Richmond, the capital city of Virginia, is very picturesquely situated upon and among several hills, and viewed from the adjacent high ground, through the bituminous smoke it creates, reminds the traveler of Edinburgh. It [95] is generally well built, but, with the exception of a few modern mansions, entirely without elegance. The streets are unpaved, and but a few of them are provided with sidewalks other than of gravel. The city is well lighted with gas, and supplied with water by an aqueduct. The population is about 28,000. The Capitol, standing on elevated ground, so that as you approach the city you see it well above the surrounding roofs, has a very imposing appearance. It is modeled after the Maison Quarrée of Nismes, and like most public edifices copied from the ancients, is very inconvenient in its interior arrangements. There is a statue of Washington, by Houdon, a French sculptor, in the Rotunda, which was obtained by Mr. Jefferson in Paris. The grounds about the Capitol are naturally admirable, and have lately been improved with neatness and taste. A fine monument, to be surmounted by an equestrian statue of Washington, by Crawford, is now building in them. Their beauty and interest would be greatly increased if some of the fine native trees and shrubs of Virginia, particularly the holly and the evergreen magnolias, were planted in them. I noticed these, as well as the Irish and palmated ivy, showing great vigor and beauty, in the private gardens of the town. On some high, sterile lands, of which there are several thousand acres, uninclosed and uncultivated, near the city, I saw a group of exceedingly beautiful trees, having the lively green and all the lightness, gracefulness and beauty of foliage in the Winter of the finest deciduous trees. I could not believe, until I came near them, that they were what I found them to be, our common red cedar. I have before observed that the beauty of this tree was greatly affected by the soil it stood in; in certain localities, on the Hudson River for instance, and in the lower part of New-Jersey, it grows in a perfectly dense, conical, cypress-like form. These, on the other hand, were square-headed, dense, flattened at the top, like the cedar of Lebanon, and with a light, graceful, slightly drooping spray, wherever they cut the light. They stood in gravel; small quartz gravel, slightly bound with red clay. The red cedar is very much more beautiful here generally than I have often observed it at the North, and probably enjoys the climate more.

The Legislature was in session, and the city filled with a respectable representation of the whole State. The hotel that I stayed at was a very excellent one, hardly excelled in the country; the proprietor had served an apprenticeship at the North. I went to the theatre one night while those delightful pets, the “Bateman children,” were performing. Long before the curtain rose every seat was occupied. I have rarely seen a better looking assembly, or one in which there was so large a proportion of fine, tall, spirited men and beautiful, cultivated-looking women. The men, however, were greatly deficient in robustness, and the women in stateliness and grace, so that they had by no means an aristocratic or high-bred air. Everybody in Richmond seemed to be always in high dress. You would meet ladies early of a drizzly day, creeping along their muddy streets in light silk dresses and satin hats; and never a gentleman seemed to relieve himself of the close-fitting, shiny, black, full evening suit, and indulge in the luxury of a loose morning coat. Their manners, too, seemed [96] to me to partake of the same character. I acknowledge I found it otherwise in the country. The Virginia gentleman on his plantation drops town restraints, and enjoys a rough shooting-jacket life. Here you find him, for all the world like an English squire, independent, wayward, extravagant, truth-speaking, hearty and frank, though holding hard to some ceremony; sport-loving, and affecting roughness, but really courteous, simple minded, and hospitable to all men and all things that come well introduced or respectably connected.

There is probably no part of the world where great wealth confers so little rank, or is attended with so few advantages over a moderate competency; nevertheless wealth is much concentrated in Virginia, and while there is an immense poverty-stricken community, there are also many very great estates. One young gentleman was pointed out to me as having an annual income of $50,000, entirely from landed property. I remarked that I should think he would dispose of some of it and invest in other ways; as agricultural property, beyond what a man can personally superintend, is rarely profitable. “On the contrary he is constantly buying new plantations to stock with the natural increase of his niggers.” Another, I was told, was the owner of half a dozen parks, all stocked with deer, in different parts of the State.

Richmond is now rapidly increasing and greatly-prospering commercially. It is the market for a great wheat, tobacco and maize-producing country, which is fast being brought closer to it and much extending by the canals and railroads running west and southwest, and which will soon be pushed through the blue ridge to the valleys of the Ohio and the Tennessee, with the competing lines from Boston, New-York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston and Savannah for the produce of the West. It is situated at the Falls of the James River, which give it great manufacturing capabilities, and at the head of navigation on that river for sea-going vessels drawing not over ten feet water. The river channel is narrow and crooked, however, and much injured by bars that a comparatively small sum would remove. Virginia, with an admirable spunk, has, until lately, refused, from laziness or from feebleness to act about this little job for herself, or from her peculiar political notions to ask, or allow the right of, the Federal Government to do it for the good of the nation. An appropriation of $40,000 was made by the last Congress for it, and operations are about commencing, which she shows no disposition at present to interrupt. The commerce of Richmond, by the sea, is trifling; principally with New-York, where nearly all the materials of her trade, whether of export or import, are transshipped. A line of steamers is now running regularly between the two ports.

The flouring mills of Richmond are among the largest in the world, perhaps the largest. Those of one house, I was told, are capable of turning out 1,000 barrels of flour a day. The whole amount of flour made here was, in 1850, 336,120 barrels. Very large new mills are now building.

Tobacco manufacturing is also a very large, extensive business. I am not able to give the amount of it, but it is a mere trifle compared with the [97] amount of tobacco manufactured elsewhere, at the North and in Europe, from the raw leaf that is collected and shipped at this market.

There are also extensive distilleries, one or two paper mills, &c.

There are several large Cotton manufactories. A stockholder in one of these told me, that although manufactories at the East were now paying well that had the same sort of machinery, made similar goods, and that paid about the same rates of wages, these were not. I asked him if he could explain the cause; he answered: “I suppose it must be want of good management.” The cotton used here is mainly produced in the State; some comes up by railroad from North Carolina. It must cost less than to the Eastern manufacturer.

In the Cotton factories the hands employed are white, mainly women; and are paid by the piece at the same rates as in New-England, or a little lower. In the tobacco factories, blacks, both slaves and free, are engaged. They are also paid according to their expertness and activity, earning from fifty cents to two dollars a day.

The water power is unlimited and most convenient.

Bituminous coal is plentifully supplied from mines near the city. It is the same coal that is used in all our Eastern cities for gas manufacture and is retailed at 12½ cents a bushel—a bushel weighing from 70 to 90 lbs. Anthracite comes by sea from Philadelphia. Pine and oak wood $2.50 per cord, or any amount of either, I suppose, for little more than the expense of cutting and hauling a dozen miles. Staple articles of food, the produce of the country, 16 per cent. cheaper than in New-England. Anything foreign, and most manufactured articles, 10 per cent. above Eastern prices. The climate is represented by Northern men and Europeans to be agreeable, but little if any greater extremes of heat than at New-York in Summer, and much milder in Winter. The mean temperature in July and August is about 80° Fahrenheit, and in January, 44°. The city is mainly built on elevated ground and has a porous and dry foundation. It is also well supplied with water. Its health statistics, as might be expected, compare favorably with those of other cities. The deaths are 1 in 70 of the population, while in Philadelphia they are 1 in 45; Boston, 1 in 40; Charleston, 1 in 36; Liverpool, 1 in 19.

Excepting at New-York, I do not know of a situation in the Northern States having natural advantages for manufacturing purposes and trade equal to these. There are, however, no advantages for foreign commerce. The citizens talk of it much as if there were, and they have proposed, by aid of Government, to establish a line of steamers to Europe; but in the present era of ocean conveyance, it is simply absurd. Glasgow is much better situated for foreign commerce, but has not, by most energetic and persevering attempts, succeeded in becoming a port of any consequence to the world beyond Great Britain. She has been obliged to give it up to Liverpool. She can build steamers and ships for other ports, but never can sail them profitably herself. But Richmond has a hundred times the advantages of New-York or of Glasgow, or of any Northern or European city for manufacturing, much greater than some of the largest in [98] the world for inland and domestic commerce. Glasgow has none to compare with her, and yet Glasgow is running neck and neck with New-York in population and wealth and beating her in the ratio of her increase.

Will you not stop quarreling with New-York for “stealing your legitimate trade” and give a moment’s thought to this, Virginians?

This morning I visited a farm, some account of which will give you a good idea of the more advanced style of agriculture in Eastern Virginia. It is situated on the bank of James’ River, and has ready access by water or land-carriage to the city of Richmond. The soil of the greater part, is a red, plastic clay—loam of a medium or low fertility, with a large intermixture of small quartz pebbles. On the river bank is a tract of low alluvial land, varying from an eighth to a quarter of a mile in breadth. The soil of this is a sandy loam of the very finest quality in every respect, and it has been discovered in some places to be over ten feet in thickness; at which depth the sound trunk of a white oak has been found, showing it to be a recent deposit. I was assured that good crops of corn, wheat and clover had been taken from it, without its giving any indications of “wearing out,” although no manure, except an occasional dressing of lime, had been returned to it; for forty years a corn-crop of 50 bushels an acre had been grown, without manure except the plowed-in clover upon it, this year.

The rotation, corn, wheat, and clover two years, is followed on both upland and lowland, herd’s grass (red-top of New-York) sometimes taking the place of the clover, or grown with it, and mowed for hay for a series of years.

Hay always brings a high price in Richmond, and is usually shipped to that market from the eastward. This year, however, it is but a trifle above New-York prices, and the whole supply is drawn from this vicinity.

Oats in the straw are brought in considerable quantity to Richmond for horse feed, from the surrounding country. It is often pressed in bales like hay, and sells for about the same price. Thus at present, Hay (Northern bale) is $1.25 to $1.50; Oats in straw the same; while Oats, clean, (threshed) are 40¢ to 50¢. Wheat straw, 75¢; Corn 56¢ to 70¢; “Shucks,” the sheaths of the ears of Maize, are also sold here for horse-feed, generally at half the price of Northern Hay, which is evidently below their comparative value.

Lime is used largely, being applied at the wheat-sowing, at the rate of 25 to 50 bushels the acre. The lime for this is stone-lime, bought at Haverstraw, New-York, costing, delivered here, 71¼¢ to 7½¢ a bushel.

Plaster (gypsum) has been tried with little or no profit.

Dung is largely accumulated from the farmstock, and is applied to the corn-crop.

Guano is largely used. After trying greater and less quantities, the proprietor arrived at the conclusion that 200 lbs. the acre was the most profitable. It is now applied at that rate to all the wheat, and is also used for turnips. For corn it was not thought of much value; the greatest advantage had been obtained by applying it to the poorest land of the farm, some of which was of so [99] small fertility and at such a distance from the cattle quarters and the river, that it could not be profitably cultivated, and had been at waste for many years. Two hundred weight of Peruvian Guano to the acre brought 15 bushels of wheat; and a good crop of clover was perfectly sure to follow, by which the permanent improvement of the soil could be secured. This the proprietor esteemed to be the greatest benefit he derived from Guano, and he was pushing a regular plan for bringing all his more sterile upland into the system of convertible husbandry by its aid.

This plan is, to prepare the ground by fallowing for wheat, spread 200 pounds Guano broadcast, on the harrowed surface, and turn it under as closely as possible after the sowers, with a two-shovel plow (a sort of large two-shared cultivator), the wheat either being sowed and covered with the guano or immediately afterwards drilled-in with a horse-machine. In the Spring clover is sown. After the wheat is harvested, the clover is allowed to grow, without being pastured or mown, for twelve months. The ground is then limed, clover plowed in, and in October again guanoed 200 cwt. to the acre, and wheat sowed, with clover to follow. The clover may be pastured the following year, but in the year succeeding that, it is allowed to grow unchecked until August, when it is plowed in, the ground again limed, guanoed, and wheat sowed with herd’s-grass (red-top) and clover, which is to remain for mowing and pasture as long as the ground will profitably sustain it. The lime is not allowed to come in contact with the guano.

A horse-drill was used for wheat-sowing, and Hussey’s reaper for harvesting it; the proprietor preferring it to McCormick’s, on account of its greater strength and durability. He had used both, and found McCormick’s often occasioned delays at harvest from getting out of order. I have heard a similar report from others, and found Hussey’s generally in use on the larger plantations. I will say here, that the Scotch claim of precedence in the invention of Horse Reapers is, without doubt, correct. I understand there is a Scotchman in Richmond, who states that he saw Bell’s Reaper in operation in that country many years ago. I myself saw a model of a Horse Reaper in Scotland the year before the Great Fair. It is nevertheless no doubt true, that both the inventions of Hussey and McCormick, were original, and that the credit of first bringing horse-power into extensive practical operation in cutting wheat, both in this country and in Great Britain, belongs to them.

The labor of this farm was entirely performed by slaves. Their “quarters” lined the approach road to the mansion, and were well-made, comfortable log cabins, about thirty feet long by twenty wide, and eight feet tall, with a high loft and shingle roof; each divided in the middle, and occupied by two families, having a brick chimney outside the wall at each end. There were square windows, closed by wooden ports, having a single pane of glass in the centre. The house servants were neatly dressed, but the field hands wore very coarse and ragged garments.

I was in company with the proprietor at least three hours, and I don’t [100] think there were ten consecutive minutes of that time uninterrupted by some of the slaves requiring his direction or assistance. He was obliged to leave the dinner-table three times. Truly remarked he, “A farmer’s life here is no sine-cure.”

He was a very generous-minded, good-hearted man, as was indicated, among other ways, by his interest in the efforts to introduce Christianity among the degraded poor of New-York. When there, he had visited the Five Points, and his admiration and respect for Mr. Pease, the missionary whose exceedingly sensible and noble labors have been frequently the subject of commendation in your paper, was almost unbounded.“I consider that man a hero,” said he, “worthy to rank among the great and brave men of the world.” With regard to Slavery, he said,“I only wish you philanthropists could contrive any way to relieve us of it. But what can we do? The free blacks are, almost all—there are some exceptions—here, and at the North, as well, miserable vagabonds, drunken, vicious, worse off, I candidly believe, than those in slavery. I am satisfied, too, that our slaves in Virginia are in a happier condition than most of the poor laborers of the North, certainly than those of England, or almost any other Christian country. I am not sure that free labor would not be more profitable; the slaves are wasteful, careless, and in various ways subject me to provoking losses.

“This is a hard life. You see how constantly I am called on, often at night as well as day. I did not sleep a wink last night till near morning; my health is failing and my wife is feeble, but I cannot rid myself of it. I cannot trust an overseer. I had one, and paid him four hundred dollars a year, and I had almost as much work and anxiety in looking after him as in overseeing for myself.”

I asked what was the general character of the overseers. “They are the curse of the country, the worst men in our community, Sir. But the other day, I had another sort of one offer, a fellow like a dancing master, with kid gloves and wristbands turned neatly over his sleeves, and all so nice that I almost was ashamed to talk to him in my old coat and slouch hat; half a bushel of recommendations, too, he had with him. Well, he was not the man for me; not half the gentleman, with all his airs, that Ned, here,” (a black boy) “is.”

Afterwards he said to me of the slaves: “Oh, they are interesting creatures, Sir, and, with all their faults, have many beautiful traits. I can’t help being attached to them, and I am sure they love us.” I did not doubt it; his manner towards them was parental—familiar and kind; and they came to him like children who have been given some task, and constantly are wanting to be encouraged and guided, simply and confidently. At dinner, he frequently addressed the servant who waited on us familiarly, and drew him into our conversation as if he were a family friend, better informed on some local and domestic points than himself.

He informed me that able-bodied field-hands were hired out in this vicinity at the rate of one hundred dollars a year and their board and clothing. [101] Four able-bodied men that I have employed the last year, on my farm in New-York, I pay on an average one hundred and five dollars each, and board them; they clothe themselves (at an expense, I think, of twenty dollars a year; probably slave’s clothing costs five dollars). They constitute all the force of my farm hired by the year, except a boy, who goes to school in Winter, and have no overseer, but one of themselves, in my absence. I pay the fair wages of the market, more than any of my neighbors, I believe, and these are no lower than the average of what I have paid for the last five years. This, then, probably offers a fair comparison of the proportionate cost of free and slave labor. I have little doubt that mine is most economical.

It is difficult to measure the labor performed in a day by one with that of the other, on account of undefined differences in the soil and in the bulk and weight of articles operated with and upon. But here I am shown tools that no man in his senses with us would allow a laborer he was paying wages to, to be encumbered with; and the excessive weight and clumsiness of which, I should judge, would make work at least ten percent. greater than with those ordinarily used with us, and I am assured that in the careless and clumsy way that they must be used by the slaves, anything lighter or less rude would not be good economy, and that such tools as we constantly give our laborers and find our profit in giving them, would not last out a day in a Virginia corn field—much lighter and more free from stones though it be than ours.

So, too, I ask why mules are so universally substituted for horses on the farm! The first reason, and confessedly the most conclusive one, is, that horses cannot bear the treatment that they always must get from slaves; horses are always soon foundered or crippled by them, while mules will bear cudgelling, and lose a meal or two now and then, and not be materially injured, and they do not take cold or get sick if neglected or overworked; but I do not need to go further than to the window of the room in which I am writing to see, at almost any time, treatment of cattle that would insure the immediate discharge of the driver by almost any farmer owning them at the North.

Before leaving Virginia, I hope to be able to examine this subject more thoroughly.