The law exempts a homestead from attachment or levy of execution to the amount of five hundred dollars; also (unless turned out to the officer by the debtor, to be taken on the attachment in execution) such suitable apparel, bedding, tools, arms, and articles of household furniture as may be necessary for upholding life, one sewing-machine kept for use, one cow, the best swine, or the meat of one swine, sheep not exceeding in number ten, and one year's product of said sheep in wool yarn, or cloth, forage sufficient for keeping not exceeding ten sheep and one cow through one winter, ten cords of firewood or five tons of coal, twenty bushels of potatoes, all growing crops, ten bushels of grain, one barrel of flour, three swarms of bees and hives, together with their produce in honey, two hundred pounds of sugar, and all lettered gravestones, the Bibles and other books used in a family, one pew or slip in a meeting-house or place of religious worship, live poultry not exceeding in value the sum of ten dollars, the professional books and instruments of physicians, and the professional books of clergymen and attorneys at law, to the value of two hundred dollars; and also one yoke of oxen or steers, as the debtor may select, two horses kept and used for team-work, and such as the debtor may select in lieu of oxen or steers, but not exceeding in value the sum of two hundred dollars, with sufficient forages for keeping the same through the winter; also the pistols, side arms, and equipments personally used by any soldier in the service of the United States and kept by him or his heirs as mementoes of his service, also one two-horse wagon with whiffle-trees and neck-yoke; or one ox-cart, as the debtor may choose; one sled or one set of traverse sleds, either for horses or oxen, as the debtor may select; two harnesses, two halters, two chains, one plow, and one ox-yoke, which with the oxen or steers or horses which the debtor may select for team work, shall not exceed in value two hundred and fifty dollars; also one tool chest kept for use by a mechanic. A housekeeper or head of a family has a homestead exemption from attachment or execution in a dwelling-house and lands appurtenant, used or kept as a homestead, to the value of five hundred dollars. VIRGINIA.