THE

ECLECTIC REVIEW,

For MARCH, 1806.

Art. I. Tour in America, in 1798, 1799, and 1800.-Exhibiting Sketches, of Society and Manners, and a particular Account of the American System of Agriculture, with its recent Improvements. By R. Parkinson, late of Orange Hill, near Baltimore. (Author of the " Experienced Farmer," &c.) 2 Vols. 8vo. J. Harding, and J. Murray, London, 1805. pp. 735. price 11. 10s.

WEARIED as we are with contemplating the calamities of Europe, how naturally we revert to a country which lies beyond their influence; a country which no victorious enemy infests, no national burden afflicts, no arbitrary power oppresses: -which regards these evils, from her eminence, like a storm that rages beneath her, and scarcely pities the fate of others, amidst the exultation of her own security. Upon this enviable exemption, her sanguine panegyrists have raised their brilliant vision of future glory. It is the American republic, we are told, that presents the most inviting facilities to men of industry and talent, in their pursuit of wealth and honour: under her protection every useful art, especially agriculture, courts their labours, and will gratefully reward them; and commerce, confined by no restrictions or monopolies, finds access, under her colours, to every port upon the ocean. Under her free government, we have been led to expect, the rapid advancement of virtue knowledge and happiness, the return of the golden age, and finally, the perfection of mankind. Unfortunately, these eloquent advocates have had private interests to promote, favourite theories to establish, and hasty assertions to maintain; their observation has often been limited or superficial, and they they been biassed by personal prejudices and party violence: they must therefore have been liable to deception, and may have been capable of deceit. By what other method can we account for the existence of statements, which the work before us so directly contradicts, and for the concealment of facts, which it so positively asserts? We are far from considering the author himself as impartial: the vexations and personal fatigue which he has endured, apparently with little success, have completely VOL. II. disgusted

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disgusted him with the scene of his disappointments. Yet we are willing to believe, that his private feelings have not materially warped his relation of facts; and that he has executed faithfully a task, to which he was eminently qualified by his habits and opportunities.-Even if he were capable of wilful error, he must be sensible how many would rejoice in detecting it.

The name of Mr. Parkinson is not new to the agriculturist. His "Experienced Farmer," first published about eight years since, is a work of merit; and one of his principal objects in America, was to reprint it by subscription. He designed to take a farm under General Washington, to whom he was recommended by Sir J. Sinclair; and he expected to make the voyage itself productive, by carrying over several race-horses and blood mares, with a number of cart-horses, cattle, pigs, and sporting dogs, of the most celebrated breeds. In November 1798, after a bad passage of twelve weeks, Mr. P. arrived with his family at Alexandria, the nearest port to Mount Vernon. When he repaired to this place, the General was at Philadelphia, but he inspected the farm intended for him, and the following Extracts contain his reasons for declining it. The rent, says Mr. P. was,

"Fixed at eighteen hundred bushels of wheat for twelve hundred acres, or money according to the price of that grain. I must confess that if he would have given me the inheritance of the land for that sum, I durst not have accepted it, especially with the incumbrances upon it; viz one hundred and seventy slaves young and old, and out of that number only twenty-seven in a condition to work, as the steward represented to me. I viewed the whole of the cultivated estate-about three thousand acres, but did not like the land at all. The whole of the different fields were covered with either the stalks of weeds, cornstalks, or what is called sedge-something like spear-grass upon the poor lime-stone in England." Vol. i. p. 51-53.

Our traveller then made several excursions, to view farms and solicit subscriptions. As an author he was very well received, and this speculation succeeded to his wish: it gave him access to every source of information, and introduced him to the acquaintance, not only of Gen. Washington, but of Messrs. Jefferson, King, Livingstone, and all the most respectable people in the middle states, with many of whom he continued upon terms of intimacy. In the course of his tours, the most specious offers were made him; land rent-free, and money at common interest to supply all his occasions. But his disappointment in the quality of the land, and his further inquiries into the expenses of labour, the amount of produce,

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and the distance of the markets, prevented his accepting any these proposals.

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After forming several schemes of business, which more accurate information defeated, he engaged in a farm of 300 acres, at Orange Hill near Baltimore. For this farm, 200 acres of which were cleared, he gave a rent of 3001. The reason of this preference appears in the following extracts.

"I thought nothing in the farming-line likely to be profitable, except the selling of milk, and what in that country is called truck,-which is garden produce, fruits, &c. The price of milk being from six pence to eight pence per quart, seemed to me sure of paying well; and as linseed-cake was not in general use, and was to be bought cheap, this too was a great advantage. My expectations so far were fully answered. But I found great trouble in this business. The custom in the towns is to rise very early-We were thus compelled in summer to rise at two o'clock to milk, and to be in town before the sun was up; otherwise we should find the breakfast over-and the milk would frequently be sour by twelve o'clock in the day. During the whole two years I seldom met with a man or a woman who would lend any assistance to us so early in the morning. Vol. i. pp. 161, 162, 163.

"None but those who have been in America would suppose but there are people to be had for either love or money to do the dirty work ;but I have been obliged to clean my own boots and shoes when I have had four servants in the house; and myself, wife, and family, have risen in a morning to milk the cows when our servants were in bed." Vol. i. Introduc. p. 30.

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Selling milk is the best business a farmer can follow: but I am certain he would live with more ease and comfort by keeping cows in a town, and buying every article for them, than by taking a farm for that use, because land is not worth the cultivation, and the produce is sold for Less than it costs in raising." Vol. ii. p. 395.

Such a remark will naturally surprise the reader: the author explains it by saying, that the American farmer procures a livelihood, not by the real profit of his produce, charging it with every expense, but by his own personal labour; and that of his family, or pinches it out of the food and clothing of his negro. It is not in our power to detail the calculations upon which this opinion is founded; it will be more easily believed, when we state the average produce of the several crops. In the most favourable circumstances Mr. P. estimates the profit per acre in a course of maize, wheat or barley, and clover, at about three pounds (currency we believe); but this calculation is

"Made from what is supposed to be the best of land in America; there being thousands of acres producing Indian corn, that would produce neither rye, barley, wheat, oats, nor any thing else; and is (are) suffered

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to remain fallow for two or three years. The raising of Indian corn is an absolute preparation for wheat, rye, or winter barley; this is not reckoned a beneficial crop; but it must be a useful crop; for it is the whole support of America. Vol. ii, 390. 328.

The produce of Indian corn, we well remember, was stated by certain writers at 100 bushels per acre; but Mr. P. thinks he has demonstrated the physical impossibility of such a crop standing upon the ground, and assures us, that on a fair statement, the regular crop would yield about 21 bushels, which he reduces one third, on account of the stumps and roots remaining in the ground. We apprehend, from several reasons, that he has underrated the average crop, although he confirms his opinion on this point, by the authority of Mr. Bordley, an eminent agriculturist of Philadelphia. The cultivation of Indian corn, he states to be very expensive, the earth requiring to be moved continually; and at this average produce, it does not pay the expenses. This plant, seems particularly suited to the light soil and hot climate of America; the various purposes it answers, and the modes of using it, have been frequently described. At the period of maturity, it attains the height of 12 or 14 feet, and excels, perhaps, all other crops in stateliness and beauty. The average produce of other grain is thus stated.

"The produce of wheat I thought from one to ten bushels per acre the average; but Mr. Jefferson says not in Virginia three bushels and a half; Maryland the same. I am persuaded that from twelve to fifteen bushels is the highest and I do not think, that, during the time I was in America, I saw fifty acres that had from twelve to fifteen bushels per acre."

"The produce of barley, in the Northern States, from the best information, is, in good crops, from twelve to twenty bushels per acre, and much better in quality than in the South. The weight is from forty to forty-five pounds per bushel, and a rare sample fifty pounds; but that seldom happens. Long-Island produces the best. New-England produces a great deal of barley, but cannot produce wheat, even for the use of the inhabitants, who procure their flour from Virginia." Vol. ii. pp. 323, 324, 325.

"Of all the productions of America, oats are the worst in many cases they do not weigh above six stone per sack, fourteen pounds to the stone and they are of a nasty dingy colour, as if they had had rain. The produce of oats is very small indeed; generally from three to six bushels per acre: the quantity sown from three to four pecks per acre. In general, the soil seems to suit rye. It makes most excellent bread and as fair as some of our English wheat-bread. The produce of rye is from four to eight bushels per acre." Vol. ii. p. 323. 325..

"Buck-wheat is easy to raise. It is sown in August, and reaped in October. The produce is small-not more than three or four bushels

per acre. It is in great use for cakes for breakfast; they are very good: by taking the outer skin off before it is ground, the flour is very white." Vol. ii. p. 356.

Under these circumstances, it seems difficult to account for the large exportation of flour from America ;-but Mr. P. reminds us of the great extent of land in cultivation, of the small proportion of inhabitants, who consume more than they raise, and of the comparative cheapness of maize, which to them is, on other accounts, a preferable substitute.

Potatoes are said to be a losing crop; the produce is sometimes 100 bushels, but the average about 50. Upon a field of his own Mr. P. states, a loss of more than 181. (currency) per acre. This loss arose from its being expensively inanured in preparation for wheat: but says our author,

"The American land will not pay for such management. I will venture to assert that I should have had in England, on very moderate land, with twenty-five loads of such dung per acre, five hundred bushels of potatoes per acre. Therefore the produce would pay the farmer, even at American prices of labour." Vol. ii. p. 408.

Turnips produce from 150 to 350 bushels per acre, and would be very profitable, if many could be sold for the table; but the expence of sending to market and selling absorbs half the value. The plaster of Paris recommended by Judge Peters of Philadelphia, proves an excellent top-dressing for this plant, from its power of attracting and retaining moisture. The effect of two bushels sown upon an acre, is surprisingly speedy and beneficial. In a hot dry summer, perhaps, this manure might be found useful in England. Most vegetables thrive very well in America; but the various sorts of pulse are of an unserviceable * kind, no sort of animal likes them, they are only useful for

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the table."

The best land, it has been observed, produces clover; but the timothy grass seems in general to succeed better. Mr. P. assures us, with a trivial exception, that he never met with a natural meadow, or, even an artificial sward, in any of his excursions: the only sod or turf which he could find, was formed by herd-grass, a very rare species, which grows luxuriantly, and mats into a solid mass over swamps and quagmires. A ton of clover hay is worth about 41. 10s. upon the average. The tops and blades of maize are given to horses, instead of hay; and cows are fed with garden refuse and Indian corn.

Observing the average produce of American land, as here stated, the reader will be ready to enquire into the causes of its infertility, and the obstacles to its improvement.

"The soil" we are informed "is in general very thin; in many places not more than from one inch to an inch and a half thick. The under