equipment in 1835, but not uncommon among successful farmers.

[33] _Ibid._ Schlebecker discussed the possibility of dairying as
follows: "It's very likely he was in the business. Now whether
it was butter or cheese--butter would pay better, and he is
pretty close to Alexandria and Washington, and, for that
matter, by sea to Baltimore. Butter would have been the more
attractive of the commodities; cheese would keep better, could
be shipped farther and find a greater variety of markets, but
wouldn't pay quite as well. But I don't see evidence he was in
the cheese business, and I'd be happier if I saw more churns
on the list, or if the churn were better described. One churn
would be enough if it were big enough. And it could very well
be run by a sheep or a dog. You see, he's certainty got enough
cows to be in the dairy business, willy nilly." (Transcription
of tape-recorded interview with John Schlebecker, February 26,
1969, p. 6.)

[34] _Ibid._ See also inventory in appendix B.

[35] _Alexandria Gazette_, November 6, 1839, notice of sale.

[36] Alfred Moss and Thomas Love, affidavit of October 29, 1839, in
proceedings to sell the farm owned by Thomas Moss, deceased.

[37] The wills and property inventories of members of the Moss family
reveal much information that helps reconstruct the activity on
their farm. Considering the equipment used, the products grown
and processed, and the number of slaves reported, it is
possible that between the 1820's and 1850's the farm was also
engaged in breeding slaves for export to the rice and indigo
plantations of South Carolina and the cotton plantations of
Alabama and Mississippi. A certain amount of this traffic was
also carried on locally.

U.S. Census population records compiled from 1810 through 1850
show that slaveholding continued at a high level relative to
other changing circumstances in agriculture and in the Moss
family. See census records for Fairfax County in National
Archives, Microfilm Division, Microcopy Roll 68 (1810), 137
(1820), 201 (1830), 558 (1840), 942 (1850).

[38] These roads were the Dumfries and Falmouth Roads via Ashby's
Gap, the Colchester Road via Williams' Gap, and the Alexandria