126 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



to afiford to plants their most nutritious pabulum. I am the more 

 convinced of the truth of this, when taken by Mr. Neal through 

 his ground, which is admirably laid out for the cultivation of 

 fruits of all kinds, for which purpose it is mainly designed; and 

 although little more than two years since he entered on it a wil- 

 derness, it will take the palm as an orchard and garden from any- 

 thing I ever beheld at the north, in the immense profusion with 

 which the trees are loaded with fruit, with this peculiarity that 

 the apples, peaches and many other fruits grow in clusters of 

 from five to eight. The color of the soil of this lovely spot was 

 jet black, and the secret of its great fertility was discoverable in 

 a large spring situated on the side of a mountain near by, the 

 water from which is led in little ditches of an inch or so in depth 

 in every direction through his garden and orchard where required, 

 thus obviating the necessity of the windmill and pump, before 

 alluded to, for this purpose. These little streams, meandering 

 through his grounds, carried little bright shining particles of 

 mica, which, to the uninitiated, bore all the appearance of gold. 

 Besides the immense crop of fruits and vegetables Mr. Neal has 

 already raised this year on his farm of eighty -four acres eighty 

 tons of hay, made from huge crops of barle}^ wheat and oats, 

 which is cut while the grain is yet in the milk, the hay being in 

 value here from twenty-five to sixty dollars a ton. All the help 

 Mr. Neal employs to perform the labor of his farm is an old Indian 

 chief, of great celebrity as a warrior, and his two sons, boys of 

 about sixteen and seventeen. All of them excel as marksmen 

 and by their dexterity as such keep his table continually and 

 abundantly supplied with all manner of game native to this region 

 of country. The Indians are in abundance, located a short dis- 

 tance from this town, some of whom are daily visitors; but few 

 of them seem disposed to adopt habits of civilized life. 



The Chinese are to be found in large numbers in and around 

 the neighborhood. They are chiefly engaged in mining, and that 

 in places deserted by the whites as not sufficiently productive. 

 There are two classes of these — Tartars and Chinamen — who bear 

 a deadly enmity to each other. When the opportunity presents 

 of either side being brought within the meshes of the law, the 

 other side will expend large sums in the feeing of lawyers, and 

 do their utmost to have their opponents hanged. A peculiar 

 arrangement exists with regard to the people. If any of the 

 males die here they are buried for a time, then disinterred and 



