260 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



ment. Fens occupy the south and east, wolds and 

 plains the north, and moors the west of tliis coun- 

 ty. The fen district goes by the name of Holland, 

 which it much resembles. The advancing dykes, 

 which gain more and more every day from the sea, 

 are the same, the meadows the same, and the flocks 

 nearly the same ; the country is low and wet. Rent: 

 average $7,50 per acre. The wolds are dry and 

 bare upland, with a calcareous subsoil, which the 

 four course system has entirely transformed. These 

 wolds are now rented at $6,25 an acre. The moors, 

 now called Lincoln Heath, were at one time more 

 barren than the wolds; but now the change there 

 is not less great. 



Large flirming, as well as large property, flour- 

 ishes in the wolds in Lincolnshire. We find farms 

 of 1000, 1500 and even 2000 acres. Such farms 

 grow from two to five hundred aci-es of turnips, a 

 like extent of Iiarley or oats, as much clover, and 

 equal extent of wheat. The farmers are almost all 

 wealthy, and live in a liberal style. Lord Yarbor- 

 ough is the wealthiest and most efficient proprie- 

 tor of this county, owning about 30,000 acres, 

 yielding a rental of $150,000. What a change in 

 these once desert moors, where the traveller often 

 lost his way 



We have now finished our journey over the east- 

 ern counties. I think my readers will concur with 

 me, that we have not found in the eastern counties, 

 as we did not find in the southern, a soil naturally 

 superior to that of New England. In all that we 

 have seen of England thus far, whatever the supe- 

 riority of its agriculture, we are safe in saying, that 

 this superiority is not owing to the natural superi- 

 ority of its soil. 



I might illustrate these remarks by showing va- 

 rious instances in which England has made great 

 things of kinds of land, of which, as yet, we have 

 made little or nothing. I confine myself to one 

 instance, suggested by the fens we have just trav- 

 elled over. We have large tracts of salt marshes 

 on every part of our sea coast. They are generally 

 composed of a fat rich soil, often several feet deep. 

 These are our fens. But what have we made of 

 them, compared to what England has done ? They 

 produce a crop of hay worth half the price of up- 

 land produce. I know attempts have been made in 

 many places to dyke out the sea water, and in a 

 few places most luxuriant crops have followed ; but 



at some not distant day be made public. With great 

 intelligence and close observation, he possesses a 

 rare abihty in expressing his own, or of giving the 

 views of others in a clear, concise and happy man- 

 ner. In a note to us communicating the numbers, 

 he says — "They are collated from the work of a 

 very acute Frenchman little known in this country, 

 which has interested me very much." In an inter- 

 view with the writer, subsequently, he gave us an 

 account of the work of the Frenchman, Lavergne, 

 and how he came to write it. No man has less oc- 

 casion to resort to the labors of others than "M.," 

 for his head and heart are full of knowledge and 

 interest in the subject of agriculture, as will be ev- 

 ident before the series is closed. Perhaps an an- 

 nouncement of these facts with the first number 

 published would have prevented any misapprehen- 

 sion, although the writer distinctly states that he is 

 collecting facts, not originating them. 



For the New England Farmer. 



DE SOTO, WISCONSIN. 



Mr. Editor : — About a year ago, you inserted in 

 your columns a communication from my pen, con- 

 taining a statement of our location, climate, soil, 

 future prospects, &c. On the strength of that 

 communication, a large number of the readers of 

 the Faitner located here, and others, not then ready 

 to come, are renewing their inquiries this spring, 

 with a -siew to ascertain our present condition and 

 prospects. A brief statement will give your read- 

 ers the information they need. Eighteen months 

 ago, two log cabins and eight inhabitants constitu- 

 ted our town. AVe have now twenty-two dwelling 

 houses, and over two hundred inhabitants ; one 

 steam saw mill ; one store 25 feet by 60, three sto- 

 ries high, well filled with goods, at wholesale and 

 retail, and said to be the best building between Du 

 Buque and St. Pauls ; one store, two stories high, 

 containing a well selected stock of goods ; one black- 

 smith and wagon shop ; one fanning mill factory ; 

 one carpenter's shop ; one school-house, and two 

 organized churches. We have preaching ever Sab- 

 bath. Inquirers for information have demanded 

 generally the lands have again run to waste, and ! that I should be thus particular. In regard to our 

 the sea water again been admitted to cover them. ! future prospects I will say a few words. There are 

 Doubtless they are difficult to be reclaimed ; but I ' now commenced, to be completed with Western 

 doubt whether most of the experiments have not ' dispatch, one large ware-house ; one large three- 

 failed from being imperfectly made. Though the i story hotel ; one block of stores, three in number, 

 tide has been kept from overflowing the surface, | for rent ; one store to be occupied by the builders ; 

 the water within the soil has been kept too near the I one wagon shop ; ten dwelling-houses, and proba- 

 surface to prevent the soil being freshened. In one bly thirty more will be erected during the season, 

 word, they have not been underdrained. Certain In regard to the departments of business unoccu- 

 it is, that what has been done in England, can be pied, a shoe store, embracing a manufacturing de- 

 done in New England. And one day in the here- partment for all kinds of custom work, is greatly 

 after, the best farms in New England will be found needed ; a watch maker ; cabinet maker ; harness 



maker ; baker, tailor, stone and brick masons and 

 plasterers are wanted and will find inviting open- 

 ings. A shingle machine ; a furnace ; a steam grist 

 mill, and manufactory of agricultural implements, 

 could not fail to do well. On the opening of na\-i- 

 gation, a steam ferry-boat will run between our town 

 and Lansing, Iowa, and will connect with a line of 

 stages running east to Madison, the capitol of the 

 State, where passengers going South or East can 

 take the Milwaukie railroad. We had, at our levee 



on its now neglected coast. 



Rural Economy of the British Isles. — In 

 another column will be found No. 11, of the inter- 

 esting series of articles, by "M.," a gentleman who 

 has made some of the most expensive and valuable 

 agricultural experiments that have yet been en- 

 gaged in, in New England, and which we hope will 



