THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



459 



straw is beautifal and bright, and I ehall com- 

 mence cutting about the 24ih instant. Where I 

 did not lime the land, and only rolled in Ume, the 

 crop will not exceed 10 bushels per acre. 



The use of lime la not generally resorted (o in 

 our county- Col. T. A. Barclay, John Rut], etq., 

 Th. Willson, and a few others, are all that use ii, 

 and generally but sparingly, notvviihotanding it 

 could be made at a cost not much exceeding 6 

 cents per bushel in many parts of our cuunly. 

 Our farms, averaging from 200 to 300 acreo, have 

 all more or less waste timber, which is lell to rol 

 in liie woods, ihat might be usefully applied in 

 burning lime. Limestone abounds in all parts ol 

 our county ; scarcely a farm that is destitute of it, 

 and in many places it can be collected in great 

 abundance on the top of the ground. I flatter 

 myself the day is not far distant when it will be 

 extensively used. My poor fields begin to attract 

 the attention of many persons, and it gives me 

 much pleasure to impart any information on the 

 subject of liming of which 1 am possessed. With 

 regard to the corn crop, the system of cultivation 

 is pretty much the same all over the counij'. The 

 land is generally broken up in the spring, in mosi 

 cases not as deep aa it should be, notwiihstanding 

 we have fine large horses and good plouijhs. 

 Still the impression is, that 3 or 4 inches is deep 

 enough. Where the land is level, and not sub- 

 ject to wash, it is checked both ways, gcerally 3 

 by 4 feet, 3 or 4 grains in the hill, thinned to 2 or 

 3 in good land. On good land, planted in this way, 

 40, 50, 60, and as high as 75 bushels have been 

 housed per acre. The general average I would 

 set down on good land at 50 bushels per acre, me- 

 dium at 30, and ihin lands, generally badly work- 

 ed, at 12 or 15 bushels. Oats is becoming a much 

 more common crop than it was some years ago, 

 and is found very convenient lor quick feeding. 

 Also mixed and ground with corn, half and hah, 

 it makes an excellent leed for work horses, and 

 answers in place of rye, beijig mixed either with 

 cut straw or hay. This crop in our valley is usu- 

 ally sown in March, and, like the corn crop, va- 

 ries from 10 to 75 bushels per acre, agreeable to 

 the quality of the land and mode of cultivation. 

 Rye has not lor several years done well wiih us, 

 has been subject to rust and blight. This yeur 

 the crop will be better than the usual average ; the 

 straw clean, and yield will be from 8 to 15 ()ushels 

 per acre. This is a valuable grain for horse feed, 

 and the straw, when bright, is very abundatit and 

 excellent for cutting short, and mixing with chop- 

 ped rye, corn, oals, or any good meal. It is also 

 a valuable crop for early pasture for colls and 

 calves, and milch cattle, during an open winter. 

 This crop is generally sown with us in the month 

 of August, or first of September. 



One dollar per bushel lor wheat is perhaps ra- 

 ther over an average price ; corn usually com- 

 mands 50 cents per bushel, rye 62 to 75 cents, 

 oats 25 to 42 cents, rarely reaching the latter price. 



Irish potatoes generally cultivated for family 

 use, and some farmers make them for their cows 

 and hogs. Rootc not extensively cultivated. 



I vvould briefly remark, that the mercury for the 

 last six years has not often fallen below zero, and 

 when below, only for a lew days. Insumater itriscs 

 Bomelimes as high as 98 degrees. The general 

 range in the heat ol the day, (or the nijulhs ol 

 June, July and August, is from 70 to 85 degrees. 



I have in cultivation the apricot, nectarine, prune, 

 plum, peach of many varieties, different varieties 

 of grape, with a fine young orchard of select 

 fruit, (apple,) all of which bear well, with the ex- 

 ception of the apricot. Our spring months are too 

 cold, and the fruit is generally knotty. The dif- 

 ferent varieties of cherries do well. 1 have also 

 raised the melon to great perfection ; they are, 

 however, late in maturing. You have some ad- 

 vantage over us in winter with regard to climate, 

 being of more uniform temperature. We are 

 more liabl» to sudden changes at all seasons. I 

 have known the mercury vary 50 degrees in 24 

 hours. This rarely or never happens with you. 

 We have perhaps the finest watered country in 

 the world— bubbling springs and rippling streams 

 are to be met with in almost every direction. And 

 notwithstanding our county is very rolling, and 

 stony, and no v>?here spread out into extensive 

 meadow lands, yet almost every (arm has its little 

 piece of meadow, which is not unlrequently wa- 

 tered from the epring. Most of our meadows aie 

 watered, and where the supply of water is abun- 

 dant, the land and grass are proportionably good. 

 Consequently we abound in cattle, horses, sheep, 

 &c. Cattle and horses are more generally raised 

 than sheep or hogs. Of the two latter not a great 

 number are sent to market. I vvould however re- 

 mark, before leaving the subject oi meadows, that 

 good grass usually yields about 2 tons per acre, 

 and is sold from the meadow at from $5 to ^6 per 

 load of 1 ton ; alter being housed will command 

 %7 to ^10 per ton, owing to the supply. I iidght 

 also remark, with regard to our grain crops, they 

 are neatly always housed, and the orain got out 

 during the wioier months. There will perhaps be 

 some change with regard to the latter practice, as 

 we have now many good thrashing machines ; 

 no doubt much grain will be got out (rom the field, 

 and particularly this year, as we are, in general 

 with the people of our good old commonwealth, 

 a good deal in debt. And now (or the meadows, 

 again. Grass, when much mixed v/iih clover, is 

 often cut in June, is permiliod to wilt in the 

 swarih, and if the weather is very favorable, put in 

 cock on the second day ; if to be put in large bulk, 

 should remain in cock several days. Should then 

 be opened, sufiered to get well aired, and may be 

 put away in any quantity. One peck of salt 

 sprinkled on each load of 1 ton will add to its pre- 

 servation, and the cattle or horses will eat it with 

 great relish. A good hand will mow an acre of 

 heavy grass per day, if not too much tangled. 



With regard to dairy management, there has 

 been so much written and said, that I despair of 

 adding any thing to the slock of knowledge on 

 that subject. I can truly say that, under Mrs. 

 Jones' management, we have butter as sweet aa 

 a nut, and in the fall as yellow as gold, and that 

 her butter was thought worthy of a premium at 

 our last agricultural lair. As her course is simple, 

 and easily pal in practice, I will briefly state it. 

 First, have good cows that milk rich ; second, 

 have good grass and good water and shade in 

 your fields. May andVune, on blue grasd, are 

 excellent months for butter; but September and 

 October, when the cows are turned in on the mea- 

 dows, 1 think best, the nights being longer and the 

 weather more cool. Have a good Siiring house, 

 and p!en:y ol pana or crocks; let every thing be 

 kept perfectly clean, and the crocks or pttna al- 



