266 An American Fruit-Farm 



by him has gone on and will continue with every 

 generation that inhabits the Valley. 



He made me executor of his estate. The care 

 was a great surprise to me. I think he was led to 

 the confidence by my attitude towards his wise 

 administration of affairs. I always tried to benefit 

 by it — a compliment which seemed to touch him. 

 I was not surprised to find his affairs in perfect 

 order. In the little room, off the kitchen, which 

 he used as an office, I found the complete record of 

 ''Neville Farm. " On the wall hung the survey of 

 his estate, showing its subdivisions — its various 

 fields of vineyard, orchard, berry, and meadow. 

 The farm-house, and the farm-buildings were 

 carefully plotted; the mansion house in which he 

 had lived so long; the drives and alleys, the hedge- 

 rows, the location of all drains and drainage wells, 

 and in a series of books, running over some thirty 

 years, I found an accurate account kept with each 

 section of the estate — orchard or vineyard. The 

 books also showed, from year to year, what treat- 

 ment each section had received; when plowed, 

 cultivated, when the vines or trees were trimmed or 

 sprayed ; what material was used, and particularly, 

 the succession of fertilizers each field had received 

 — whether cover-crop, as clover, soybean, vetch, or 

 turnips; or barnyard manure, or commercial 

 fertilizer as potash, bone, or other kind. Each 

 year was set out in a detailed balance sheet which 

 showed expenses and receipts ; not a betterment was 

 made, a tree or vine set out, a tool or an ounce of 



