534 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 



r ight and wrong. It must be confessed that they 

 have never accounted smuggling and wrecking 

 (in a decent way) among the things prohibited by 

 the decalogue — but rather consider the opportu- 

 nities for both as among the bounties of Providence, 

 which are to be enjoyed temperately and thankfully. 

 But the want of capital prevents smuggling al- 

 most entirely, notwithstanding the great facilities 

 which the islands offer: and the erection of the 

 light-house on Smith's Island, has almost put an 

 end to the wrecking business, both lawful and un- 

 lawful. The strong inducements which the ex- 

 istence of high duties on manufactured commodi- 

 ties, and the peculiar features of this coast, held 

 out to smuggling, have been but little availed of, 

 compared to what might have been expected. If 

 that means of breaking down the tariff for the 

 protection of manufactures had been serious- 

 ly resorted to, there would have been no need 

 of the "compromise," nor of any other remedy. 

 All the American naval power could not enforce 

 here the execution of highly oppressive revenue 

 laws, if there was a general wish to elude them — 

 and it is some consolation that even that remedy 

 is left, should there be a return to the prohibitory 

 system, and a determination to destroy the bless- 

 ings of free trade, for the benefit of particular fa- 

 vored interests. 



Most of this island is covered with wood — some 

 pine of small and worthless growth, and much ce- 

 dar of great value as durable fencing timber. 

 Much of this is carried to the main, for posts. The 

 price of land here is as low, as it is high on the 

 main. I heard of about 80 acres having been re- 

 cently bought for less than 50 dollars, and from 

 which more than that value in cedar posts had al- 

 ready been taken. The best of the cedar timber 

 is said to be of a more ancient growth, the trees 

 having been prostrated, covered by the sand hills, 

 and now again laid bare by the encroaching sea. 

 Whether from the nature of the soil, or from be- 

 ing afterwards saturated with salt, (as some think,) 

 this timber is almost indestructible by time and ex- 

 posure. But the modern cedar growth is of much 

 less value, as if the soil had ceased to be favora- 

 ble. With a view to the sending of cedar timber 

 to the New York ship-yards, a northern man 

 bought, and still owns, a large part of this island, 

 for $3000 — which perhaps is ten times what it 

 would now sell for. The expenses of transportation 

 had been so great as to disappoint the expectation 

 of profit. 



The soil of Hog Island is the most sandy that 

 I had ever seen under cultivation. It is dry, and 

 I saw no land moist enough for good grass land, 

 except the marshes, which are subject to be fre- 

 quently covered by the tide. The growing corn 

 generally looked well: but when so speaking of 

 it, I was reminded by the owners,that if a drought 

 came, the crops suffered greatly more than any 

 where else. They do not make oats, (or but rare- 

 ly,) considering that crop most injurious to the 

 productive powers of the soil — but suffer the land 

 to rest one year between each two crops of corn. 

 The Magothy Bay bean covers the land during 

 this year of rest, and was then far more forward 

 and luxuriant than on the main, where oats had 

 preceded. It was here (on July 12th,) knee high, 

 where best, and it is said will rise to three and 

 even lour feet hereafter. This might be a good 

 manure crop for the land: but the owners seem to 



have no view of any such matter, and rake to- 

 gether and burn the dry remains, wherever in the 

 way of their small ploughs. The moving sand- 

 hills are gradually covering up and thus destroying 

 the fields on the sea side. This might be arrested 

 here and elsewhere, by planting the sand-hills 

 with such trees or grasses as will grow on loose 

 sands, as has been resorted to with success on the 

 sea coast of France. 



Miserable as may be the tillage and present 

 products of this and the other islands (and on se- 

 veral of them there is no attempt at cultivation) 

 1 think that a proper selection of crops, and atten- 

 tion to the peculiar character of the soil and situ- 

 ation, might show that there exists a value, as yet 

 unsuspected. The soil and situation (except as 

 to latitude) agree very nearly with the sea islands 

 of South Carolina, which are the most valuable of 

 all the lands in the south — selling at from $250 to 

 §300 the acre. Could not the same cause of va- 

 lue be found here, at least partially, by cultivating 

 the fine sea island cotton? But if that culture is 

 forbidden by want of sufficient warmth of climate, 

 (which is far from certain,) there are other vege- 

 tables suitable to sandy soils, and some to saline 

 soils, which might here be found profitable. The 

 growth of every thing is said to be much more 

 forward on the islands than on the neighboring 

 lands of the peninsula — as much so perhaps as on 

 inland situations 200 miles more south: and the 

 vicinity of, and speedy navigation to the markets 

 of New York, and other northern cities, added to 

 the more early maturing of all vegetables that can 

 thrive on the islands, would give to their cultiva- 

 tors double the customary prices for every pro- 

 duct. But the good people seem not to have any 

 thought of agricultural improvement, and wait 

 with calmness and resignation for the gradually 

 advancing sand hills to cover their still remaining 

 cultivated fields. It would be a good speculation 

 if a company would buy up some of the exten- 

 sive and almost desert islands, and improve them 

 for stock raising, if for nothing else. For this 

 purpose but little would be wanting except to in- 

 troduce suitable grasses, and to guard the stock 

 from sea-faring thieves. If improvement for til- 

 lage was attempted, the adjoining marshes would 

 supply both mud and vegetable matter in any 

 quantity for manure, serving both to stiffen and 

 enrich the soil. 



Musquitoes here are so great a plague, that the 

 report of them alone was enough to limit my in- 

 vestigations to day light. But a worse evil is the 

 bad quality of the water for drinking, which stands 

 in the wells at. about four feet only below the sur- 

 face of the earth. Wells are dug with a sloping 

 side for the cattle to Avalk down to drink in dry 

 weather. Hares are very numerous and injurious 

 to the crops on How Island. There are no squir- 

 rels. It is known, by tradition, that some particu- 

 lar wild animals were formerly brought from the 

 main, and turned loose to breed: and without such 

 an orisrin, it would be difficult to conceive how any 

 came here,that could not fly or swim from the main 

 land. 



In 1821, a storm produced so great a rise of 

 tide,that this island, and all the others, were cover- 

 ed by the sea, except the more elevated sand 

 hills. All the cultivated land was covered. The 

 site of every house, on Hog Island was waist deep 

 in water. Here and elsewhere most of the stock 



