344 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



ol' 536 acrep, iho Neck farm ol 600 acres:, and 600 

 acres olTcd(lin<^lon farm, will each (orm one field, 

 cultivated on thcihrec-sliili pys'eni ol'corn, wheat, 

 clover: 100 acres of the Teddington lariu divi- 

 ded into five llilds, will continue lo be cultivated 

 on the five-shill sysu-ra ol' wheat, clover, corn, 

 wheat, clover, or one 20 acre lot in corn each year. 

 The Upper Quarter liinn oC 536 acres, will be di- 

 vided into lour fields ol' nearly equal area (131 

 acres) to be cultivated in, Isi, wheat, 2J, corn, 

 3d, wheat, and 4ih, clover, or one hail' in wheal, 

 one lourth in corn, and one lourth in clover each 

 year. Under this system, in 1S42, all of the 

 Rovve farm of 536 acres will be in corn, together 

 with the 134 acres, or one-lburth of Upper Quar- 

 ter, one 20 acre lot on Teddington. To this will 

 also be added 30 acres of adjoining and more 

 recently reclaimed land on Teddington, in all 720 

 acres. In 1843, the corn crop will comprise all of 

 Neck larm of 600 acres, 134 acres of Upper 

 Quarter, and one 20 acre lot on Teddington, in 

 ail 754 acres. In 1844 the corn crop will comprise 

 600 acres ol' Teddington, together with one 20 

 acre lot, and 134 acres on Upper Quarter, al- 

 so equal lo 754 acre?. In each ol these years all 

 ot' the corn land will be sown in wheal or oats, 

 together wkh 134 acres or one-lburth of Upper 

 Quarter after clover fallow, and one 20 acre lot 

 on Teddington also after clover (allow. In order 

 to pre[)are the Upf)er Quarter larm lor the intend- 

 ed ibur-shilt system, one lourth of it now in 

 wheat is sown in clover lor liillow in 1842, and 

 the one-fourth of it which comes into fiiilow this 

 season, has a portion of it sown in oais, the re- 

 sidue to be sown in peas, both intended to be 

 ploughed under, as a [preparatory manuring. 

 There will consequently be three dUlerent rota- 

 tions on the estate, a three-shift, of corn, wheat, 

 clover, a four-shilt of wheat, corn, wheat, clover, 

 and a five-shut of corn, wheat, clover, wheat, 

 clover. These various shifts are not adopted in con- 

 sequence of any |)arlicular difference of soil, but 

 more especially lor ascertaining Irom actual re- 

 suits, on soils as nearly alike as possible, which of 

 the rotations will eventually be the most pro- 

 fitable. 



To complete the junction of the horse teams 

 on the estate, since the new arrangement, Mr. 

 Boiling has had u stable recently fitted up ca|)a- 

 Ue of containing all ot them, or having accom- 

 modations lor 40 horses. The stable is under the 

 care ol'an old man, aided by a boy, whose business 

 it is to clean it out i horoughly, at least once a day, 

 and carefully to Inter each stall. The horses are led 

 with corn ai morning and noon, and at night with 

 cut oats and Ibdder ; these it is also the duty of the 

 old man and his assistant to prepare and put into 

 the boxes or liieding troughs, previous to the 

 horses coming in at night, so that their respective 

 <lrivers shall liave nothing to do but to unharness 

 their horses, halter, and have them properly cur- 

 ried and cleaned. The horses when at work on 

 parts of the estate remote from the general stable, 

 are accommodated at noon lor leeding by stables 

 formerly existing on the separate divisions ; to 

 which are added the additional convenience of 

 having stoutly made boxes or troughs, sufiicient 

 lor leeding all the horses, and which can be moved 

 lo any point in a wagon or cart. Communicat- 

 ing with the stable is a house, divided into three 

 cumpartuiontE, one of which is filled up as a har- 



ness room, where harness of every description 

 must be de[)osited in its proper position every 

 night, and so kept when noi in use, and where it 

 can at all times be seen at a glance. The door of 

 this is locked, and is under the immediate care 

 of the head ploughman, whose duty it is to report 

 all cases of breakage, losses, or want of necessary 

 repairs. Another apartment is for the depositing of 

 all sniall implements, such as hoes of various de- 

 scriptions, spades, shovels, (brks, &c., when not 

 in actual use. The door oi'lhis is also locked, and 

 under the immediate care of the head-man of 

 general work. And the third and largest apartment 

 is lor depositing all ploughs, harrows and other 

 large implements when not in use. These apart- 

 ments are found to be very useful appendages, 

 the want of which is a serious inconvenience on 

 many farms, and on an estate of this extent they 

 are indispensable. 



JMaterial is also now being prepared for the 

 erection of a stable, to contain sixty stalls, lor the 

 better accommodation of our working oxen : 

 hitherto they have been kept after the general 

 mode adopted in lower Virginia, that is, after 

 working all day, they are turned at night into a 

 yard having a temporary shelter, where their 

 food is scattered for them over the yard, and 

 which they must pick up as they best may. The 

 disadvantages attending this, at best, most sloven- 

 ly mode of leeding, are I think very obvious, and 

 to the highest degree unjust to the patient, hard- 

 working and valuable ox, and is a fruitful source 

 of loss, disappointment and vexation to his own- 

 er. The ox cannot move a font without trampling 

 his Ibod into the pile of underlying manure, and 

 before he gets half satis'fied, the lood supplied to 

 him becomes utterly unfit Ibruse, particularly in wet 

 or snowy weather; and from ilie generally lin)ited 

 extent of shelter afforded him, he is compelled to 

 pick up his soiled and filth-impregnated food ex- 

 posed to all kinds of weather. By this mode of 

 feeding the strongest and most vicious animals, 

 are always sure to secure lo themselves the lion's 

 share, such as it is, to the serious detriment of 

 their weaker and continued weakening neighbors. 

 Add to these sufficiently serious inconveniences, 

 the frequent casualties -which occur from their 

 goring and maiming each otherj as also the im- 

 mense waste of Ibod accruing from this most 

 wasteful mode of leeding, which, in a season such 

 as this has proved to be, has been a source of 

 most serious inconvenience to many farmers, and 

 consequent privation and sutfiering to stock of 

 almost every description. By adopting the mode 

 of stalling his working oxen, Mr. Boiling an- 

 ticipates that most of these inconveniences will 

 be obviated, that a great saving of food will be 

 effected, while the animals will be kept in much 

 better condition, and at all times fit lor efficient 

 services. He will also, at all times, have the full 

 benefits of complete shelter, with a dry comforta- 

 ble and clean bed ; their stalls will daily be care- 

 fully cleaned out, and fresh litter supplied ; and 

 while they enjoy all the advantages of shelter, 

 care will be taken to have the stables properly 

 ventilated. By increasing the efficiency of this 

 valuable stock of animals, it is also anticipated 

 that a considerable reduction of their numbers 

 may be cfiecled, and thereby derive another 

 source of profit, i am well aware that many 

 consider the stalling of cattle as not being suitable 



