114 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



bushels ; and three ofihe counties ofScotlanH, and 

 several of England, averaged 51 bupjiels to ibe 

 acre. A farmer by the name of Thomas Oliver, 

 residing five or six miles from Edinburgh, leased 

 a farm lor the last twenty years, of 150 acres, pay- 

 ing annually a rent of 10 guineas peracre, (§7.500) 

 on which he raised gram, iiay iuid vegeiables for 

 the market of Edinburuh. This lease he has re- 

 cently renewed lor nineteen years, (ihe usual time 

 1o which leases run) on the same terms, and liom 

 a poor man he has hecome independent in his cir- 

 cumstances, and now rides in his carriage. What 

 American larmer could make a profit that would 

 enable him to pay such an enormous rent? All 

 may be accounted for on the principles ofjadicious 

 manuring and carelul iiuiusirious cultivation. On 

 the continent, especially in Germany, their annual 

 fairs bring together the fiirmers and peasants of all 

 the surrounding country, where their ambition 

 and industry are stimulated by a variety of fetes, 

 and the distribution of prizes to successful compe- 

 titors ; and whilst princes, dukes and barons are 

 engaged in awarding prizes to those who have 

 been most successful in the cultivation of grains 

 and cattle, their lovely wives are occupied in a 

 humbler, but much more lively scene, in compli- 

 menting and distributing premiums to the indus- 

 trious housewi/e, for her fine specimens of fruit — 

 her butter and cheese — her linen cloths, weaving, 

 knitting, and other manulaclures. 1 have no 

 doubt i shall be ridiculed lor my want of taste, 

 when I stale that, to me, the Grand Duchess of 

 Baden, presenting a silver cup to a peasant girl, 

 before an assembled crowd of farmers and nobility, 

 lor ttie finest specimen of manufactured gloves, 

 was a more interestmg sight than that ol the gay 

 Queen Victoria, racing through St. James' Park, 

 with fifty fools at her heels, striving not to be dis- 

 tanced by their lovely mistress. 



The industry and expense bestowed in collecting 

 and applying manures in England, and which is 

 only exceeded by the more scientific mode adopted 

 in the environs of Paris, at the '-Boyanterie de 

 Montlijucon," where all the otfal from the city, 

 including every dead animal — (the horses of this 

 description alone amounting amiualiy to 16,000) — 

 is converted into manure, may be noticed in a fu- 

 ture number, and is a subject which is not only of 

 great importance to the farmer, but should be care- 

 fully investigated by the authorities of all large 

 cities. 



From a cursory review of the cultivation of the 

 various kingdoms of Europe, it appeared to me 

 that England was in the highest state of cultiva- 

 tion, and which, from its beautiful thorn hedges- 

 its neat cottages, adorned l)y the eglantine, honey- 

 suckle and ivy, chequered here and there by the 

 park and lordly palace, rendered the whole land a 

 ])icturesque garden. Some of the counties of 

 Scotland, such as the Lothians and the carse of 

 Sterlitin- and Gowrie, are in no wise inli^rior. The 

 little I^saw of the cultivation of Ireland, rather 

 exceeded my expectations. Belgium and portions 

 of the Net eriands, have a belter soil than that of 

 England, and are lully as productive, but ihey 

 Tvant neatness of cultivation, and, like the whole 

 continent of Eur-pe, are destitute of fences and 

 fiedgcs— to me the fields wanted ornan)ent., and 

 the cotiaiTes seemed without much comlbrt. The 

 fields of Denmark were loaded with an abundant 

 crop of wheat, but there, as well as every v/herc 



else, I heard bitter complaints of hard times, and 

 the severe exactions of government. 1 frequently 

 thought that it would be no bad plan for our 

 American grumblers al)out taxes and oppression, 

 to lake a trip to Europe, and learn a wholesome 

 lesson. Take my word lor it — it will stop the 

 mouths of demagogues, reconcile them to their 

 own country, and they would return — not as poli- 

 ticians, but Americans, saying, I have sinned 

 against heaven and my native land, and am now 

 oidy wnithy to be called thy son. I found the 

 Grand Ducliy of Baden and parts of Wirtemhurg, 

 belter cultivated than Prussia in general, probably 

 because the soil was more susceptible of improve- 

 ment. Switzerland is too romantic to be rich — 

 and the Rhine is too classic a stream to be the 

 dull river of commerce, or be surrounded by any 

 thing else than mountains, wiiere the vine clam- 

 bers along its sides and the ruined castle frowns 

 on its loftiest peaks. In the cultivation of France, 

 I was greatly disappointed — the sword has scarcely 

 had lime to be beat into the ploughshare — the sol- 

 dier finds it hard to stoop to the labor of the harrow 

 and the hoe, and seems disposed, yet a while, to 

 leave this drudgery to the women. Austria, with 

 its fine soil and climate, is retarded in agricultural 

 improvement by the wealth of iis nobles and the 

 oppression of its peasantry. Its possessions in 

 Bohemia appeared rather better cultivated than 

 those portions borderinir on Hungary and Venice. 

 Of fruits, I found the apples in England leathe- 

 ry and inferior — on the coniinent, the flavor was 

 finer — but I give a decided prefii^rence to those 

 ol my own country. Peaches were everywhere 

 waminif in flavor. The best I tasted were from a 

 green house near London. The only ones I found 

 irrowing in the open air that I regarded as in any 

 way comparable to those of America, were at 

 Schafl^hausen, al the falls of the Rhine. But 

 whilst the Northern part of Europe does not ap- 

 pear to he well adapted to inipart a delicious fla- 

 vor to the apple and the peach — it greatly excels 

 in other fruits, i find myself growing envious 

 when 1 think of their fine gooseberries and cher- 

 ries — the pears and plums of France and Germany 

 are most delicious, and when my notes inlbrm nie 

 that I bought the latter, of the size of a (owl's ecjg, 

 twenty-five for a penny, I feel that I ne'er shall 

 see the like and so cheap asain. Were I a culti- 

 vator of fruits in Carolina, I would import the few 

 varieties of apple that succeed in our middle and 

 back country, and ihe peach that succeeds every 

 where, if not attacked by ihecurculio, from Penn- 

 sylvania or New Jersey — the gooseberry and cur- 

 rant, which succeeds among our mountains, fi-om 

 Long Island — the cherry tlom some of our nor- 

 thern slates — tlie grape from some of the best 

 varieties cultivated in our upper country — and Ihe 

 pear, plum and prune from Bordeaux; those 

 brought from the latter place, are particularly 

 adapted to the climate of Charleston, and 1 have 

 seen them cultivated here with great success. 



PEACH TREES. 



From tlie Agriculturist. 

 Lest some one may suffer from ignorance as I 

 have done, I give my woful experience to the 

 public; lor it sometimes does as much good to 



