224 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



last war from which the house has inherited the 

 name. 



The valleys around are pretty well settled, but, for 

 the trees one cannot see the houses, of which there 

 must be a number, if one is found every mile or two. 

 Path Valley and Aughwick Valley show a good and 

 fertile soil and excellent grass. These people were 

 greatly embarrassed over the long drouth this sum- 

 mer. They must always get their winter wheat into 

 the ground before the end of August, because other- 

 wise the following year it will not be large and strong 

 enough to be safe against the mildew. But while the 

 farmer, here as elsewhere, is expecting the rain neces- 

 sary for seeding, he often loses valuable time and 

 finds himself in the end mistaken, or his harvest not so 

 good. In such cases it would be an advantage, with a 

 little more trouble, if the device was adopted which 

 Hasselquist mentions as in use among the Egyptians, 

 where the ploughman, by means of a water-skin slung 

 over his shoulder, supplies the furrow with enough 

 moisture for the development of the seed which is 

 dropped immediately behind him. Iron and lime are 

 found in these valleys. In these mountain regions, as 

 throughout Pensylvania, much spelt is raised ; which 

 is used more as feed for horses than in any other way. 

 There are nowhere set up mills of a fashion to grind 

 the fine meal from it. Horses like it and thrive on it. 

 From here to the foot of the Sideling-hills, nine and 

 a half miles, we found the road better than we had ex- 

 pected, for the most part level, and red clay soil, which 

 promises good wheat-land. Saw only two cabins the 

 whole way, the only ones in these parts. 



Sideling-hill is, together with the Alleghany and 



