78 DUMFRIES-SHIRE FARMER. 



self was engaged in sowing. His farm is now his own pro 

 perty ; and this season he has sixty acres in wheat, equal to 

 any crop of similar extent I ever examined. His system is to 

 sow clover amongst wheat, which affords good pasturage in 

 autumn, and is fed off in the following spring ; the land is 

 ploughed in the end of June, and after an imperfect fallowing, 

 sown with wheat in autumn. The Dutch farmers in the 

 neighbourhood also sow clover with the wheat crop, which in 

 spring is ploughed down for manure, without being fed off. 

 This shows how much nature does for the farmer, one year 

 providing manure, and in the next a wheat crop. Skill 

 might improve the system followed, but the period of intro 

 ducing advanced agriculture into the United States has not 

 yet arrived. Mr J - applies fifty heaped Winchester 

 bushels of lime to an acre, which costs nine cents, or 4Jd 

 sterling, per bushel. Gypsum costs fifteen cents per bushel, 

 and is only used for clover and Indian corn. This being the 

 season of applying it to the latter, people were carrying it in 

 baskets, and putting a pinch on each hill or cluster of plants. 

 Half a bushel is sufficient for an acre, and imparts an impro 

 ved appearance to the crop in four days, except on black soft 

 land, where it has little effect. 



Mr J feeds labourers on the best of fare, and finds no 



want of them at any time. His wheat crop is cut with the 

 cradle scythe at Si a-day and found, that is boarded and 

 two binders follow the cradler at 62 J cents. Wheat is 

 cradled at Sl-J per acre, and grass at $J, labourers finding 

 themselves and the work well done in both cases. Ameri 

 cans, Dutch, English, Irish, and Scotch, he finds work equally 

 well. All his crop, including hay, is housed, and he consi 

 ders a dollar per bushel a good price for wheat. 



A good many sheep were shown us, a mixture of Saxon 

 and Merino blood, which are not anointed with any kind of 

 liquor or salve, and never stricken with fly. They are kept 

 in courts during winter, fed on hay, and lamb betwixt 20th 

 April and 20th May. Mr J s flock was in better condi 

 tion than any yet seen, though poor, and the lambs were 

 starvelings, compared with those reared in the cultivated parts 

 of my native district. He says his sheep seldom die, having- 



