Thanks to Parson Weems, most Americans are fully familiar with the apocryphal story of George Washington and the cherry tree.
Rather than cutting down trees, George Washington was in fact a great lover of trees -- and a
candidate for the title of First Farmer and First Conservationist.
Before his death in 1799, George Washington had amassed more than 8000 acres which he farmed and managed --in person or through detailed correspondence --even during the dreary days of Valley Forge. Contemporaneous records indicate that Washington never ignored his farms and that proper husbandry, scientific farming and conservation practices were subjects of considerable interest throughout his life.
Although many of us associate Thomas Jefferson with experimentation, George Washington was every bit his equal. Early in his life, Washington realized the ruinous quality of tobacco planting and urged his contemporaries to shift to a diversified system of agriculture.
In his last annual address to Congress, he even urged the appropriation of funds to develop a National Board of Agriculture to collect and distribute agricultural information -- a goal that was not realized until 1862 during the administration of Abraham Lincoln!
Washington also developed a unique 16-sided threshing barn. In the 18th century, threshing was generally done by hand and done outside. By designing and constructing a two-story barn, Washington was able not only to make threshing possible -- even in the worst of weather -- but also to assure thorough collection and safeguarding of grain obtained during the threshing process. An earthen ramp brought horses onto the second floor where they were led around the perimeter of the round barn. The harvested wheat, rye or oats was arranged on the treading floor, and the horses walked over the crop in a process called "treading out." Very narrow slats in the upper floor allowed the best grain to fall to a lower level room once it was separated from the chaff. Access to the lower room was, meanwhile, governed by lock and key!
And while we may think conservation is a modern principle, think again! Rather than throwing out all waste, Washington decided to incorporate farmyard refuse with animal manure to develop fertilizer. In 1796, Washington commanded his workmen to "rake, and scrape up all the trash, of every sort and kind about the houses, and in the holes and corners, and throw it (all I mean that will make dung) into the Stercory." The Dung repository -- or stercory -- was an important development in Washington's conservation system and a successful new source of fertilizer for his expansive plantations.
Visitors to Mount Vernon have a unique opportunity to see many of Washington's innovations, including his 16-sided barn which was recently reconstructed according to original plans.
Aspiring farmers with an interest in history should also check out Mount Vernon's pioneer farmer
internship. College-aged students can apply to become summer interns at Mount Vernon where they
don period clothes and engage in wheat, tobacco and corn production much as George Washington
did some 200 years ago. Information about this program can be obtained at the Mount Vernon Web
site, www.mountvernon.org (at Pioneer Farmer site) or by e-mailing for an application to
mvinfo@mountvernon.org.
