate the cost 

 of feeding in winter and the price of the salt 

 consumed; while the land should no more be 

 charged with an annual six per cent, interest 

 than it would be in estimating its yield in 

 wheat or corn or tobacco. 



Why, then, should the farming interest be 

 branded as unprofitable 1 As yielding a hard- 

 earned support and meagre revenue'? The 

 causes why farming in Virginia is unprofitable, 

 if it be so, might be easily assigned; but a full 

 exposition of them would extend this commu- 

 nication to an unreasonable length. Surely, 

 however, such facts as are detailed above 

 demonstrate that the croaking we sometimes 

 hear is unsustained by the truth of the case; 

 and should tend to cheer the desponding, con- 

 firm the wavering, and animate to renewed 

 efforts those who have been long and steadily 

 toiling amid the pursuits of agriculture. 

 Yours, truly, 



J'own Marshall. 

 Oak Hill, Fauquier, Dec. 6,. 1852. 



WET FEET. 



I have only had three pair of boots for 

 the last six years, (no shoes,) and I think 

 I will not require any more for the next six 

 years to come. The reason is that I treat 

 them in the following manner: 



I put a pound of tallow and a half pound 

 of rosin in a pot on the fire; when melted 

 and mixed, I warm the boots and apply 

 the hot stuff with a painter's brush until 



