SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 329 



The Traveller. — No. 3. 



[New York American Agriculturist, 9:298-99; Oct., 1850] 



[November ?, 1849] 



Leaving Wilmington, Deleware, in a southerly direc- 

 tion, we cross Christiana Creek, which is navigable for 

 vessels of goodly size, some of which I noticed unloading 

 lime here, and at the villages of Newport and Christiana, 

 above, as within a few years the use of this great im- 

 prover of the soil has become of vast importance to this 

 state. The flats along this stream are broad, partially- 

 reclaimed marshes, and esteemed very valuable. The face 

 of the country, south of the creek, exhibits no rocks and 

 hills of any magnitude, most of the land on the whole 

 peninsula being less than 100 feet elevation above tide 

 water, and much of it not a fourth of that. The largest 

 part of the soil is sandy loam, originally fertile, easily 

 cultivated, and easily worn out, which has been done in 

 numerous instances most effectually, until some of the 

 old proprietors, unable to live longer upon "the skinning 

 system," have given place to men of more enlightened 

 minds ; and now it may be said with truth that no county 

 in the United States can show a larger proportion of good 

 farms, nor a better and more improving system of agri- 

 culture, nor a more enlightened community than New- 

 Castle county. 



Hedges. — There is probably more land fenced with 

 hedges, principally of New-Castle thorn, in this county, 

 than any other in the United States. If kept well trimmed, 

 at a great expense of labor, it certainly makes a very 

 handsome fence, and against cattle and sheep, is some- 

 what of a barrier. That is to say, if your stock is in a 

 good clover field, such as abound there in great luxuri- 

 ance, they will not go through the hedge unless they are 

 a very mischievous breed. Major John Jones, ^ a very 



' John Jones of New Castle and Kent counties, Delaware. Promi- 

 nent speaker at agricultural fairs and contributor to agricultural 

 periodicals. Contributor of valuable statistics to the agricultural 

 division of the Patent Office. Honorary member of the Cecil County 



