SOLON ROBINSON, 1850 357 



most enterprising and thorough-going sort; as is most 

 apparent in his work as contractor upon the water works 

 and canals; while at the same time, without the assist- 

 ance of an overseer, he has carried on his large planta- 

 tion, three miles below town, having made about 20,000 

 bushels of corn last year, besides a large quantity of 

 other things for sale, with 30 hands, 28 of whom were 

 females. This he has done from a thorough knowledg 

 of the value and art of making manure. 



The average yield of corn here, one year with another, 

 is about 25 bushels to the acre — oats the same, though 

 he has made 80 bushels. Mr, Delaigle told me that he 

 had frequently made 300 bushels of sweet potatoes to the 

 acre. 



His premises are well worth visiting, both by northern 

 and southern farmers. The first would see how a south- 

 ern farmer, born upon the spot, can make and use ma- 

 nure, and see yards, stables, cattle sheds, stock, tools, 

 buildings, and farming in its most comprehensive sense, 

 equal to anything of the kind in his own country. The 

 latter would see an example worthy to be followed. 



I noticed in the cattle yard, a vast quantity of oak and 

 other leaves, mixed with the manure. This is now being 

 hauled out and dropped in heaps and covered ; and in the 

 fore part of April, the corn is planted in checks four feet 

 by six, two stalks in a hill to stand, and each hill has a 

 shovelful of this coarse manure, and a handful of lime, 

 which he makes from oyster shells, "picked up about 

 town." 



Mr. D.'s sweet potatoes, of which he raises from 3,000 

 to 5,000 bushels a-year, are kept in a brick house, of 

 which about five feet are above and five below ground. 

 The potatoes are dug and put away as rapidly as possible, 

 after commencing, and have a layer of fine straw next the 

 walls, and several ventilators through the heap, made of 

 four boards full of holes, nailed together. Over these are 

 trap doors, into the cockloft, which has outside ventila- 

 tors, to open and shut as required. In this way, with the 



