In my research in Essex County, I found that the
  term "farm" was pretty rare, but that had nothing to
  do with farm size or labor pool.  If you pay
  attention to the writings of Landon Carter and
  George Washington, you'll see what the real
  distinction was:  "planters" planted tobacco and
  corn; "farmers" cultivated wheat.  The distinction
  obviously awaited the advent of extensive wheat
  growing after 1750, especially in the piedmont. 
  Jefferson, Washington and others sang the praises of
  wheat as a way to get out from under the tobacco
  system.  In Virginia, the problem was that wheat was
  difficult to raise and wasn't as profitable as corn
  or tobacco.  In Tidewater Virginia, some planters -
  usually the wealthiest - dabbled in wheat, but corn
  and tobacco remained the export-crops-of-choice. 
  The regime of wheat did have one benefit:  it didn't
  absorb the grower's time the way that both tobacco
  and corn did.  I've always wondered if anyone has
  looked into a possible correlation between crop
  choice and revolutionary leanings.  Corn vs. wheat
  absolutely made a major difference in attitudes and
  voting patterns in Illinois in 1860.

________________________________

Dr. David S. Hardin
Assistant Professor of Geography
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Longwood University
Farmville, Virginia 23909
Phone: (434) 395-2581
e-mail: [log in to unmask]

********************
"For as Geography without History
seemeth a carkasse without motion,
so History without Geography
wandreth as a Vagrant without a
certaine habitation."
John Smith, 1627


  ---- Original message ----

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:18:10 -0400
    From: Harold Gill <[log in to unmask]>
    Subject: Re: land definitions
    To: [log in to unmask]

    >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
    >>
    >>
    >> --
    >> No virus found in this incoming message.
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    >> 9/27/2007 11:06 AM
    >>
    >>