1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



S39 



toiiiiic river at \Villiam.-^|)ort. Green Casileisa 

 handsome viIlao;e, situate eleven miles Irorn Ciiam- 

 b'Tshuii;, nearer liie Potomac, on tlie road to 

 Willianisport, and seventy-five miles Trom Balti- 

 more, aii(i seventy-nine from George Town. In 

 several ot the settlements, lands bear a high price, 

 but when I came to average lor the county, I esti- 

 mated the acre at 41. 



Answer to query the second. — When you rent 

 for money, you will seldom obtain more than four 

 per cent, interest upon your purchase money. 



The salt^.st and most couiiiioii mode is, I believe, 

 to lease on the shares — where the lands are good, 

 the lessor lurnishes the one-hall'of the seed grain, 

 and obtains from the tenant one half of the pro- 

 duce of the grain, and implements. The grain 

 deJived in the bushel — hay, &c. on the farm. By 

 this way of leasing, we ina)^ have full six percent, 

 lor the purchase money, or value of the lands. 

 Plantations of inlt?rior quality are leased on the 

 thirds, that is, the lessor finds a third of the seed 

 (or sometimes none) and obtains one-third of the 

 produce of <:rain, hay, &c. 



Lands formerly were purchased, and payment 

 was to be made by instalments, without interest, 

 and the sums so moderate, that an industrious 

 man could discharge them in ihe course often 

 years — lew would lease, when they might pur- 

 chase so cheaply. The vast quantity of back 

 lands, induce a nutnber to preter actual purchase 

 in a precareous situation, to leasing in the old set- 

 tlements. However the descendants of the Ger- 

 mans fire not as adventurous as some of their 

 neighbors. They seem attached to peaceable ha- 

 bitations, and make the best tenants — real proper- 

 ty with us seems to obtain a more fixed value, and 

 cannot be had without an adequate price. 



Answer to query third. 



Field to the acre, calculated by the bushel. 





1st district, - 



2d district, - 



3d district, - 



4ih district, - 



50 

 130 



75 

 150 



Beans and peas are not raised in any great 

 quantity; but the soil is, in general, not unfavora- 

 ble to their culture. In the first district, they 

 chiefly propagate the blue fjrass and clover, and 

 the same may be said of part of Franklin county. 

 In the residue of the district they depend on Tim- 

 othy meadows — the former will yield one to;i and 

 a half to the acre, the latter two tons. The blue 

 grass and clover have a second crop, which goes 

 to about two-thirds of the first. The lucern irrass, 

 I should incline to think, would do well here, 

 choosing favorable situations; but I imao-ine it has 

 not been sufficiently regarded. Some English 

 grasses, brought over by the first settlers, afso 

 suit the soil. 



Vol. V— 42 



Much hemp miirht he raised in these <-,ouniries, 

 were there proper encouragement — the Jbreign 

 hemp gluts ihe markets, and there is not a suffi- 

 cient proleciing duly to spur the larnier to raise 

 this usclLiI arlicle. 



Our hemp lands would average a seven hun- 

 dred weight to the acre (that is called broken 

 hemp;) haidded tiax may be calculated lOOIbs. tu 

 the acre, I liavc endeavored to average the pro- 

 ductions, and believe 1 am rather under than over 

 the quantity. |n the Iresh lands, or where tliey 

 are niodeiafely manured, we may salely add one- 

 I'burih more ihan I have set doum. With Euro- 

 pean husbandry, much would, doubtless, be etfecl- 

 ed; yet I here are a few instances at York and 

 Ijancasier, where between forty and filty busheli? 

 of wheat have been raised to the acre. Barley 

 yields ijreally in the fresh or manured lands; hut 

 sufficient encouragement has not been given tO' 

 raise it. The market for this grain has been very 

 fluctuating, and wheat has been sown in its place. 

 I estiniateii potatoes, perhaps, too low, lor when 

 there is only a reasonable cure used, we may 

 speak of upwads of an hundred biishels to the 

 acre; but they are fi'equenlly carele.-^sly planted, 

 and not sufficiently attended to. I have known 

 less than one acre produce upwards of lour hun- 

 dered bushels. 



Answer to query fourth. — The towns I have 

 mentioned in York and Franklin counties, carry 

 on considerable trade, and purchase the produce 

 oflhecouniry; but much the greater part of the 

 wheat and flour is transported to the Baltimore 

 market by the farmer. 



Upon a review of six years past ('exclusive of 

 the year 1790), I estimated the prices at the towns 

 in the counties as follows: 



I have estimated the prices at the county mar- 

 ket; you may allow a deduction of 'id. the bushel, 

 between the farm and the market; the diffijrence 

 as to fiax and henif) will be very small. The. ex- 

 pense of hauling hay depends on the distance. 

 You may have a wagon and tour horses ior a day, 

 in the winter, at 14s. 



Answer to queries the fifth and sixth. 



