156 



Sl)c iTariner's iiloiitljhj llisitar. 



write down tlie daily journal by laUing from tlie 

 moutli ol' llie overseer all llje parliciilaTs and en- 

 tering against the respe('tive nuniliers ttie days 

 work, the parlicniar serviee, and where it was 

 done. So aeriirate and caretiil is this nccoiinl 

 kept, that turning to any field or lot, or garden 

 plat of the farm, tlie expense laid out in im- 

 provements ran bo aefiirately ascertained. 



Many hands have been employed on this farm. 

 Col. Poore liad Inivelled in Kurope and witnessed 

 the manner of cultivation upon the islands of 

 Britain ; especially had he remarked the farming 

 in Scotland. Anxious to introduce such methods 

 as lie thought applicable and practicable here, 

 for several years he has employed inaiidy Scotch 

 and Irish laborers, against whose slovver an<l ap- 

 parently more biuigling operations there will al- 

 ways be natiirally a prejudice from men of more 

 activity and enterprise. Much of the labor ex- 

 pended has lieen iji permanent improveirients 

 from which present profit is not derive<lfand 

 much of the iiiipjovements is covered over iin- 

 <lpr grouicd, invisible to the eye. The expense 

 for the nninber of hands has been f;ir less than 

 would bi> supposed. The Colnuel has taken liis 

 hands ireiierally fresh from the foreign country, 

 and paid ihem the foreign prices, insiruciing 

 them in his own way: these men, wiien instruct- 

 ed what to do, (ire no eye-servants — they work 

 as well when the master is absent, as present, so 

 they know what to slo and how to do it. 



Indian Hill is one of those beautiful swell.s of 

 ground which we before descrilied, being an ob- 

 long whose base is in extent some mile and a half", 

 J^y half the distance in width. The south two- 

 "'■lirdsof this hill, including all liie highest point, 

 irs n ipsrt of the farm w hicli spreads itself easter- 

 Oy, wiesferly and southerly, down and beyond the 

 bottw.w of the hill. The mansion house, aniple 

 barn and other buildiijgs, stand one hnnihedand 

 twenty feet below the top of the hill, which is 

 two hiin<lred feet above the surrounding valley. 

 Upon the top of this hilla large well, sixty-five 

 feet in depth, has been dug, which, in the dryest 

 time of last summer, was full of water l)clo"w (he 

 first fifteen feet: into the hill a later.-d exc«vation 

 has been made to tlie distance of one hundred 

 and eighty feet, through which is a passage large 

 -enough for a man. Tliis;excavaCiou is to contin- 

 ue the passage of water by a syphon, ajid vvill 

 give a full supply of water for tlie extensive tmrn 

 and for all the domestic and economical purposes 

 at the house and buildings .below — irrigating thu 

 gardens and grounds upon the hill sides in any 

 direction. 



The (■apillary attraction, the operation of which 

 may be discovered in every prominent emineiice 

 of Ncvv England, makes the su|)ply of necdriil 

 water more abundant and more periiiauent from 

 the higii than from the low ground. Indian Hill 

 is cultivated (o ils very top: upon it were grow- 

 ing Kuglish turnips sown as a second crop in 

 drills, late in August, which now in the season of 

 (i-ost were but beginning to form bulbs in the 

 root. So much more exempt from tiost is the 

 high grniuid than the low, that the growth of tur- 

 nips and other vegetation may be calculated as 

 continuing from a loiliiight to a moutli later than 

 in the swampy valleys. 



Indian Mill is i-eleliiated as having been visited 

 liy Gen. Washiiigloii when he last travelled in 

 New England in 1797 or '8. From it may be 

 seen, with the naked eye, the entire north shore 

 of Cape Ann with the towns <if Essex and Rock- 

 port, from which rough granite is shi(ipeil to a 

 jtreat extent — the ;ibbdcs of industrious uiid hon- 

 est fishcrtiKUi, whose white-washed huildhigs 

 glitter in the sun. Further eastward the eye catch- 

 es the sjiires of Ipswich, Rowley and Byiield, and 

 along the sea-shore Pliini Island, within which 

 more dLstincily appears the compact town, of 

 Newburypoit w iih the smoke from ils engine fac- 

 tories. Over I he Merrimack, at I he ex ire me noilh- 

 «ast, we des<'ry tbe isles of Slio.-ils, wilhiii ihe 

 limits of our own. Stale and that of, Maine, with 

 the speck of While island light, the iieiiresl of the 

 ^oiip. Inside, are the shores of I lampion Iniy, 

 and still nearer the higher part of the lillle city 

 4it Salisbury mills, the full of the river adiuhting 

 ■one or more of the large mills to stand among 

 llje highest liuildings. Over this we catch the 

 Iwiight little village ol' South Hampton in this 

 :-Saate, as almost part and pari'el of the same 

 .jl^'omid. Along to the west and south, nmong 

 cxtrtmr liills of the same smoothness and ample 



dimension.s a.s iliat from which' we look, the con- 

 tracted valley tfirougli which flows our own Mer- 

 rimack is seen to cuur.^e ils winding way, fiirm- 

 ing those bends which have greatly eiilaiged the 

 dimensions of the old lowng of Newbury and 

 15rad/iii<l on tin; one hand, and Salisbury, Aiiies- 

 liniy and Haverhill on lliB other — each of these 

 towns being measured, as seems fo ug, not from 

 the ivider, but from the nnvrower point on the riv-. 

 er. An exceilent glass brought by the elder Mr. 

 liarlleti as we climbed the hiH in his com)>any, 

 enabled us to descry objects wilh great distinct- 

 ness, upon the side of tbe ocean, full thirty /niles: 

 through this glass the village of Uockport on the 

 one liaiid appeared as looking upon it at a ilie- 

 tance of a mile, and the old While Island light, 

 where we had lodged in Ihe-sea one. night, was to 

 the vision as large as lift?. 



Above the mansion, upon the south-easterly 

 side of ilie side hill, is Col. Poore's beautiful gar- 

 den, in whtch nalmeaiid art bolli appear to great 

 iidvanlage. The peach tiees were borne clown 

 with hisciou-s led-clieeketJ fruit, which had not 

 yet l>ec<Mne fpiite ripe — grapes were growing on_, 

 trellises and over arbors set out wilh oaken chairs 

 and .seats, as from the natural limli!<. Every kind 

 of useful or ornamental garden vegetable was 

 abiunliunt here ; shrubs and trees w.ere growing 

 in al>(jjMl;ince, not the least profitable of which 

 were tJie thrifty apple trees of one, tvvo and more 

 years growth, inoculated or grafted with the Ifct- 

 ler li'uits, and classed. To the left of the garden, 

 looking down upon the side hill, were several 

 acres of corn growing in rich luxuriance, show- 

 ing how deep ploughing and muck manure »vill 

 stand any drought, even the most severe of the 

 present year, without curling of the leaf. Stilt 

 i'urlher to the left were fields of luxuriant iiiow- 

 iiig, pasture and tillage, evidence of whose pro- 

 ducts was 10 he fonnd, either upon the ground, 

 or upon the mows of the splendid byre, or Scotch 

 barn, which with the mansion is in view and of 

 easy access. 



A westerly view down the other side. of the oh- 

 long, is a splendid panorama, one to two miles 

 over each way, tlic nearest fiont of which is a 

 twenty acre field, in which the ex|)eriment at 

 ploughing w.'is going on. This field isapproach- 

 ed by a lane running liom the house at the foot 

 of the, hill. The lot comes do.vvn upon tbe hill 

 into marshy ground. The whole held has been 

 under-drained several years, the excellent effect 

 of wliii:li has been felt in many successive hay 

 crops. To the under-draining of this field Col. 

 P. now calculates to add subsoil ploughing of a 

 depth of lidm sixteen to twenty inches. He says 

 ho lost much labor at first in constructing these 

 chains from a want of a piaclical knowledge how 

 it should he done. He at length employed a Mr. 

 Grieve, a Scotchman, who made tbe work eftcict- 

 ual and perfect by commiMiciug with a fall at the 

 lower point through which all the water is dis- 

 charged ; these blind drains are constructed near- 

 ly or cpiite u]ion a level. Wjien upon the springy 

 side hill, they crook so as to preserve the level — 

 iifion a dead level lliey run in direct lines; the 

 fall from one to aiiollnjr level is by shelves or falls 

 similar to the main outlet where the drains be- 

 gin. In this way the cold springs are all cut off 

 and carried away below where the plough can 

 ever reach — the drains are made lariher or near- 

 er from each otler according to the nature of the 

 soil: a natural stiff clay and hard subsoil rcipiires. 

 thein more fTecpieiit than a sandy, light or porous 

 soil. When these drains are once perfected, the 

 soil will. become lightened, generous and rich, to 

 the depth of stirring by the subsoil plough ; and 

 the crops, coining from a field thus prepared, are 

 beyond all expectation of those who have been 

 in the habit of eonsiilering the cold. Wilh 

 common ploughing to the depth ol live or six 

 incihes. Col. Puorc's field of twenty acres, with 

 nndin-draining ahnie", has done wonders: with 

 the subsoiliiig aihh'cl, lliis twenty acres will give 

 the proilutt of hundreds hereafter. Upon this 

 fiirm tweuty years ago, one Wilson, a Scolc-hman, 

 WHS employed as a d1tc:lier. Its present propiie- 

 lor is calc'iilatiug to c;xtend both blind and sur- 

 face ditche.<, in ccnlstructing which, and in mak- 

 ing bridges and water course.H, widening and 

 sliaitiMiing private avenues as well as the travel- 

 led public, roads near his prcunisos, and in clear- 

 ing oil' and l;urying surplus rocks, he has expend- 

 ed wh.al would .seiMii to he an enormous amount 

 of work ill Irishmens' days labor. 



Tbe house arid buildings with Ihe irees and 

 shrnbhery and gravelled Walks abiuit it, areqnile 

 a curiosity. Guarding the enlrance is the figure 

 of ihe Indian chief from whom it derives its 

 name. The house and byre are all connectecl 

 hciieuth one extended roof. The house, whose 

 main frame is of an aiH-ienl dale in the family, 

 has been made over into many and capacious 

 rooms adoine'd with furiiifure liolh anciehi and 

 modern — wilh abundance of books in alcoves of 

 ilifferent aparimenis, and periodicals, plates ;ind 

 manuscripts adorning cenire labhs. Sojourning 

 here, the visitant might well suppose him.self.to 

 be Iransporleil to the hall of some European 

 succeeding Ihe baronial ages, where llie slraoger 

 ordered and received whatever enlertainmenl his 

 heart desired^ and where, if an enemy, hi; was 

 secure in all the rights of fiospilality until he was 

 far beyond the limits of the landlord whose firo- 

 Icction cnstoin had pledged. 



Under the first floor lo the entrance of the 

 hous<>, is the kitchen, storerooms, lodgitig rooms, 

 &c., for lh»' accomniodalion of the whole domes- 

 .lic establishment, cooking and dairy pm [loses, 

 &;c. The drainage and wliole surplus inchiding 

 the contenls ol' privies in three stories, are all 

 carried off in ihe rear to a vault, over which has 

 l>een constructed I'roin the commcjn stone of the 

 vicinity one of those golhic circular portals, siicl) 

 as we might conceive to be a )ilace of arintd de- 

 fence fc^r the baronial ch.itean. The whole pile 

 of buildings is real,or iiiiilatioii WidI, resemhliiig 

 an ancient foilress. The gothic circular tower 

 has sometimes embarrassed ils aciive owner by 

 Ihe lady inipiiries and anxiety to be shown ils use 

 and purposes — something suppo.sed to gratify tiie 

 fancy rather than l)e oonverted. lo tlie liniii- 

 hle interior use lo which ihe outside fnrnishes 

 no iiulicaiioii. The eiilire sink drainage of 

 the bouse, the drainaae from the Imriis — every 

 thing coming lo be offensive in all [larts of the 

 house — go directly lo the ample vault, into which 

 muck or oliier material with plaslcrof paris, are 

 thrown — ofien ro be changed and carted away 

 out oi' sight, and beyond hearingv scent or smell 

 lo the family annoyance, iiiaking at Ihe return of 

 every few weeks a grand contribution to Ihe 

 manure pile.. 



In an aparlmenton ihe rear wing of the man- 

 sion, is an extensive cabinet of iiiiuei'als, curious 

 woods, &.C., at Ihe end of which is an apartment 

 with liic similies of the hand writing of many 

 men of eminence, both of modern and ancient 

 dale, curious wares, Indian implemeiils, ancient 

 manuscripts and books. Among the last we hail 

 the curiosity lo transcribe ihe title page of one of 

 an ancient dale having relation more peculiarly 

 to the object of our publication. It is as follows : 



1G56. Par-idisi in Sole 

 Pnradisous Terreslojs 

 on 

 A clioise Gilrden of nil sorts ol" 

 liiirest !''inwcrs with tlu-ir 

 Nature, Phcc; ul" Birth, tinin nt' tirtwcnrig, N.Tnlcs ancj 

 V'erlues lo each Plant, iiselul in Ph.vsick. or ad- 

 mired lor Beauty. 

 'I'o which IS annexl a 

 Kitcheii Garden luriiishcd wilh all inaiiiier of" flcrbs. 



Roots ami Fruits lor 

 Meal or Sawse used, with (he art of planiingan Orrhnrd 

 ol' all h'orla ol^ frurt beiirtitg 'frees a-nd Shrubs. 9hewiMt;llie 

 A'aUiro of Gral'liiii;. Inoculatinc: and I'riiiiiiKj of Ihein. 



Togelherwilh the right ordering, plaining and preser- 

 ving of llieni, with Ihcir select vertues ; ,\ll nieiitionecl 

 in former HerbaU. 



Collected by John Farkinson Apoihecary of London, and 

 the Ivmgs Herbarist. 

 I.oiuton : 

 I'linled by K. N. and are to be sold by Racliard at his 

 shop Hi the -sign oT the Cross Keys, at bt I*aul9 gale go- 

 ing into (,'heapside. 16it). 



This early hook on gardening-is a great curios- 

 ity. Every kind of plant is called {)y ils known 

 name, and ils medical and oiIh^c properties, nffect- 

 ing the heallh of male or female, are desrriby'd 

 in plain li;rins. In ihi' fly leaf and wilh elegnnt 

 chirograpliy peculiar' to the liesf peiiiiicii now 

 someiinics-socu in ancient manuscripts, the words 

 " .Apthorp 17tiO" are wrilleii — belosv it, " Clinrles 

 Coffin, I'tifi." 



Of the inaiiy; <j\her ancient family curic>sities, 

 (ve noticed a i-lock which has fieeii kept going 

 over two hundred years, v.ith its ornamented case, 

 the original draw ings upon which were brought 

 out a few years since by soim^ process of an ar- 

 tist who visited Indian Hill mansion. In all these 

 curious mailers Col. Poore has discovered liis 

 usual characteristic industry, backed hy a niuni- 



