192 WHAT I KNOW OF FARMING. 



of it as something unknown at the North ; but there 

 are fields planted to Corn, in the upper valley of the 

 Hudson, that will not produce a single sound ear, 

 nor one bushel even of the shortest and poorest 

 " nubbins ;" and alongside of these are acres of Buck- 

 wheat, blossoming at an average hight of four inches, 

 and not likely to get two inches higher. 



Now, if this land were so poor or so rocky that 

 good crops could not be extracted from it, far be it 

 from me to disparage the agriculture whereof the 

 results are so meagre ; but I am speaking of a river 

 intervale of considerable natural fertility, from 

 which deep and thorough cultivation would insure 

 ample harvests, subject only to the contingency of 

 early frosts in Autumn. Were these lands fertilized 

 and cultivated as they might be, and as mine are, 

 they would yield 30 bushels of Rye or 60 of Indian 

 Corn per acre, and would richly repay the husband- 

 man's outlay and efforts. Now, I venture to say 

 that all the grain I saw growing iii the valley of the 

 Hudson through Warren County will not return the 

 farmer 75 cents for each day's labor expended there- 

 on, allowing nothing for the use of the land. 



" But how shall we obtain fertilizers ?" I am often 

 asked. " We are poor ; we can afford to keep but few 

 cattle ; Guano, Phosphate, Bones, Lime, etc., are be- 

 yond our means. Even if we could pay for them, the 

 cost of transportation to our out-of-the-way nooks would 

 be heavy. , We cannot deal with our lands so boun- 

 tifully as you do, but must be content to do as we can." 



