SOIL — STOCK — HOGS. ' 799 



scarcely higher than another. My soil is a rich, black soil, 

 with clay subsoil In some places a clay loam is the surface 

 soil. The swales had a little deeper soil than the oak ridges, 

 and all the land had to be drained by either under or open 

 drains. My open drains are made by plow and scraper, into 

 what we call call scoop ditches, and are so constructed that I 

 plow across them at any angle, letting the plow run out at the 

 ditch and setting in again on the other side, Avhich leads all the 

 dead furrows into the ditches. I can scarcely find any water 

 on my farm, outside of these ditches. 



The market here is good, and the farmer receives the high- 

 est price for his produce. Any man here can, with usual 

 energy and forethought, make him a farm that will retain the 

 native richness of the soil for any length of time. No lazy 

 man need come here expecting to get his timber cut and his 

 land cleared, and make him a farm, without labor on his part, 

 or money enough to pay for it. But in case he does make a 

 farm, its value is beyond that of farms in any locality I am 

 acquainted with. The climate is quite as desirable as in any 



temperate latitude. 



STOCK. 



I do not raise fancy stock yet. I have, however, good 

 grade cows, and good blooded horses. Mine are all roadsters, 

 of the best kind. 



HOGS. 



I raise pure Berkshire, and think them the best. 



FOWLS. 



I raise a few chickens of the Buff Cochin and Partridge 

 Cochin, crossed, which make nice large fowls and they lay 

 large eggs and more of them than most other kinds. My 

 turkeys are the common kind, as are my geese- and ducks. I 

 only keep for my own use. 



