I think the reason the term farm is seen so rarely in Virginia is because 
most people grew tobacco as a staple crop so most agricultural operations 
were plantations.
HBG
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joan Horsley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:58 PM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] land definitions


> I'm interested in your distinction between "plantation" and "farm," 
> because I don't think I've ever seen the word "farm" in pre-Revolution 
> northern Virginia deeds, road orders, or wills, only "plantation." I had 
> assumed that "plantation" in such records was a generic term for 
> cultivated land regardless of crop, size, etc--at least that's how it 
> seemed to be used.
>
> There's this example from a 1710 document regarding the distribution of 
> land to the Huguenot refugees of Manakin. Here again "plantation" seems 
> just to mean "farm"  or even simply a piece of land that could be farmed:
>
> "And it is further Ordered, that such of the French Refugees as have 
> bought the Plantations, or dividents of any other of the said Nation in 
> the first 5,000 Acres, shall have and enjoy the same without prejudice to 
> such Purchaser, to hold the Land due to him for his own share, and to take 
> up as much more as will make his said Share the Compleat quantity of 133 
> Acres. [R. A. Brock's Huguenot Documents]
>
> Could it be that, at least early on, the use of "plantation" differed 
> depending on the context--a kind of value-neutral "place of planting" for 
> a land or court record versus a social situation with cultural and class 
> implications of heirarchy? Or have I misunderstood the records?
>
>  Joan Horsley
>
> Harold Gill <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>  Plantations in Virginia produced a staple crop such as tobacco while 
> farms
> produced provisions such as corn, wheat, and other grains.William Nelson
> wrote that his son Hugh converted one of his plantations to a farm for
> growing provisions instead of tobacco. John Adams wrote in Feb. 1777: "The
> Planters are those who raise Tobacco and the Farmers such as raise Wheat
> &c." This distinction seems to have been normal in 18th century Virginia.
> HBG
>
>
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