Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-08-20

az hOSt VI tUCuI NtUOut SIEOnE commas
GRAFTON and yet i'm this very section of
couDtry,-(such are the whimsical asso-
citation OF contrast) you meet With place
called " The Merry Oaks p where i;,ev give
YOU as good fare, as at any tavern from
Alexandria 10 Richmond. That ihe peo-
pie themselves have but an indifferent
opinion OF the value OF the lands lust
described, should infer from one long
noticed circumstance IN their road police,
which is, that the wheel carriages of all
descriptions have been suffered without
any interruptions or restriction TO pick and
wear tor themselves, as many tracks as
they please. In which of the counties,
thr9' which the stage road passes from
Richmond 10 Washington, this liberal
custom originated (for II prevails more or
less III ally will Dotiake upon me TO affirm;
but believe we may saiel, say of ats
origin, as of the date OF the common law,
that the memsry of man runneih moi 10
the contrary" meanto make no invidious
comparisons, bui the gene raj appearance
OF almost hopeless sieriliiy exhibited by
the lands for miles together throughout
the whole extent of the road just men
toned, with few exceptions is calcu-
lated TO impress strangers with very
unfavOrable and incorr ect opinion Of the
Virginia soil generally for these lands
Gas | once heard il said) seem 10 have been
Z" born poor"-than which nothing worse
can be said OF them. 1.-THE usual epithet,
land-killers," so generally, and fear. SO
Justly, IN many cases, applied to us Vir-
2lnlans, was suggested only by the
prospect presented to travellers on this
road, am very sure the proprieiors, how
ever guilty their intentions might always
haup hao,, ,,e>,,L h.,
be pronounced entirely ianocent of the
deed, for they had nothing to kill, the
land be,ns already dead on their hands.
Having no part of the apparatus or
materials necessary for the ANALYSIS Of
soils; and believing that the chemical
Terms so generally and so iniudiciously,
as venture TO say, preferred by writer's
OH agriculture To those in common use,
would perplex more readers than they
would instruct, | have purposeiy avoided
the use OF tllrm IN the above description.
Technical words IL phrases certainly have
their value, but why they should be so
often adopted, rather than those which
every body knows, when The object Is to
make cues self understood by as many as
possible never could comprehend.
In reply 10 your second query relative
TO : the crops that are cultivated for mar
ket, and for consumption on the farm
may state that Indian corn and wheat are
our staples; of which, especially of the
FIRST, considerable quantities are made
and sold, 1t the aggregate, and not the
agreeable produce is considered. This last,
u fairly estimated 10 European farmer
not acquainted with our country and
people, would induce him to think. that
we must inevitably starve or emierate !;
for am well persuaded that taking all
The lands under tillage together, the aver
aye quantity OF Indian corn per acre does
not exceed ten or twelve bushels, whilst
that OF wheat does not reach six bushels.
Tobacco Is scarcely cultivated at all, al
though more is made believe in Caro-
line, Than in either of the other counties.
As proof of the general fact, almost all
our tobacco warehouses have gone down.
| can assign no certain reason Tor the
discOntinuance of a crop which was once
| a staple article with us !; bat incline to
ascribe II rather 10 a combination OF caus-
| es, than TO any single one. Almost all
our best wood lands are cut down and
worn out; TO do much in The manuring
way Is generally thought very difficult, if
not Impractical bic; and the common OPT
| mon rs, that tobacco Is a great eXhauster,
as we'll as The most expensive crop IN
regard TO labor, that we cultivate. Ano-
ther reason perhaps, may be, that IFS price
seems exposed Ito greater fluctuations
than any other article produced on our
farms. Some viii have il, that The aban-
donment OF lis culture is a proof of our
being better asrieul,urists than we used
| 10 be but although there may possibly
| be something III this. fear the mode OF
reasoning has TOO much resemblance 10
! That by which too many of us prove our
selves TO be better men that is, we
| discontinue the practice of Stunning, when
we have lost the power. Wheat, our other
| staple, is sowed IN great quantities. The
varieties are chiefly the purple straw, and
! red chaft or golden straw, of which tie
| first seems generally thought most pro-
ducilye, although more subject 10 rust. 4.
We still have the forward or May wheat
oil few farms, but il has much degene-
rated since lis discovery and INTRODUCTION
by a Mr.. lsbel of Carolue. Next 10
wheat, tie grain most cultivated in this
district is oats, of which the common
black osi is almost the only kind used.
These are made in considerable quantities
IN King and Queen, King William, Ca.
rOlne, and the lower parts ef Essex, but
are CONSUMED chiefly, believe, if moi
wholly within the district. OF rye, but
little is raised, being thought very AN
certain and exhausting crop. With re
spect 10 barley and buckwheai, think
may safely say, that there are hundreds
! OF men with US, who never saw either
but especially ihe latter. Iris, poiatoe,
may now be said TO be cultivated in grea
variety by every family, but almost Ell
tireIy for table use; aud furmips for lIuI,
4 else Ilan their TINS I'm some fpW iusta,
ces however, the Toeis are ted away Il
hogs; but the universal opinion is, iba
OF ali eXhausiing crops, they are by la
liz. l,,....