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. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.32/1033 - Release Date: > 9/27/2007 11:06 AM > >