Year: 1872

pears peculiarly attractive to English farm
ers, and in Prince Edward county there are
already more than one hundred such set
tiers, and among the rest John Bowley,
ESQ.,, of Gloucester. In order that your
readers may understand the advantages
and disadvantages of Virginia farming, l
quote the following report presented to the
National Virginia Settlement Association
by Captain John Mexican, an English gen.
tleman, who settled in the State eighteen
months ago:


FARMING IN PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY,


VIRGINIA.


A stranger set down at depot, the
main road from which leads through
original forest and dense masses of young
pines is ready to ask tciere are the farms
And when he has seen in the cearings the
wide stretches of old field, which are rather
too prominent feature in the landscape
from some points, he is justified in demand
ing phat can be The system of farming
pursued IN these regions? Nevertheless
there are farms more or less deserving the
name and there is a recognizable system,
for good or evil, adopted, about which an
Englishman may good-naturedly say some-
thing. And if he be somewhat condem-
natory in reviewing the agricultural opera
tons on hand, it may be consolatory to
know that he discerns hope for the future
on the other; more especially in connec-
ton with the new life in the country which
suitable immigration may so largely help
to realize.


In seeking for key to the existing year
ly operations upon the majority of farms,
one readily fixes on tobacco, as crop
round which everything else has to revolve
or 60 off into that space where, by the bye,
80 much else that was Virginian has disap-
peared. There tcas nothing like tobacco
and, as many assert, there IS nothing like
tobacco. 1t certainly is an imperious crop,
for it will scarcely allow enough food to be
grown in its immediate neighborhood to
sustain bare life in man or beast. But it
is that whereby we get our money, say the
growers. Well, it may be that it has en-
abled and that it does enable you to live
but are you getting richer or poorer as
years roll around ? If you are poorer men,
then tobacco cannot be said to be paying
crop, as at present cultivated.


Such, however, is the customary routine
--as many hills of tobacco as there is land
at all fitted for the growth and then as
much corn, oats, and sundries as time and
inclination, or as provision of the neces-
sites of house, hands and stock may die
tate. What seems rather to take its
chance, and hardly Except in cases to be
mentioned hereafter) follows any rule. 1t
is pity it does not, for then clover, one
great hope of the country, might have an
opportunity of establishing itself as a
necessary crop. Poverty aud dependency,
sad fruits of the past, combine to induce a
shiftless, unsystematic course of operations
which slowly eats away the little reserve of
capital and energy the great misfortune has
left. In the end, these farmers will be at
loss to know where they can grow more
tobacco, and in the direction of that dlem-
ma more good men are going than seem to
be aware of the fact.


Now there is smaller class who are
able to command working capital enough
to buy fertilizers whereby to help the land
set apart for tobacco, and they can show
better results in quality and quantity of
crop, and are, moreover, inclined to look a
little to due rotation, and, therefore, are
more careful to let wheat follow tobacco,
and clover wheat. Indeed, SO much in
advance are farmers of this class, that they
are tempted to overlook the weak point in
their system, and might disbelieve the man
who should tell them that they too, must
run out in time. They need still more
capital, to be invested in stock and in the
growth of stock food, so as to secure the
grand requisites for permanent improce-
ment Of land. fdrm-yard manure. One
present misfortune of most farmers is that
they have too much land and the best
thing those of the class just named can do
is to concentrate money and labor upon a
smaller area, and adopt the suggestion as
to an increase of stock. The extra demand
for fodder will be easily met by the extra
yield of the better cultivated lots. Mani
testify, it is cheaper to work less land and
double the crops therefrom.


Here and there, however, one meets with
farm which is full of promise. How
readily the eye singles it out from its neigh
bors! Here the spirit of Improvement is
abroad, and its effects are seen on every
hand. House and out-buildings are reft-
ted and, if necessary, rearranged; stock
are yarded and we'll housed the blowing
is thorough; rough pieces are laid down
and low grounds cleared up; fences are
renewed SO far as is essential and Gt must
be written) tobacco Subordinated to its pro-
per place In the order of cultivation. 1t is
true that Northern British enterprise have
done something in this promising direction;
but it is not the less true that few enter
prising Virginians have led the way. The
fact is of good argury, and deserves the
widest recognition. There are Virginians
who have become well established as sue
cessful farmers under the new order of
things, and who have no misgivings as to
the future. Many more are there, and
they deserve the profoundest sympathy,
who see the way as clearly, but with hands
tied and feet clogged by bitter impecunios-
ity.


1t is not intended to specify places or
persons in this report, but it may be men
toned that some good farming is to be
found around Farmville, and at more dis
tant points to the west and south of that
country. The section Of the country
known as the English colony, is full of pro-
mise as to the future. There are one or
two farms of great capabilities yet pur-
chasable in this section, where men of
means and enterprise may become pioneers
ofprogress.


We are often asked, will farming pay in
this or that county, or in Virginia at large ?
We answer


Wheat at 10 to 10 bushels per acre,


Oats at 20 to %