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


cate, may disappoint your hopes, although
this hazard have resolved 10 incur, rather
than be s,lSnecied OF lukewarmness and
negligence IN ~ cause which we all,
hope, have IL nigh at heart 10 promote
by every effort in aurS,ower.
But not 10 delay you with further pre-
amble, proceed TO give such responses
to your enquiries, as think may be relied
on, al least for their truth. And first,
with respect 10 " the general quality ofthe
sod, I'm this q" senatorial district" Here
The diversity rs so great, even on many
single farms, that its general character is
hard To ascertain; although the predomi-
nani soil, think. may be called n shallow,
greyish loan, mixed with a large portion
oi whi'ish sand-of,en increasing below
the surface, and generally without any
subsiraiunl OF clay within reach Of the
plough. Sometimes, however, nv plough
ing eight ar nine inches deep, "a very rare
Occurrence mdeed) you may find red
dish yellow coloured earth which Is prin-
cipallv clay. Considerable tracts in Es
sex, King IL Queen, and King William,
are found to consist almost entirely Of
sand, either OF a reddish cast, or white
These last are found almost entirely on
The high lands between the rivers, whilst
the first are confined chiefly, if not Who'll
ly, TO the river flats, along and across
which they frequently blow during the
high, drying winds of spring, i'm such
immense clouds, as TO constitute by
transportation on opposite shores, much
more equitable claim to right OF free
hold, than have often known 10 be the
basis of numerous, long, most ably contested,
bnt mutually ruinous law suits. In a
tew instances you will find black sand,
universally considered the worst and
most unnaneageable land in our country.
The sands ofthe two first kinds. although
to the eye ola stranger nearly barren, are
nevertheless surprisingly productive IN
Indian corn, when moi too far exhausted
and their durability Is much greater than
any person not accustomed To them could
possibly imagine. They might be culii-
waited, believe, with almost any kind of
tool, even OF wood and therefore little
attention 10 improved Supplements of
husbandry Is necessary, or perhaps 10 he
expected from iheirProprietors. A fence
| rail with the rough edges smoo,hed off
! Tor beam, and worn ont hand hoe
! Inverted for the share, | have understood,
was no uncommon tool in former times
| Tor the ulage Of such lands. have also
| beard story, and have no dsnbi Of lis
truth, told by my old neishbors Of a man
named Beasley, remarkable for his bodily
! strength, but poor, " ITO used lo draw his
own plough through such soil. making
use OF ms wife as The driver, and never
stopping during The day, but at meats,
| unless II WAS to fog 4" the old woman" If
perchance she suffered The plough To run
against root. II would be difficult 20
decide without actual survey, which coun-
| ~ In the district has most of this sandy
land, but should Judge by mere iuspee-
ton That King 81 Queen has the greatest
| proportion. When turned out TO the re-
susciiaiing care of Providence, as is The
constant custom, after working il down 10
utter sterility, il invariably grows up in
| pine or cedar, or a mixture of both. The
pine, principally white, or as il is more
generally, but improperly believe, call
ed spruce pine. This growth after few
years, rs again cut down, burnt off as
soon as il has lain twelve, eighteen or
twenty four months the faithful land
once more exhausted, AMI once more
turned under It's old guardian.
WITH respect TO The stiff soils, they con-
sisi chiefly of what is usually called craw
ftsi OF pipe clay land, but more appropri.
aieiy, think by some, talthough not very
scientifically Pewter iand from its rea-
Oily, after tlliage, running together when
very wet /; and assuming the appearance
OF recently melted pewter. This kind of
land IL foundin many parts of Essex. and
some IN King William whilst but little, If
any Is seen 10 King and Queen. Ills very
| lmpeTV iohs tn wafer, ahd extremely diff
cult TO cultivate, If not ploughed at the
critical time, -ihat is when the furrow
silce breaks in turning. without either
adhering 10 The share aud mould board,
or exhibiting a very smooth, glossy APP
pearaBce. TO plough il when wei, is 10
convert II into cIods Of brick like hard
ness, which will remain unreduced during
whole season, unless broken by the
iOrciblc strokes, often repeatedly of a heavy
hand hoe. The red, adhesive clay land
never occurs IN this District nor indeed
do | believe il can be found any where IN
This state, Tar, If at all, below the head of
tide water. The best soils we have are
on the rivers Rappahannock, Maiapony
and Pamunkry. They consist of two
kInds,-ihe first and second flats, each
varying a good deal in their properties
and texture. The first only are low
grounds" properly speaking, being in
most cases liable TO occasional inunda :
lions from high iTeshes. They are of
great fertility from this cause, and abound
above tide water oil the two last mentioned
rivers but never occur except in few
incOnsideTable spots on that part of the
Rappahannock bring all tide wafer which
forms the northeastern boundary of Essex
aud Caroline. The second fats are very
extensive in the two last mentioned
counties, and are much superior generally
TO those Of the same elevation OH the tide
waters of Maiapony and Pamunkey
These last are chiefly very sandy, whilst
lie first, alibo' sometimes of light tex
iurP, are usually stiff enough tn form an
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