SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 331 



was barely able to support a few scrub cattle and feed the 

 laborers that were striving to glean a scanty support 

 from the old impoverished fields. 



Major Holcomb gives the average of his cows during 

 summer, at 16 quarts of milk a-day, and that averages 

 one pound of butter. One cow averaged 22 quarts, which 

 made two pounds of butter a-day for some weeks; but 

 this indicates an unusual richness of milk, as well as 

 large quantity. The common estimate of quantity of 

 milk required upon a general average, among cows, to 

 make a pound of butter, is 15 quarts ; but I am of opinion 

 that 18 quarts would be nearer the truth. Major H. esti- 

 mates his cows to average 5 quarts a-day through the 

 year, which will give 114 pounds of butter per annum to 

 the cow, although that is below the average of some 

 herds. I believe it is much above the general average of 

 the United States. 



Major H. has some working oxen so large and hand- 

 some that they might be exhibited in some places fur- 

 ther south, as natural curiosities ; and in comparison with 

 the "piney-woods oxen," of North Carolina and some 

 other states I could name, they would pass for a newly- 

 discovered breed of horned elephants. He sells all his 

 choice male calves for breeders, at moderate prices, and 

 is thus disseminating the good qualities of this stock, and 

 greatly benefitting his agricultural brethren, at the same 

 time he is reaping his reward in a fair profit upon invest- 

 ments and liberal expenditures in improvements of stock, 

 crops, and soil. 



Major Holcomb raised 500 bushels of potatoes, upon 

 two acres of clayey-loam soil, well manured and deep 

 plowed; but does not consider it as an extraordinary 

 crop, nor more than may be made upon any suitable soil, 

 by a judicious system of cultivation. One man in the 

 county made 500 bushels upon one acre. He dropped 

 them in every furrow, one foot apart, and then covered 

 the ground about a foot deep with straw. 



The manner of carrying on farming, adopted by Major 



