108 



^\)t jTatracv's iUontl)ii) biaitor. 



liJts'heeii alile to <io tjje comiliy so oo«d aspmce 

 as lo ("iiriiir^li a siiipliis esport oflen millions 

 ifrotii iIm! soil, Willi which to |)ay U<\- rke miiliotts 

 of ^noils', .11 IcflfS «!' luMiry iis «fj| -jis ol" -Heoos:- 

 jiiiv, wliicli <'oiii« fi'oiit alH'oail? 



Alaliarim, us u Slate, is ji't comiiarativejy «ew. 

 The w-liole iiiH'.ior of the State, wjUeiod l>y 'l"*i 

 Jiolrio rivets, is teitile lo a hiii^i <1eo;iee : iHtirJj <ir 

 iiKi- soil is a vii-li rinK'dlate L-oloied he<), similar, 

 liiit more rii-h than the liest Comieotiwrt ailiiviwii. 

 "J'liat soil is in its liest cotioMlion a leu ji:ars afif r 

 It is taU«?ii lip. VV'liat strong l-etmilaltons <iiiist it 

 jircseiit (« the p'.iiitrr when his crop of coMoii 

 sold at filteeii anil twenty co^its the poimii, ami 



tin; easy work of a siMy:le slaie wwivkl fjive eig.fit |opeii air, ri(te strawlw^trics 

 .hnnilred ic Ji ihrmsand <loll.iis in n season ! 



The di>laii-ee (i-fnti Mohite to iMontgoniery ity 

 'Jand is 1^0 miles; liy w;ilee'«ip the AlaliaKia riv- 

 er llie distani'e is over .500 inil<!s. On this x<id 

 other rivers IVom north tosimtli, float slcamlxiats 

 <',iiTyinL' shiploads of entloii and n<her piodnce 

 at every trip ; and i? is a rem.iikahle feature in 

 »li« Alaliama river that its sinuosities hiinj; the 

 whole of the jiieat cultivated valley near lo it 

 within a fesv mile-s .it some convenient point of 

 landing. Into the hay of Moliile seieivil livej-s, 

 coming a (otig dist.mce fmm tlie iiiteiior, unite 

 ill one. 



The county of Montgomery, of whici* tlieOnsy 

 town of the satne name is the capital, is sui<l to, 

 lie the most wealthy a;;iienlliir.il district of the 

 State: at this place several citizens of New 

 Hainpshiie have localeil and resided within lite 

 last iwenty years. In a somewhat Imriied jonr- 

 »'V home (iom New Orleans, tlie editor of the 

 \ ..^imr was indnced to slay over at Montgomery 

 one day, l»y old friends who solicited a longer 

 tarry. 



Mr. Seth Rnhinsoti, an old trade acquaintance 

 of this town, who has resided tliroiisli all the vi- 

 cissitudes of prosperity aiul depression for sever- 

 al years at Monl^'omeiy, and is now settled <low n 

 in a prospeions hnsiness, desiring to show lis the 

 spettiinen of an Alahama farmer, look ns an af- 

 ternoon ride seven miles out of the city. Pas.s- 

 ing on the great load fioin Montgoineiy eastward 

 toward Georgia, liy sever.d heantifnl plant.-itions, 

 4ind many extensive enclosures devoted alter- 

 nately to a IViresl growth and cultivated fields for 

 cotton, corn and the other cereal grains, he 

 brought ns lo the preinises of Col. (Jreen Wood, 

 Ji plaiiler who emiLMated hire several years ago 

 from llie State of (ieorgia. This was the 4lh of 

 April ; and vegetation was then in the con<lilion 

 of what we might expect it to he in New Kng- 

 land on the 4lli of July. 



For nearly two miles hcfiire we rejiched his 

 house, on hotli ^ides of the road, did we pass 

 succe.ssive enclosures of his planialioii, in which 

 4:ottou or corn had iieen plankd or grain had 

 lieen sowed — all of it with as clean cultivation 

 <is a New Eiii;land g.iiden: the roi\s of cotton 

 ill a ilirect line to thi; distance id' one hundred 

 rods and half a mile, straight as an arrow, were 

 (raceahle hy the naked eye. The fences of this 

 eonnliy, for whiidi there has heen alinndant ma- 

 terials ready at li.ind, .are of a kind which we in 

 New ICncla'nd call the "Virginia fence." They 

 are iiia<le of split rails of hard wood, and to that 

 careliil height of seven or tight feet, which 

 «onlil seem to he sufficient for shutting out the 

 fleetest <leer. The liahit of careliil fiirming is 

 shown in Alah.iina hy ihe sale fiuices siirronnd- 

 ing each cnllivaled lield. That part of the li'iice 

 nearest the L'loiiiid ..-ooiiesl di'C.i\s; and weoli 

 served, as thi: older r.iils were crushed down at 

 the hoitom, their places were siipplieil hy newly 

 splil rails at the lop. 



The mildness of the idimale renders it unne- 

 cessary lo pay lliai particular alliiitioii lo the con- 

 slrnction of houses, hariis, and sheds that we of 

 the north must ilo Iroiii necessity. Lillle more is 

 neccs.saiy there than to make a roof for the pro- 

 tection <if cattle and crops ; the iieL'ru residences 

 are sometiim^s v\iiliont floors of hoardj4; a sin- 

 gle oiilside hoarding or cla|ilii)iirdin;; is deemed 

 liir them snflieieiil. Indeed the rich owners 

 theuiselvi's ollini oci'iipy houses w liieh would not 

 lie regarded as eoiuliii lalile hy the poorest tenant 

 of the north. The liahilation of ("ol. Wood, dec- 

 oraleil with all the artificiiil emhellishinents of a 

 flower garden and heautiful parterre on either 

 front, was surroiinileil at no great distance with 

 the niiiuerons dwellings of the families, which 

 do all Ihe work upon his extensive plantulion. 



Tl»e Ifirst noiser Ihat arrested our altenli.in w,-b the 

 Uusy <nim of the spinning wheel and the song of 

 its 'Oix-rative.s from the dwellings of the colored 

 .uei.pfe. The enterprising owner of the premi- 

 ses »!is not at (wKtie hiivuself : hut ineeiiiiy us at 

 i-l+e (loif Jiiid inviting otn; entrance \Tas Iiis wile, 

 u l.tdy of plain «lress and great soctdhility of 

 twatUHirs, who nl onse made us at home in a 

 wariM day hy the nivilation to jrlasseu of sweet 

 k'e-oooled il>utleriinU<, and a walk li>to an exten- 

 sive gai<ten, cintlied in all Ihe rich heanties of 

 early v<»get.ition. Here we found — and the read- 

 er will mark the daj to be the fourth of April — 

 rk:h head lettuce liiHy gjovvn and growing in the 



d full grown peasr 

 jrs an evidence of the early season, Mrs. 

 Wood (lUjcked from the free a fidl sized fig 

 wJiich tlren only reHiaiufd Ut be ripened. — 

 Flouting this garden tA several acres, was an- 

 other larger enclosure of' ffonrishing peaeh, ap- 

 (de, atid other liuit trees wliicb bad then gone 

 o.ut of Idossojii. 



The liuiiily residence of Cot. Wood was a 

 well <ijiished amd eleg;i»l vrooden house of a 

 single *lory. There were wid» h:\Ha wblli en- 

 traiiees on ilie four sides, »<u> tluif in whatever ili 

 rection iniglil Ue the wind, (he bouse liad the ad- 

 vadtiige of airing : these hull's enihraeed nearly 

 half of (be wbole are.i. Sepnale on eaeh cor- 

 ner were large auil ample ywrrors or sitting 

 rooms — riijd otte or more suits ol' r>ed-iQi>ins. — 

 The heigJit of the slory uiifl tbe rooms was ten 

 to tweUe fiiet. Tbia bouse was coiisfrurted as 

 liir comfoii in warm rather llvnui' co-Id vveatlier: 

 the weather in that |iart of Al'it.hatiiti is never 

 fold, aJid seldom only cool. 



The extent of fanning in Afabama may be 

 eonjecimed troin the feet thai Col. Wood has 

 one thousand acres annually imiter the plough. 

 Good calcidalions make tlie work ihere conijKir- 

 alively ea-y, be<-^ijse the milder rriuKile ad- 

 mits of work in the pi<?paiation for t-rop's nearly 

 the whole year round. All ihe heavy tfiannal la- 

 bor ill the ttelds is the work of horses and mules. 

 The vir;;iii soil in tluit .State is so rich, (hat tlie 

 pl.inteis hitherto have paid littlt; attention to 

 manures. The facilities for making barn and 

 stable inaniire are not in the cottfji) region as 

 great as at the north. Col. Wood foiim) me;n^s 

 in various ways to make and gather a large 

 amoiiul of ni.'iniii'e in the last season: be tlispr>- 

 se<l iip<m a portion of his plough land one- tlfon- 

 sand mule or horse cart loa<ls, for which pitrpose 

 be employed four carts with llie drivers (bifiiig 

 the last winter. Mis manure was taken fVonitfie 

 stables and fiiim the cattle, shee|i and hog yards. 



Of his cultivated lands five buudred acres are 

 devoted lo cotton, and an equal aniount to corn, 

 wheal, rye, oats, &c. The one lialf of the fann 

 fiirnishes more than the wluili^ amount of meat 

 and bread lor the laborers, by whom also the 

 clothing is mannfaclnred liom the cotton and 

 wool grown upon the premises. The principal 

 p.irt, if not ibe whole of' the cotton crop iiiusl 

 lie regariled as clear profits. A force of thirty 

 to forty mules or horses with their driver;:, kept 

 up during the greater part of Ihe year, is suffi- 

 cient liir ihe cultiv.ition of these many acres. 



A iiKire happy set of laborers can hardly • e 

 coni'eived than die slaves upon the plantation of 

 Col. Wood. The daily task of those engaged in 

 the otit-door work is easy ; and they have mncli 

 lime every Het;k which th(;y call their own, with 

 opportnuities to cultivate their lillle garden plot, 

 to raise and feed poultry, with other i Mra priv i- 

 IcL'es. 'J'liey an; all well lid :iiid clothed in the 

 iibimdance which the plauiation produces wiili 

 lillle of the concern ivbicli poor people of other 

 countries experience. I'poii Ibe faces of the 

 colored people wliieli wesawalioiit the premises 

 health and coutenlmeut were depicted: the wo- 

 men chanted with their voices of song and music 



corresi dent to the niovenients of carding and 



the liiizz of the spinning wheel. 



Col. Wood had two overseers, wliito men, lo 

 snperinlend the pl.int.ition concerns. Que of 

 these, ill the short time of our lariy, showed us 

 about his premises, which would do credit lo 

 the; best New l'',n:;laiiil farmer. As llie bet- 

 ter inelbod of liiriiishing abnndatil meat at all 

 limes, he has live hundred hogs of the dilVerent 

 sizes, lie Iter than the lio;.'S which tiboimd in the 

 f()rests of the West and the Sonlh, appeared the 

 aninnils of Cnl. Wood: he bail not only been at 

 the pains to introduce an improved and muinly 



of tire Berkshire breed, l«il \,'>a lK>gs were ileci- 

 dedly nK>re fat than we bad seen elsewhere, — 

 'l'hi;y ranged in an open forest ".'roiimf t'nd pas- 

 lure of many .'teres; and in aiblrtion to this only 

 usual method of keepj-ng and feeding bogs it> 

 that coiintiy, they were daily fed wiib corn in the 

 ear scattered over the ground in which they 

 rooted and made mamire. 



No iKiy is ent in Alabama: a general sifbstilute 

 for hay in feeding horses, mides ami cattle is the 

 corn sfiucks or husks, being the leafy part which 

 is stripped from the principal blade and done up 

 ill bundles. Tlie straw of wheat and oilic;r kinds 

 of grain with the grain itself is also fed out to 

 horses and cattle. The cons, in most iitsiaiices, 

 range the woods in search of lijoil, .tud tbrough 

 the forests of .Alabama and Georgia wlieie we 

 pa.ssed, seemed to be but skeletons, like the lean 

 kine of Pharaoh. Col. Wood had a fine drove of 

 the inifidi kiiie, large, tat and »lee-k,and a notable 

 boll which the overseer informed us was oblaiued 

 lloin Col. Jafpies of Clnirlestown, Mass. A 

 flock of over a hundred first rate sljeep, a mix- 

 tnn; of flie Leicester with the native breed, were 

 kept mainly for the wool itecessury lor tl>e liimily 

 clothing. 



On the wlioTe, the view of stfeb a splendid 

 plantation as that of Col. Wood, ;» ihnnsaiiil acre* 

 under the plough yieldiirg, on the lowest calcii- 

 l.ition, a clear profit of ten dollars to the acre ; — 

 ibe business under overseers who iixike the dif- 

 ferent gangs of cheerliil woikers operate like 

 the machinery of a clcK-k ; a p«H$ioi> of the 

 grounds eTery year rmiirorTed by the generous 

 nse of nicnures; the crops all galhereti ami sav- 

 ed In d\ie seasr;ii, as they arc grown, alimist with- 

 out the app:n eiit (tire of the owner ; Ihe surplus- 

 annnariy sohl to fnrnisb any des»Ka'!>le arnoniit of 

 funds for any iJesirable pniposp : — wliii would 

 not tbink the evil of slavery sticb as exists upon 

 this plauiation even irileiaMe, and who would iioi 

 eiTvy the roud'ition of a-ii indi>]>K»)deitt .-^lalxiinu 

 firmer like Col. Green Wood ? 



The i^cason in New Hampshire. 



The htiy crop has been pjurle light on all liigl> 

 dry land long Taiif down to gnis.-*, bsit heavy on 

 well maiuired.iiid highly ciilliv.ited i;rouuds: the 

 product «t' a single acre n\' the latter from ii(» 

 better rranir.i-l soil is often equal to ten or a dozen 

 acres of the former. How strong ilio iiiiluce- 

 menl to plough deep and manure well for stibse- 



|ipient Fi-ipps of the l>est hay! The .season has 

 been rery tvne jhtis far. fw rKriiig ibe bay crop. 



I The early severe dronghl Ikis HghleMcfl iir;iiiy 



' arres at least one half. — The n/r crop on .some 

 gronnifs wtis figfitened very much from the same 



'cause : there tire many false beads without grain. 

 Much rye greiiiNl was severely winser-killed. — 

 Tiie spritf^' iclifnt (:i<u\ w e have rii Jlii-s r?;;ioii very 

 little winter wheat] on all our high grou'id* 

 svliich snirer very .sehlo-m from ilrougbl, looks 

 very proinising. Thi-* is lieeomiiig a crop ol" 

 ir«/re profit tli.iii mosf other kinds i>f grain. Kar- 

 ly ••sowing of the Black -.sea wheal is fciiind better 

 botli liir Ine avoidance of blight ;i(id the liy, that) 

 lair .mowing, Ity sowing .■^s early in .-Vpril as the 

 grouiirl roiild lie opetted, Abralxtm Brown huiI 

 Thomas Cliasi', Ksipiire;*, (two adjacent good 

 fanners of .Vorthfield,) last year idilained spriliff 

 wheat at the rati- of thirty -seven bushels to the 

 acre. Oik; bush.-? of this wheat is wurili in the 

 market aliiittt two bushels of rye. — Of InJiim 

 corn all the indicalions at the pre.-ienl time are 

 lli;it !lii-re hiII be a g.iod crop in this p;irt of New 

 Hauipshiii-. The niontb of July (dry thoiiidi il 

 has been) has been highly I'avoralile lolbe grow lb 

 of corn. I'p lo the time of the copious rain of 

 that month, our corn upon the Concord intervale 

 labored witliont much increasing growth : in one 

 week afterwards the increiise was greater than 

 for the six weeks previous.— Of Ibc crop of po- 

 liitom conipfiints :iie made of the efli'ct of the 

 dry wcalbii.and the ;inticipnlioii in nianv places is 

 that il will III' cut off or mined, if we do not soon 

 have more r.iiii. We have a field of five acres 

 with the young potatoes as l;irge as a hen's egg, 

 the growth of which has not yet been checked 

 by the drv wealber. New potatoes are now sell- 

 ing at the uiarket houses in this town for thirty 

 cents a peck. .\\ thirty cents Ibe biislnd, they 

 will give double the profit of Indian corn on the 

 same ground. 



05^ Mr. J. A. Flanders of Goffslown sends us 



