-;V, 



^l)c Jarmer's illontl)lp Visitor. 



105 



imrmively sinnll. She is flisliiiguished for lier 

 full, round, clenr eje, the gold-colored circle 

 round the eye, and ilie same color prevailing on 

 tlie inside skin of the ear. The countenance 

 cheerful — the jaws free frotn thickness, and the 

 throat free (iotn dewlap." 



Now the characteristics of the Short Horns,or 

 Durhams, arc almost the reverse of the above de- 

 scription. The diflcrence is so striking, that 

 when it is once pointed out to the notice of the 

 most casual ohserver he will never forget it. Then 

 there are the Yorkshire— the Lincolnsliire — the 

 Alderney — the Galloway, and our own native 

 breeds, which differ nearly or quite as much, but 

 each having its peculiar characteristics and con- 

 formation. A portion of Col. Capron's cows 

 were from New York, were very fine specimens, 

 and show w hat may be done w ith our native stock 

 by careful breeding an<l attention. His Durham 

 bull, which weighs two thousand four hundred 

 pounds, is the finest animal I ever saw. A team 

 consisting of tweuty-lbur mules harnessed in line 

 as I once saw them, and ranging in weight from 

 eleven to fourteeir hundred pounds each, as I 

 should judge, probably cannot be equalled in the 

 country. A few Southdown sheep and lambs 

 were fine specimens, but are kept more (or the 

 convenience of their fiesh than for the profit of 

 their wool. His carriage and saddle horses are 

 also of the best breeds, and e.\hibit the judgment 

 and skill of their owner in their fine proportions 

 and training. A few days previous to my visit 

 he unfortunately lost his best horse by his rolling 

 into a spring and breaking his back. He proba- 

 bly wotdd not have sold him from his carriage 

 for $1000. 



It is not my purpose to give the details of Col. 

 Capron's management of his (arm affairs. JMy 

 observation was too slight and hurried to enable 

 ine to do this correctly if I desired it. But I do 

 wish, so far as in my power, and with the aid of 

 your excellent Visitor, to attract the public atten- 

 tion to the wonderful improvements he has 

 wrought in the late sterile fields around him, and 

 to how he has enlivened them by introducing a 

 breed of animals as unlike the native Alary lander 

 as though he had introduced the South American 

 Alpacca, or the hump-shouldered Nagores from 

 the border of the Bichaneci desert. 



His farm did not appear as it would under more 

 favorable circumstances. The drought had been 

 severe, and the season imusually cold and back- 

 ward. Yet his wheat crop was good, averaging 

 about thirty bushels to the acre, and was all hous- 

 ed in the true New England manner. He cuts 

 it with one of Hussey's patent reaping machines, 

 at the rate of eighteen or twenty acres per day, 

 with the aiil of two mules and a man. His grass 

 crop will be rather light; though the rain which 

 was falling while we were looking at the fields 

 will somewhat increase the crop still uncut. He 

 will house at least one hundred Ions; which, af- 

 ter adding a little sail, will yield a fragrimce far 

 surpassing all the cosmetics of the shops. Isaw 

 the fields which he has renovated, and of which 

 he has given an account. .•Vlit-r culling U fair 

 crop of grass from them in the midst of this dry 

 season, the clover was still so high that calile 

 might feed in it " u]) to the eyes." 



A perfect system controls every department — 

 and whatever point you approach you find there 

 iministakeable evidences that the " master is at 

 home." His barus,sheds, feed rooms, stalls, hov- 

 els, and every thing pertaining to the convenience 

 of the manager or the coitifort of the creature, 

 are all thoroughly finished, and exhibit a correct 



taste and judgment in their arrangement and con- 

 struction. His tool house isa nonpareil in "those 

 parts," and after once beholding its contents, 1 

 trust no Marylander will ever after be found 

 "loading manure with his own hands." 



His dwelling is surrounded by a beautiful lawn, 

 filled with shade trees and shrubbery. Inside, it 

 is well-furnished and convenient, and is graced 

 and adorned by his accomplished lady and seve- 

 ral pretty children. There are no indications of 

 that aristocratic pride which has somewhat dis- 

 tinguished southern gentlemen, but which has 

 been found too poor a plant to sustain itself] even 

 on a good soil. There are all arouml him not only 

 evidences of what "mind among the spindles" 

 can do, but idso in the substantial abodesof com- 

 fort which surround him — the smiling and profit- 

 able fields, the good roads and fences, the church- 

 es, schools an<l lecture-room. In short, he is 

 " irionarch of all he surveys," or nearly so; but 

 exercises bis power with such an even hand — 

 with such justice and rare appreciation of the 

 condition and rights of others, that they scarcely 

 feel that they are governed at all. 



I have not attempted to give you the details of 

 his system and practices of farming. That may 

 better be done by yoiu' own graphic pen after you 

 ba\e enjoyed the hospitalities of his mansion, 

 strolled over his broad acres, and held conversa- 

 tion with him. 



It is interesting to notice the different conclu- 

 sions which individuals come to with regard to 

 the best kinds of stock. Col. Capron gives the 

 decided preference to the Durhams, in every par- 

 ticular, while some of the New England farmers, 

 whose stock 1 have recently exainined, are equal- 

 ly decided in their preference for the North De- 

 vons, both as regards flesh and milk. The stock 

 at Laurel runs in the same pasture and is treated 

 alike, yet the Durhaais were heavy in flesh com- 

 pared wiih the Devons, and at the same time, fur- 

 nished quite as much fur the |)ail. 



I have given you above a mere sketch. Much 

 nfight be said of Col. Capron's example, and of 

 his exertions to do good. There is still an aston- 

 ishing prejudice against what is termed " book 

 farming," and the innovator upon their old cus- 

 toms has to contend against many a sage advice 

 and fcarl'nl warning. But his fields speak louder 

 than his words, and will have their influence in 

 spite of prejudice itself 



Col. Capron has made the " wilderness glad 

 ami the desert to blcssomasa rose," and all good 

 men will accord to him the credit which he rich- 

 ly deserves. Truly yoms, 



SI.MON BROWN. 



Roud-Making. 



Mr. Gillespie's plan for more perfect road-ma- 

 king by all towiis where the majority of tax-pay- 

 ers are not farm laborer."*, strikes us very favora- 

 bly. It is as (ullows : 



III each .Slate, a general legislailve act should 

 estahli>h all the details of cimslrnctioii, and de- 

 termine definitely "What a road ought to f)e," in 

 accordance with the theory and practice of the 

 best engineers. Surveys shoiihl lie made of all 

 the leading roads, ami jihins and profiles of them 

 prepared, so that il mifiht be at once seen in what 

 way their lines ccjuld be must efficiently and 

 cheaply improved. 



The personal labor and commutation .system 

 should lie entirely aholishcd. If the town-meet- 

 ing wiuiid vole a tax ill money of Aa//' the amount 

 now levied in days' work, ils expeiiilitme under 

 the supervision to be presently described, would 

 produce a result superior to the pre.-^enl one.-,— 

 When a road is a great thoroughfare, extending 

 far beyond ibe town, it would be unjust to levy 

 upon it all the expense; and a county tax, or in 



extreme cases, a State appropriation, should sup- 

 ply what might be necessary. 



In regulating the expenditure of the money 

 raised, the fuimamental principle, dictated by the 

 truest and most far-sighted economy, should be 

 to sacrifice a portion of the resources of the road to 

 ensure the good em/iluymenl of the remainder. The 

 justice of this principle needs no argument; its 

 best mode of application is the only difficulty. 

 The first step should be to place the repairs of 

 the roads under the charge of a professional road- 

 maker, of science and experience. On his skill 

 will depend the condition of the roads, more than 

 on local circumstances or expenditures. His 

 qualifications should be tested by a com|>etent 

 board of examiners, if he should not have re- 

 ceived special instructions in the requisite know- 

 ledge, such as might well form a peculiar depart- 

 ment of education in our colleges and normal 

 schools. As each town by itself could iiotafToid 

 to employ a competent person, a number of them 

 (more or less, according to their wealth and im- 

 portance of the roads within their boutnis,) should 

 unite in an association for that purpose. 



The engineer thus appointed, shauld choose, 

 in each township, an active, industrious man, of 

 ordinary education, to act as his deputy in making 

 the expenditures in that town, and as foreman 

 of the laborers employed during the season of 

 active labor on the roads. This deputy might be ' 

 busily and profitably employed during the entire 

 remainder of the year, in constantly passing over 

 in due rotation the whole line of roail under hia 

 care, and making, himself, the slight repairs 

 which the continual wear and tear of tlie travel 

 would render necessary. If taken in time, he 

 himself could perform them; but if left unat- 

 tended to, as is usual, till the season of general 

 repairs, the deterioration would increase in a geo- 

 metrical ratio, and perhaps cause an accident to 

 a traveller, which would subject the town to dam- 

 ages tenfold the cost of repairs. 



The laborers hired by the deputy in each town 

 should be employed by piece work as far as is 

 possible. This can be carried out to a great ex- 

 tent, when the superintendent is competent to 

 measure accurately the various descriptions of 

 work, and to estimate their comparative difficul- 

 ty. Wlii-n the work cannot be properly executed 

 by portions allotted to one man, it may be taken 

 by gangs of four or five, who should lurm their 

 own associations, make a common bargain, and 

 divide the pay. In work not susceptible of def- 

 inite calculation as to quaiility or quality, and in 

 such only, day-labor may be resorted to under a 

 continual and vigilant suierintendeuce. 



In such a system as has been here sketched, 

 the money tax would he found to be not only 

 more equitable than the personal labor system, 

 but even less burdensome. None of it would be 

 wasterl ; and those who had skill and strength 

 for road work would receive back, in wages, more 

 than their share of it ; those who were skilful in 

 other work might remain at that which was most 

 profitable to tliem, and |)ay only their simple share 

 of the road-tax, not donlile, as when they now 

 commute ; and the only losers by the change 

 would be the lazy and indolent, who were use- 

 less under the old system, but under this would 

 be obliged to contribiile their share ; while great 

 gain in every way would ensue to the community 

 at large. The subject urgently demands legisla- 

 tive attention. 



New York and her Sister Cities. 



The two articles annexed, one from the Charles- 

 ton Mercury, the oilier from the Newburyporl 

 Ik-rahl, are in strange contrast with each other. 

 The latter is much more agreeable to us Gotham- 

 ites, and much nearer the truth. — .V. Y. Journal 

 of Commerce. 



Frum tlie Cliarleston Mercury. 



"Railroads are rapidly revolutionizing trade 

 and changing ihe du^linies olcilies. A most re- 

 markahle insumce of this exists at this moment 

 in !?oston and New Voik. 



" This is so remarkable that We may be excus- 

 ed lor illustraliii;.' it hy a short slaleiiient of the 

 facts: New York had opened the way to Ihe 

 Lakes, anil all the vast regions honlering on or 

 open to iheiii. Trade poured down her Canal 

 and on the Hudson, of an extent and value that 

 gave to New York a growth and a prosperity be- 

 yond example. But the Hudson was closed up 

 hv ice during a large part of ihe year. Railroads 



