Dr. Hardin:  Since my mom was a history major and teacher as well as an avid fan of including geography heavily within her lesson plans, I must not only agree with you but the author of the statement at the end of your messages as well. Jane Steele.

-----Original Message-----
>From: "Hardin, David" <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sep 28, 2007 12:52 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] land definitions
>
>  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
>    >>
>    >>
>    >> --
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>    >> 9/27/2007 11:06 AM
>    >>
>    >>


Lillian Jane Steele