1837] 



FARMERS' REaiSTER. 



331 



oJ" tobacco — fresh land produces tlie most certain I also, for tlie chief feed of our horses. Our man- 

 crop, the easiest (ended, and the best in quality, agement of our land is, in general, far Jrom de- 

 Ealtimore lies convenient to some, and not very I sprving praif^e, ihoiigh not so reprehcnsil)le as 

 distant I'rom any part of the county. There and i Montgomery. I judge the produce ol" land of 6/. 



at George Town, the surplus wheat is disposed o 

 — it may in a course ol" years average about 7s. a 

 bushel. 



The stocks of cattle of all kinds are neither nu- 

 merous or good, so that there is little fiesh provi- 

 sion raised in this county for sale, nor is there anj^ 

 surplus of Indian corn, which is generally from 

 2s. Sd. to 3s. 6d. a bushel. To say with us, that 

 great quantities of tobacco are raised in any tract 

 of country, implies without more, that the land is 

 wasted, and no surplus of any thing made in it 

 but tobacco. Some i'ew plantations are not to be 

 included within my general description; they are 

 very good, are better managed, and would sell con- 

 siderably higher. It may not be amiss to remark, 

 that a part of the federal district lies within this 

 county, and the (Inderal city adjoins it. A great 

 change may be expected to take place soon 

 in the price of land, and the kind of cultivation. 



Frederic county, INiaryland, may be considered 



an acre, may be, nearly (Iresh cleared) in wheat, 

 20 bushels. 



In corn the same ; in rye rather more. 



Fresh cleared land, growing in corn, sowed in 

 wheat, 18 bushels. 



Fresh land, a crop taken in wheat, and then 

 planted in corn, 20 bushels. 



Land not run hard, lallowed, and cropped in 

 wheat once in three years, 20 bushels. 



Fallowed, and cropped in wheat once in two 

 years, 15 bushels. 



It" manured moderately it will rise to 20 bushels. 



II" pushed every other year, without manuring, 

 it will sink to 10 bushels, and even lower. Land 

 in general, with the same management, yields 

 more rye than wheat, with this advantage, that 

 rye leaves it lighter than wheat, and seems not to 

 exhaust it so much. Strong land, of a proper soil, 

 and well cultivated, will yield from 30 to 40 bush- 

 els of barley, or rather bigg, to the acre. Rich 

 'resh bottom, yields 5 or 600, and highly manured 



under a division of it into three parts. The Ca- 



toctin, and that part of the South Mountain which | land 6, 8, orOOOIbs. of hemp to the acre ; the cul- 

 lie within it — the immediate space between those tivalion of it has almost ceased. Flax is an un- 

 niounlains, and the land lying to the eastward of' certain crop. We break up our land in May or 

 Monocosy Valley, — and Monocosy Valley itself. U'une, for fiillow ; begin to cross-plough it about 

 The mountain land is very thin and stony, though I the tniddle of July; harrow u across, plough in 

 generally covered with wood and timber; there ' the seed, from three pecks to a bushel to the acre, 

 are spots, however, settled all tlirough ; such, and and sometimes lightly harrow with the ploughing, 

 the parts near the better land, sell f"rom 15s. to 27s. We seldom plough with more than two horses, 

 6d. an acre. Amongst the second class, there are i and esteem from the lOlh to the 20th of Septem- 

 here and there [ilantations equal in quality, produce, ber, the very best time for seeding; the quantity 

 and price, to the Monocosy Valley : the rest may j of seed near a bushel, I think I have found, and is 

 be compared with the Montgomery land. Mo- | generajly agreed, is the best. We are not so well 

 nocosy Valley is about 35 or 40 miles in length, j agreed, whether another ploughing is helpful or 

 and eight or ten in breadth, with the river Monoc- I otherwise. 



osy running through if, and emptying into Poto- I Speltz are sometimes sowed on land too wet for 

 mac. The land is crenerally in small farms of 100 i wheat, of which we have a little: the yield shell- 

 to 250 acres. There is a plenty of" limestone, and i ed is much about the same as wheat. We culti- 

 not so much as to be prejudicial ; there are many j vate but few potatoes, or turnips, the latter is al- 

 pretty good streams, and most of the pt'oper situa- ! ways sowed on fresh land, and never hoed; the 

 tions are improved by good bur mills. Indeed j potatoes too, are commonly neglected; in particu- 

 there has been a rage for mills, so that the milling j lar inatances, they have been well managed, the 

 is well done, and on cheap terms. In this part ofj yield has been very encouraging, some say as far 

 the county, as every where else, there is great as 500 busliels to the acre ; but one gentleman, on 

 choice; very little land sells for less than 3/. or' whom I can depend, told me he had not made less 

 more than 8/. an acre ; the average may be said . than 200 any one year, for several years together. 

 to he 61. We are from 40 to 50 miles from Baiti- j Cabbages, parsnips, carrots, peas, and beans, have 

 more and George Town, where wheat may aver- j only been raised for family consumption: they suc- 



age 7s. a bushel; carriage to those markets costs 

 usually 3/. a ton. With us, milch cows sell from 

 41. to 6Z. : draught horses fit for wagon or plough. 



ceed very well, as do almost all garden plants and 

 fruits. 

 I have myself raised hops and madder: I be- 



18/. to 25Z. ; smaller horses less, and exceeding | lieve they are with us of superior quality. A 

 good ones more. Prices at home — of wheat, 5s. j brewer told me he had bought the crop of five- 

 6d. ; Indian corn, 2s. to 3s. 6c?. ; rye, 3s. 6d. ; oats, j eights of an acre of hops, which turned out 1200 

 2s. 3d. ; barley, or, more properly, biorg, 3s. 6d. ; j pounds ; and several Germans, as well as one Eng- 

 buck-wheat, 2s. Prices in the Federic Town i lishman, acquainted with madder, have told me, 

 market — of grain, as at home; heel', 2|d. to4(f; itisas good here in two years as in Europe in 

 veal, 2d. to 3|(/. mutton, 3d-h. to 5d. per lb. ; three. 



pork 27s. 6d. to 35s. per hundred ; butter, Is. The f A small meadow is a common object with eve- 

 market is not considerable, and the same prices ry farmer ; it is of timothy, or natural grass; the 

 govern one amongst another in the county. Hay, I timothy is mowed but once a year, the natural 

 50s. to 3/. a ton. | grass twice: either, that is esteemed good, produ- 



Wheat is reckoned a cash article, and therefore j ces, in the year, fi-om a ton and an half to two tons 

 the chief that we cultivate for market; we also : an acre; but many, from unfavourable situation or 

 raise Indian corn, for consumption on the fiirms, neglect, turn out much less. We also often have 

 seldom with a view for sale, and have lately in- j clover patches ; they are commonly cut and fed 

 creased in the consumption of it. We raise rye , green, and seldom made into hay. Some few 



