Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-04-11

the Department OF Agriculture we take the 1ol
lowing in reference to Virginia:
Campbell county: Owners of small farms do
ing their own work are doing well those de
pending on hired labor are doing poorly. Freed
men object to hiring by the year because II looks
TOO much like slavery This has induced me
more extensive introduction of labor saving ma
chinery. Stafford General desire for rotation :;
more clovering Henrico: improvements sure,
though slow Virginians are not fast people
in anything. Lunenburg: Considerable nm I'M,
provements by new corners; old settlers sui
pillow the old ways A northern man M mas puIIt a.
barn of the most approved pattern. Nansemond :
No perceptbe improvement. frlnce Edward
Labor unreliable. Albemarle: General ad-
vance: fntter cattle and hogs. Smythe: I'M
proved implements and culture Essex: lndl-
cations Of retrogresson IN practice; some aWak-
provement Gloucester No general improve.
ment A few are raising larger crops OF wheat
and corn. Field pease fully equal to gusno III
preparing the ground for wheat. botetourt !;
Very few farm in the old way less lano ana
more grain is now the motto. Floyd: Use la
bor-sayng machinery Of all kinds; greater Ell
frts to improve lands by the home fertilizers;
Loudoun: Some persons cultivate less lana ana
grow larger crops per acre, bringing IL sooner
into grass, feeding all on the farm and market
ing their grain on foot in cattle sheep and hogs;
thus making more manure, and saving IN
freight and hauling grain. frlncess Anne:
Fruit and vegetables are engaging more atten-
ton, and large orchards Of young apple peach
and pear trees are now growing Grayson
Some machinery int oduced. Northum btrland +:
Gradual but slow introduction Of improved ia
Dor saving machines, and this is restricted By
the stringent circumstances OF the FARMERS.
Nelson: Increasing use OF Improved machinery;
cutting up lands into smaller farms; more thc-
rough culture; seeding large quantity OF me
various grass seeds. Pittsyiv mia: Mixed hus-
bandry is being slowly introduced, especially
by Northern settlers. Washington: Very
rikins evidence of improvement IN making
,nanures Prince William: About one-halt OF
the farmers arc advancing IN systematic and rA-
t;onal farming, rotation OF crops, husbandlng
and application of domestic manures, the seed
ing their lands in grass, &c. Buckingham
There mas been d. cided advance in the last
year or two in efficiency and reliability OF thc
coored population in this county. The men
have become more settled in their habits, ana
devote themselves to agricultural pursuits.
Many Of them are now skiiltul and very efficient
laborers. The educated young men have shown
u most wonderful aptitude in adapting them
selves to the changed condition of the labor sys-
tern since the war Orange: More general in
PRODUCTION of improved farm implements and
light horse power mills for preparing grain ana
provendcr as food for stock better ploNlHg,
subsoing, ditching and preparation OF the soil.
Fiuvanna: This county is not improving As
general rule the lands are getting more and more
reproductive; both large and small farmers are
inattentive to grass and manures The small
farmers who Gu tivate their own land are dong
the best, and some of them lay up money.
Gpochland: But few of the farmers are able To
provide themselves with labor-saving machines,
&c; conse quently have advanced but very little
in intelligence and skill in this particular. Fat
rick: No improvement in economy and et1-
cheney of labor no Efforts made to produce Or
patronze labor saving advantages. We have
no active, entcrprising intelligence in our com
munity. We work the good old way; "us our
grandfathers did, SO do We"