GKAEST-GROWING EAST AND WEST. 167 



therefrom, not sweet potatoes, melons, and the 

 " truck " to which Southern Jersey is so largely de- 

 voted, but substantial Grain and Meat; and let us 

 see whether the enterprise would probably pay. 



Let us not stint the outlay, but, presuming the 

 tract to be eligibly located on a railroad not too dis- 

 tant from some good marl-bed, estimate as follows : 



Purchase-money of 400 acres at $25 per acre .$10,000 



Clearing, grubbing, fencing and breaking up ditto at $20 



per acre, over and above the proceeds of the wood 8,000 



One thousand bushels of best Marl per acre, at 6 cents per 



bushel delivered 24,000 



One hundred loads of Swamp Muck, per acre, at 50 cents 

 per load 20,000 



Fifty bushels (unslaked) of Oyster-shell Lime (to compost 

 with the Muck), per acre, at 25 cents per bushel, deliv- 

 ered , 5,000 



One hundred tuns of Bone Flour at $50 per tun 5,000 



[Net cost, $180 per acre.] Total $72,000 



I believe that this tract, divided by light fences 

 into four fields of 100 acres each, and seeded in rota- 

 tion to Corn, Wheat, Clover and other grasses, would 

 produce fully 60 bushels of Corn and 30 of Wheat per 

 acre, with not less than 3 tuns of good Hay ; and that 

 by cutting, steaming, and feeding the stalks and straw 

 on the place, not pasturing, but keeping up the stock, 

 and feeding them, as indicated in a former chapter 

 of these essays, and selling their product in the form 

 of Milk, Butter, Cheese and Meat, a greater profit 

 would be realized than could be from a like invest- 



