ng, with few variations, is practiced,
although some of the soils are much better adapted to the purpose than
are other soils of the area. The system of rotation practiced consists
of drilling in wheat and timothy seed together on the corn stubble in
the fall, and sowing clover in the following spring. The wheat is
harvested in the early summer, leaving the timothy and clover, which,
after obtaining a good growth, is grazed or cut the next year for hay.
This land is then plowed, and the following spring corn is planted, to
be followed by wheat again the next fall, thus completing the
rotation.

Loudoun's gently sweeping hills and broad valleys support great herds
of cattle and flocks of sheep, and yield immense crops of corn, wheat,
oats, and other cereals. More corn is produced and probably more live
stock marketed by Loudoun than by any other of the 100 counties of
Virginia.

The wheat is either sold for shipment or ground into flour by the many
mills of the County, which mainly supply the home demand. The surplus
is shipped chiefly to Washington and Baltimore. The major portion of
the corn is used locally for feeding beef cattle, dairy stock, and
work animals. Hay is shipped in large quantities and the rye, oats,
and buckwheat are mostly consumed at home. Considerable pork is
fattened in the County and many hundred head of cattle are annually
grazed to supply the Washington and Baltimore markets.

A Government statistician was responsible for the following statement,
based, no doubt, on the creditable showing made by Loudoun in the
census of 1880: "Taken as a whole, probably the best farming in the
State is now done in this (Loudoun) County." Of Virginia counties, it
stood, at that time, first in the production of corn, butter, eggs,
and wool, and in numbers of milch cows and sheep, and second only to
Fauquier in the number of its stock cattle.

The breeding of superior stock and horses is an important branch of
the County's agricultural activities. A contributor to _Country Life
in America_, in an article entitled "Country Life in Loudoun County,"
says of it: "And the raising of animals is here not the fad of men of
wealth who would play at country life. It is a serious business,
productive of actual profit and a deep-seated satisfaction as
continuous and well grounded as I have ever seen taken by men in their
vocation."

The wealthier class of citizens of course specialize, each according
to his personal cho