The border vidette., 1931-05-30
WASHINGTON WAS a FARMER

authority than Washington bin
self. says the Division Of Infor
nation and Publication Of the
United States George Washing
ton Bicentennial Commission.
The evidence exists on every
page of the long row Of diaries
in which Washington covered all
his personal activities almost
without a break from young man
hood to the final days.
He was not simply any kind OF
farmer, either, but an alert and
progressive one. Even during
the Revolutionary War be ap
pears to have kept his eyes open
to farming methods in various
sections of the country, and came
bone with the belief that Vir
ginia farming had much to learn
from methods ia use in other
states.
In more than one of his letters
to friends be comments on the
Virginia habit of working farms
to death and notes the Virginia
farmers failure to devote some
of his land to meadow and graz
ing, for the raising of cattle, as
be bad seen this done in the
northern regions.
On his plantations Washington
was forever reaching out for new
and better seeds for planting.
he imported new types OF fruit
trees and vines, even rare trees
| for the Identification Of his
grounds. He tried alfalfa, then
known as Lucerne. But of chief
interest was his effort to improve
the quality of wheat grown in
the United States. he reached
into far quarters of the globe for
experimental seeds.
| Thus. 10 an entry in his Diar.
les on April 10, 1868, we tind:
Began also to SOW the Siberian
Wheat which / obtained from
baltimore by means Of Cole.
Tilghman, at the Ferry Planta
1tion in the ground laid apar,
There for experiments" This,
by the way. be sowed with the
famous barrel plow" of his own
Invention, q combined plow, drill,
and harrow. And be gives a
minute account of the care be
used in giving this seed from far
Siberia q chance to show wha,
it could do in Virginia.
In 1885, after the Revolution,
when be had returned to Noun,
Vernon and to his beloved farm
ing, this zeal for experiment was
with him still. In an entry in
bis Diary for Aug 20, that year,
be records that Il planted in q
small piece of ground which
had prepared below the stable
(vineyard) about 1000 grains ol
the Cape of Good Hope whea,
(which was given to me by Colo.
Spaight), in Rows 2 feet apart,
and 5 inches distant in the Rows.
On Saturday. Aug. 81. 1885, be
notes: THE Cape of Good Hope
Wheat, which sowed on Satur
day. was perceived to be coming
up today On Sept. 1st, the
following day. be PLANTED the
remainder of the wheat from the
Cape of Good Hope, leaving 23C
grains to replant the missing
see ds. and some that had been
was he'd up by the rain ;the whole
number of grains given me by
Colo. Spaight amounting to 2476;
which in measure, might be
about a half q Gill". The pains.
taking Farmer Washington had
even counted the number ol
these rare grains of his gift!
On October, 1885. be sowed
about q pint of Cape of Good
Hope wheat, this time sent bin
by Mr.. Powell of Philadelphia
By early November Washington
"perceived that the Cape of Coco
Hope wheat sowed on the 19tt
OF last month had come up ver5
WE'LL" For nearly two years he
bad his eye on this South African
! wheat. By September, 1856
"the bands at lDogue Run hae
been employed in putting il
about bushel and q half of tht
Cape Wheat raised below %,
Stables"-proving that the seed
there planted in August the yea
before bad delivered the goods >
What became of the new brant
of wheat we do not know, for i,
not very long Washington wa
again called to the cares of stat
when q devoted people unani
mously chose him to be thei
First prosi6nnt Rnt tho owl