1S39] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



729 



tlrainage of the obstruefed' wateri-furrovvs. Long 

 as the cj'press resists rotting, ir, is a very brittle 

 wood, cind is very easily broken by storms. Scarce- 

 ly can a large living tree be seen in the original 

 forest of the ewanip of which the top has not 

 been broken off by wind, and replaced by a snb- 

 sequent growth, of dilfereiu Ibrni. And the dead 

 trees left in the drained land are generally soon di.- 

 vested of branches and tops, and reduced to a 

 naked trunk ol 40 to 70 and 80 (eet high. This re- 

 sists the wind much longer; but finally, by the 

 decay and wcakeninj; of the roots, they yield, and 

 the trunk falls. The roots are broken in such 

 cases not far below the surface, and the blowing 

 down of the decayed tree leaves no deep or con- 

 siderable hole in 'he earth where it stood. I saw 

 measured one of the recently overthrown and bro- 

 ken trunks, which was 72 leet lonfj, and all of clean 

 body, below the lowest branch. This was 5 Itjet 

 through above the swell near the root, or where 

 the regular and very gently tapering Ibrm began. 

 Another of less length of trunk was 6 feet through 

 the body, measured as above. These were not 

 selected as being of uncommon size, (for very 

 many in the forest are said to be much larger,) 

 but merely to serve as standards of comparison. 

 For without usin^r f-'omc; such mode of compari- 

 son, a stranger wouhl be deceived as to the gene- 

 ral si/5e. l\ one only of these great trees were 

 Ibund elsewhere, its size would strike every be- 

 holder with astonishment, and it would be sup- 

 posed greater than it really was. But here, they 

 are so numerous, and the ibrest growth and every 

 thjng else is on so gigantic a scale, that the eye 

 has no accustomed and known objects by which 

 to measure dimensions so large, and, by a slight 

 and hasty observer, all objects would be supposed 

 smaller than they are. 



Rice was cultivated here by the Lake Company, 

 to considerable extent, ancl with good success. 

 Rut the culture was Ibund to cause so much sick- 

 ness among the slaves, that it was abandoned. 

 The successive parallel slopes, ditches and em- 

 bankments, formed by the " leadingditches" which 

 run acros-5 the ground, afforded great ficilifies (or 

 flooding the Innd, and drawing off the water when 

 desired, fi)r rice-culture. Subsequently, corn was 

 the main crop, and cultivated (or a long time suc- 

 cessively on the same land. The present proprie- 

 tor has Ibund the very long continuation of this 

 crop objectionable, and has commenced, as a reg- 

 ular course, to cultivate corn for three years in suc- 

 cession — and then to let the land lie out of tillage 

 three years, and be f;razed in the middle one of 

 these three years. He is very careful to cover up 

 in the soil for manure all the rank growth of weeds, 

 which now stand 7 to 8 leet hiifh; and also the 

 corn-stalks, shucks, and the growth of grass under- 

 neath, when corn is again to Ibllow the next year. 

 To ertect the object, aiid enable the plough to cover 

 so heavy a growth, it is first weeded otf the beds 

 (5 and 6 (eet wide) by broad hoes, and drawn into 

 the water-furrow, and then two lurrows of a plough 

 are run to throw the slices so as to meet on the 

 weeds. This is very roughly and iinperfectly ef 

 fected ; and after standing a while, two more fur- 

 rows are cut in the same places, iind the earth 

 thrown acrain over the weeds, and then the balance 

 of the old ridges reversed and the new ones finish- 

 ed. The corn-stalks are cut off and drawn with the 

 grass into the water (iirrows, in tlie same manner. 

 Vol. VII- 92 



No. 7. 



Uses of water power. Mr. Pettigrew''s farming 

 a,nd improvements. 



Somerset Place, Nov. 25. 

 The extensive use made of water to save labor 

 on this estate, is one of the most interesting sub- 

 jects lor observation. It has been already stated 

 that the descent of the canal gives a head of 6 feet 

 of water at the mills, at the distance of a quarter 

 of a mile from the lake. Part of this power worlo 

 a saw mill, and a corn and wheat mill of two pair 

 of stones, with the bolting, and other machinery, 

 &c., proper (or the making of flour. Also the corn 

 is shelled and (knned, and, though not now, for- 

 merly the wheat was thrashed, and cleaned by the 

 water-power conducted to the barn and one of the 

 great corn houses. Besides these more important 

 operations, and (or some of which there is daily 

 use made of the water-power, it is also directed to 

 crushing and grinding corn in the ear Ibr horses 

 and other stock, tire working a circular saw, turn- 

 ing grindstones, and may be substituted for hand 

 labor in various other ways. When it is desired 

 to prepare a cargo of com for the Charleston mar- 

 ket, there is no need of commencing until notice 

 has been received of the vessel having arrived in 

 the river below. The shelling of the corn is then 

 commenced, by a shelling machine of immense 

 power, then fmned, next lilted up by elevating 

 machinery, from the first to the fourth story of the 

 house, there measured, and then emptied through 

 a spout into a large flat boat lying in the canal, 

 which, as soon as loaded in bulk, is conveyed along 

 the canal to the vessel. Thus the risk of keeping 

 a large quantity of shelled corn in bulk is avoided, 

 and, by the aid of water, all the operations neces- 

 sary to load a vessel may be completed in a very 

 short time. 



It is not only the main canal that is used fornavi- 

 galion. The "leading ditch," nearly two miles 

 long, which passes through the barn-yard, is made 

 12 feet wide (or that purpose also. When crops 

 are made on that part o(^ the farm, that ditch ia 

 flooded by letting in water from the lake, (by a 

 ditch communicating with the lake, and command- 

 ing the water by means of a guard gate,) the wide 

 ditch is kept full by closing another gate at its out- 

 let, and the cropa of' corn or wheat are brought to the 

 barns in flat boats, with comparatively little labor. 

 There are three barns, or rather houses for hold- 

 ing grain only. Two of them, for corn, are of 

 great size, and constructed with all (he care and 

 strength of materials necessary to resist the pres- 

 sure of the weight of the contents. One of these 

 is 100 feet by 60, and three stories high. The 

 other is 80 feet square, and lias 4 floors or stories 

 above ground, two in the body and two in the roof. 

 It is to me a matter of regret that I cannot 

 see Mr. E. Pettigrew, and acquire something from 

 his store of experience and varied information, and 

 especially as it regards this place, where he has 

 passed his life, from boyhood to old age. He is 

 absent from home. Mr. Pettigrew, the elder, 

 commenced his labors, some 40 years ago, under 

 all the disadvantages of his neighboring proprietor, 

 and with the great additional ones of very limited 

 capital and a small and weak laboring force. 

 Under such circumstances, the extent and value of 

 his drainage, clearing and cultivation and other 



