Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-02-08

Here then il heavy drawback on IN. s,,o,,n, ,s,i
Dor employees; one month, year. in every tw elye
devoted TO this single object-one twelfth of a man,
ume Withdrawn from any profitable direction is seri
Gus loss, when II requires unrenttipg exertion IN oh
tam comfortable living. But it may be objected that
pshcing Is uohe at time when little else can be ar
complshed-that very little preparation can he msd
curing ne winter to advance the planting of our CROP.
An industrious farmer might employ this time yer,v
Pronaoy instead OF being ide he would cart out hi,
straw and manure from his farm peu which in verv
many cases Is now suffered to lie there from one years
Gnu 10 another; thus continually drawing upon his land
without returning, being able 10 return any tb,g o.,
restore its fertility. He might also he ENGAGED Il, re-,
ing leaves and litter from the woods TO cover naked MA
ces' ana To add nourishment for his future crops An
.nis might be DONE and would be done by those who
.aye Tue Improvement OF their land at heart. Added
70 this' when open weather comes every thing would
e III readiness to begin with the season, and to commit
e SEED 10 me earth, instead OF being is now so Of
ven tue case IN the rear OF time, from the re-
pairs which our farms have to undergo. This yrea,
advantage oil ITSELF would be sensiby felt in the sub.e
iuen cuuva'ion and increased abundance OF the crop
ana II we take into consideration the exemption of onr
e'ds from aggresson and the in the yalue
=. such farms as can now scarcely be maintained in
consequence OF the want of timber. be doubted for
moment hat tue twelfth part of the year above mem
TONED, which under the present system is empoveJ in
guarding against the intrusion of other peoples stock
iea.y as valuable as the average of the year? If
Wis conclusion be Just-and cannot see how II "a
wen be controveredor il be admitted to approach the
Tuth-'he loss which Virginia sustains by this enor
nous TAX upon ITS productive labor can be calculated
WIN sithcient precision TO alarm us. The yearly
ports from this State to something like five nj
Mons mus, in every twelve years, we experience :,
loss equivalent to that about four hundred thou
's"u uoars per annum: 10 say nothing OF the hardshns
oil great number OF poor persons who no, bayi,o,
and oil their own, are refused permission 10 seule "a
tenants though land be plenty, from provlcnt desire
W econonise as much as possible i'm the use of timber
ana uei or who having land, frequently unable m
enclose IT. and have therefore let il lie in an ,nnr
ducuve state, sell it for half its value TO those
may be more fortunate in the possession of ,u,bar. y
W say moreover, OF tie
fresh land that might be brought into cultivation my, ~
better system, instead of being dead capital a. !,
Let this subject be viewed in another I;gb, ~
arm oil our hundred acres and the length of fencing
eu nave 10 keep up, Is not by moderate estimate
less IMAM three 10 three and a half miles Wa ,.iu
however, say that does not exceed tpo miles and M
his quantity would be sufficient for every 400 acrs Of
and. me small county in which reside contains BAG
square miles Now, since there 6iO acres in every
square mile, il would at the above rate reouire ,iS
oil eleven hundred miles Of fencing to enable ns n 60
cure our crops In one mile of fencing there are 700
pannels which TO be a lawful enclosure should 10 ,
rails high, staked and ridered Omino the So, !,
rder however, IL would take 700 900 rails N nal, IN
amount OF fencing have computed. ALLOWING 4 new
70 'ast IL years before il needed any repair which
% '1'y noerh allowance, there would be annualIv ra
CURED go thousand rails TO supply the nIace Of ~
ha' nave decayed Now, without taking n,o cons;dar
s"1 VaIue oil me timber, or in other words the va
ee OF e land which must be reserved to furnish This
uoer; put merely counting the cost of this lumber of
ras at inc usuai price, ii will for small county
mount yeariyto upwards OF $4,000! Thus fully yeri-
Tying the calculation deduced from Col Taylor's pre
.hses IL II be objected that from the peculiar charac
Ter OF inc aoour employed, the actual cost will no, be
so much; yet when we reflect that this abour might
Oe so much more proftably directed; and that il is
maxim that what we do not make through our own
ec Is clear loss; it must be acknowledged to be We
ry far from estravagant. NC 'e-
Gan we hesitate then, to regard the present system
OF enclosure as an evil of great magnitude! Can We
wonder that this, superadded TO other causes shIS
produce such serious depression OF the agricuIura
m1eresH Can IT be matter of surprise, under such
circumstances that instead of improving our condition
we are ra,her getting worse-that having TO encloso
large heids Tor the sake of few patches so many Of
our cluzens should at last, be compelled TO sell tbe
ahus Tor what they can get, aud abandon their
sizes, unable any longer to kindle the cheerful hIaza
whch had SO long warmed their hospitabe mansionsi
Gooch land, JAN 81