FARMERS' REGISTER— FARMING AT WHEATLAND. 



15 



capable of" yielding 30 bushels on an average. In 

 the year 1819, I gathered from 55 acres 1743 bush- 

 els; from 90 acres 2400 bushels; and Irom 40 acres 

 680 bushels — the first and seconcj being of the blue 

 stem wheat, (the most prolific kind that I am ac- 

 quainted with,) and the last Lawler, (or Snyder,) 

 whicli, though less liable to the attaclis of the 

 Hessian Hytlian most other species, is by no means 

 exempt, and is less productive than the blue stem 

 by 20 or 25 j^er cent. 



"About 1500 bushels of wheat is secm-cd Vv-ith- 

 in two barracks, near my barn and stables, (each 

 60 by 20 feet,) tor the purpose of furnishing pro- 

 vender and litter to the stock stationed here during 

 winter; the remainder of the crop is stacked near 

 the centre of the field intended lor corn the ensu- 

 ing jear; and here are erected shelters and pens, 

 where the farm stock are fed and profusely littered, 

 during winter, in temporary ricks, and with alter- 

 nate layers of wheat-straw and corn-stalks, with 

 the blades, shucks and tops attached, for the pur- 

 pose of providing an ample fund of manure, to be 

 hauled out on the same field early in the spring. 



"I deem it the most economical method to plough 

 under the manure in a rough state, and let the pro- 

 cess of decomposition go forward under the tegu- 

 ment laid over it by the plough, as Ixy this means 

 the very serious waste by evaporation is obviated, 

 the corn crop is^ measurably benefited, and it is in a 

 state of preparation to impart the highest degree of 

 nutriment to the succeeding crops of wheat and 

 clover. 



"My corn field receives the same preliminaiy 

 cultivation as do my wheat fields; it is then laid otT 

 and planted four feet each way; (by close planting 

 say three or three and a half feet each way, in 

 strong kind, I am confident [the product] would be 

 increased, as the number of plants would be aston- 

 isliingly multiplied; but the use of the plough would 

 be more difficult, and no price which the article 

 usually commands in this region ofcountiy, would 

 justify the expense of itscultivationwith the hoe.) 

 When about six inches high, it is harrowed with 

 heavy haiTows, the midtlle teeth being removed; 

 the harroAvs are followed by hands provided with 

 small light rakes, ^vith four iron teeth," to uncover 

 the corn and thin it, leaving two stalks in each in- 

 tersection, afler which it is ploughed over three 

 times with the double shovel, and laid by at the 

 commencement of harvest. This is an admira- 

 ble instrument for cultivating corn; it operates 

 superficially, so as not to disturb the manure turn- 

 ed under by the barshare plough, and will perform 

 two-fifihs within a given time more than the sin- 

 gle shovel, with, I believe, no augmentation of 

 labour — at all events, one mule is fully adequate 

 to the task. 



"I do not estimate my average crops of corn at 

 above 30 to 35 bushels per acre, though in the 

 year 1823 I made 50 bushels per acre on 90 acres. 

 The season was propitious, and this corn was 

 planted four feet by three, two stalks in the hill. 



"My force consists of eight orchnary men, two 

 fine active boys, one old man in the decline of 

 life, and a blacksmith and a carpenter occasion- 

 ally; twelve horses and mules, with the incidental 

 increase of brood mares, and four yoke of power- 

 ful, well trained oxen. And here let me take oc- 

 casion to testify in favor of this most frugal, use- 

 ful and estimable beast, the ox, and to express the 

 earnest and aixxious hope that he may speedily be 



brought into more general use among us, and ele- 

 vated in the estimation of fai-mers to the rank 

 which his merit mid their interest so justly entitle 

 him to. With the exception of ploughing, har- 

 rowing and thrashing, the entire labor of my 

 farm is performed by oxen; the magnitude of their 

 service, and the various ways in which they are 

 most usefiil, is incalculable, and increchble to those 

 who unfortunately have no experience of them. 

 They are generally/af, never ;)oor, and are never 

 grain fed, except during the most inclement with- 

 er in winter, when laborious service is exacted of 

 them, and even then they require nothing better 

 than a scanty allowance of the ofial of the grana- 

 ries. One important result of this is, (among 

 many other advantages,)»tliatmy work horses are 

 at rest nearly half the year, by means of which, 

 the expense of feeding them is considerably cur- 

 tailed, and their lives prolonged. But it is in the 

 particular of hauling out manure in the spring 

 season, (when the horse and mule teams are em- 

 ployed in breakhigup the corn field,) and hauling 

 stone for fencing at all seasons, that the instrumen- 

 tality of the ox is most conspicuously valuable; 

 and much of the same service may be done like- 

 wise in the fall. Previous to the adoption of the 

 extended use of oxen on my farm, I was constrain- 

 ed to* rely almost exclusively on plaster of Paris 

 tor impro\T[n,g the soil. I used it to the amount of 

 twelve or fifteen tons a year, arid bought it during 

 the war even atthe cost of 40 dollars per ton; its 

 effects were sometimes truly miraculous, but at 

 other times not risible at all. AU-this is now su- 

 perseded, and for the last five years I have entire- 

 ly omitted the use of plaster, as by means of my 

 ox teams I am enabled to get out, in good time, 

 in the spring, the manure which has accumulated 

 during the winter. Let me, however, not be un- 

 derstood as recommending the disuse of plaster — 

 this is far from my intention: I have had ample 

 proof of its unquestionable efficacy, and as auxil- 

 iary to stable or barn-yard manure, appreciate it 

 most highly. Last spring, with eight oxen and 

 three men, I manured, highly, 120 acres, passing 

 over the richer spots, and applying the manure 

 only where it was wanted — the number of acres 

 actually covered with manure, I estimate at not 

 less than 80; an inconsiderable part consisted of 

 unrotted straw. But upon the ox (valuable and 

 important as his ser\'ices certainly are to the con- 

 cern's of agriculture,) panegjaic must not be ex- 

 hausted: of all animals subservient to agricultural 

 labor, the mule stands preeminent. I have no 

 terms adequate to bespeak his merit — none that 

 could be employed, could exaggerate it; he is a 

 long liver, a small consumer, a powerfid, faithful, 

 and enduring laborer. I speak with the confi- 

 dence of more than thirty years experience of the 

 relative qualities and capacities of the mule and 

 the horse, when I pronounce the superiority of the 

 former to the latter in every respect, and for every 

 purpose, connected with the operations of husband- 

 ly. It is a great misfortune, and much to be la- 

 mented, that prejudices, absurd as they are un- 

 founded, and greatly detrimental to the farming 

 interest, should still be fostered against this much 

 abused and despised, though most valuable ani- 

 mal, by thousands ignorant of hie history and 

 usefulness, in despite of the testimony of those 

 who have tried and know him well. 



"The number of mules I have at present on 



