LETTERS FROM VIRGINIA.-NO. 6. 
LETTERS FROM VIRGINIA.—No. 6. 
Farm of Mr. Sherman .—Nine miles from Wash¬ 
ington, on the road leading to Fairfax CourtHou.se, 
is the farm of Mr. Sherman, consisting of some 
two hundred acres, under good cultivation; and 
the history of this farm is so- characteristic of the 
region round about, that it may serve to illustrate, 
and in some measure explain, the present state of 
things in Virginia. Some twenty years since, a 
clergyman of wealth, talents, and leisure, purchased 
the entire estate, including nearly a thousand 
acres, erected a fine substantial brick house, and 
surrounded it with out-buildings of brick, at an ex¬ 
pense of upwards of five thousand dollars; laid 
out the grounds in the vicinity of the mansion with 
great beauty and taste, and opened a large boarding 
school, for the reception of pupils, from Washington 
and the adjoining cities. At his death, which oc¬ 
curred soon afterwards, a large portion of the 
estate was disposed of at private sale, by his execu¬ 
tors and heirs, and the family mansion, with the 
surrounding grounds, leased for short terms to a 
succession of tenants. These tenants having no 
other interest than that of securing profitable crops, 
not only speedily exhausted the soil, but suffered 
the house and buildings to become dilapidated—cut 
down the ornamental trees and shrubbery, so taste¬ 
fully arranged by the late possessor—converted the 
parks and drives into corn and wheat fields, and 
potato patches, and were actually proceeding to 
turn the mansion itself into a vast barn , occupying 
the commodious out-houses as dwellings, in order 
to avoid the necessity of repairs, when the premises 
were purchased at a very low price by the gentle¬ 
man, who subsequently sold them to the present 
owner, for a sum considerably less than the first 
cost of the house. 
On coining into possession, Mr. Sherman found 
the house nearly destitute of everything, save 
bare walls; but these being of the most sub¬ 
stantial and permanent materials, and in good con¬ 
dition, he soon found means to render it habitable ; 
and being himself a practical farmer, aided by his 
sons, and by the natural fertility of the soil, speedily 
succeeded in placing the farm in good condition, 
and in realizing amply remunerating crops. He 
surrounded it, the first year, with "good post and 
rail fences, repaired the various out-buildings, 
prune 1 and trimmed the fruit trees, restored the 
shrubbery, as far as practicable, and commenced a 
systematic course of cropping and husbandry. 
During the past year, he has erected a large and 
commodious barn, and surrounded it with all requi¬ 
site c#nveniences for cattle and stock—carrying to 
his barn yard, from an adjacent spring house, by 
means of leaden pipes, a plentiful and continual 
supply of water. The barn being situated on the 
acclivity of a hill, a large stone basement, some ten 
or twelve feet in height, and forty or fifty in 
breadth and length, was constructed at a very trifling 
expense, compared with its utility; and this base¬ 
ment has been subdivided into stables for horses 
nnd cows, haying free communication with the 
upper floors by means of the racks on the one 
hand, and the ynrd on the other. The great con¬ 
venience, utility, and economy of a well-construct¬ 
ed and properly-located barn, are so obvious, that 
many of Mr. Sherman’s neighbors, by whom such * 
a farm appendage has hitherto been regarded as a 
senseless Yankee innovation, are taking measures 
for constructing one themselves. The difference in 
the mere market price of bay wintered in this man¬ 
ner, no less than its greatly-enhanced value for the 
use of stock, has demonstrated to the most incredu¬ 
lous, the superior advantage of a good barn, over 
the most scientific hay stack. 
Mr. Sherman has now resided on this farm for 
three years, during which period its value has more 
than doubled ; and he has several times, to my 
knowledge, refused twice the amount paid for it. 
These results have been attained simply by superior 
cultivation and good farm husbandry, as every one 
can perceive by comparing the soil with that of the 
adjacent farms in the neighborhood ; and although 
Mr. Sherman stoutly insists that his land is intrin¬ 
sically better than that of his neighbors, yet I am 
well convinced, that if he should to-day purchase 
and occupy the poorest farm within five miles of 
his present residence, he would, within a very short 
period, come to the conclusion, that his land was of 
a superior quality. 
Farm of Mr. Hyde .—Nearly opposite Mr. Sher¬ 
man’s, on the west, is “ Ingleside,” the residence of 
Charles K. Hyde, Esq., formerly of New Jersey; a 
well cultivated and valuable farm of two or three 
hundred acres, with a fine dwelling, pleasantly lo¬ 
cated in a natural grove of stately forest trees. I 
cannot help admiring the good taste of these Vir¬ 
ginians, in selecting the locations for their dwell¬ 
ings. There is something inexpressibly beautiful 
in the idea of a rural cottage, surrounded by the 
luxuriant vegetation of this mild climate, embosomed 
in shade and shrubbery, and rendered musical by 
the tuneful choristers of the wood. It is pleasant 
to withdraw for a few hours, from “ the heat and 
burden of the day, 7 ’ to the cool verandah of such a 
dwelling and, with book, or friend, to recruit the 
exhausted physical energies, and leisurely contem¬ 
plate the surpassing beauty of nature in her holiday 
attire. Mr. Hyde informs me, that, having pur¬ 
chased an estate near Williamsburg, in this state, 
he is desirous of disposing of “Ingleside;” and as 
I presume his terms will not be unreasonable, I 
commend the opportunity of making a valuable 
purchase, to such of your northern friends as may 
feel an inclination to test the beauties of a southern 
clime. Certainly I know of no more pleasant 
situation. 
Lieut. Muse, of the U. S. Navy, attached to the 
astronomical observatory, at Washington, has also 
a fine seat in this neighborhood, with a small farm 
of fifty or seventy-five acres; and near him is Mr. 
Mackall of the Treasury, and Mr. Jones, of the 
Post-Office Department; each of them delightfully 
situated, and in possession of all the means and 
appliances of good husbandry. The lapse of a few 
years cannot fail, in my judgment, greatly to en¬ 
hance the market value of the lands in this region, 
rapidly filling up as it is, by intelligent, systematic, 
and judicious farmers. A New-Yorker. 
Utility of Blue Glass for Hot Houses. —In 
vegetable growth, the blue rays are the most active, 
the red ones the least so. Hence the benefit of 
employing glass stained blue or green for the roofs 
of hot houses. 
