George Washington: Farmer: Being an Account of His Home Life and Agricultural ActivitiesHaworth, Paul Leland
History
George Washington: Farmer: Being an Account of His Home Life and Agricultural Activities
Haworth, Paul Leland
Mount Vernon (Va. : Estate); Washington, George, 1732-1799 -- Homes and haunts -- Virginia -- Mount Vernon (Estate)
Dogue Run Farm 397.11.2 Mansion House .. 466.18. 2-1/2
Union Farm .... 529.10.11-1/2 Muddy Hole Farm 60. 1. 3-1/2
River Farm .... 234. 4.11 Spinning ....... 51. 2. 0
Smith's Shop .. 34.12.09-1/2 Hire of Head
Distillery .... 83.13. 1 overseer ..... 140. 0. 0
Jacks ......... 56.1
Traveler ...... 9.17
(stud horse)
Shoemaker ..... 28.17. 1
Fishery ....... 165.12. 0-1/4 By clear gain on
Dairy ......... 30.12. 3 the Estate.....£898.16. 4-1/4
Mr. Paul Leicester Ford considered this "a pretty poor showing for an
estate and negroes which had certainly cost him over fifty thousand
dollars, and on which there was live stock which at the lowest
estimation was worth fifteen thousand dollars more." In some respects it
was a poor showing. Yet the profit Washington sets down is about seven
per cent. upon sixty-five thousand dollars, and seven per cent. is more
than the average farmer makes off his farm to-day except through the
appreciation in the value of the land. The truth is, however, that Mount
Vernon, including the live stock and slaves, was really worth in 1798
nearer two hundred thousand dollars than sixty-five thousand, so that
the actual return would only be about two and a fourth per cent.
But Washington failed to include in his receipts many items, such as the
use of a fine mansion for himself and family, the use of horses and
vehicles, and the added value of slaves and live stock by
natural increase.
Besides in some other years the profits were much larger.
And lastly, in judging a man's success or failure as a farmer, allowance
must be made for the kind of land that he has to farm. The Mount Vernon
land was undoubtedly poor in quality, and it is probable that Washington
got more out of it than has ever been got out of it by any other person
either before or since. Much of it to-day must not pay taxes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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