NO EMIGRATION. 67 



the land in excellent condition for wheat, or for oats, to sow 

 clover with ; and the husking may, I have no doubt, be 

 rendered unnecessary, by letting it stand till perfectly ripe 

 and dry, when the ear with the husk may be stripped from 

 the stalk ; the latter may be then cut and tied into sheaves 

 and shocked, and the former carted directly to cribs till 

 wanted to thrash; it is said they will riot keep in the husk, 

 but if carried quite dry, and put into narrow cribs, I am 

 confident they will. 



September 23. We had a very smart clap of thunder, 

 with some rain, which improved vegetation ; and by this 

 period, fruits have all ripened, and there are considerable 

 quantities of wild grapes, called thorn plumbs, the size of a 

 bullace : the orchard produces about 200 bushels of apples, 

 and the potatoes are plentiful, many being raised for ex 

 portation. 



October 1. A beautiful day, with a serene sky and still 

 air; and the gullies and ravines covered with flowers the 

 most beautiful ; the shumac, a tender shrub, growing ten. 

 feet high. There are also great quantities of nuts, which 

 prevents the corn being devoured by the racoons, squirrels, 

 &c. and keeps the hogs in good order for the winter. 



October 8. Very fine week : thermometer this morning 

 45, at noon 60, about which it has been all the week, with 

 a slight frost one morning. Killing beef for the winter ; 

 ploughing for spring ; digging potatoes, &c. Potatoes, 

 when dug, are thrown into heaps, on the level ground, 

 about ten to thirty bushels in each ; covered first with a 

 coat of straw, and then the dirt is shovelled up all round 

 and thrown upon them, about six inches thick. One of 

 the men while digging found two heads of Indian arrows, 

 made of flint, on the site of an ancient Indian village, where 

 pieces of coarse earthernware, stone tobacco-pipe bowls, &c. 

 are often discovered. 



