196 



Best Regulated Farms. 



Vol. XL 



most sterile soil. An example well worthy 

 the emulation of every man. 



The plantation of Col. W, W. W. Bowie, 

 from its rapid and high state of improvement 

 under its public spirited proprietor, merits 

 the highest encomiums of the committee. It 

 has already, in sharp competitions, received 

 the second and third honours. It presents to 

 those that have known it long, some most 

 pleasing considerations; bespeaking man- 

 agement, system and untiring industry. — 

 Galled knolls have been re-invigorated, gul- 

 lies have been levelled, stumps and roots 

 grubbed up, briars eradicated, wet swamps 

 ditched and reclaimed, embankments to hold 

 the Patuxent in check, erected at heavy ex- 

 pense and with indomitable perseverance, 

 new meadows made and well set in timothy, 

 ornamental trees, and fruit trees of the best 

 varieties, planted out, woods have been felled, 

 and the land cleared and cultivated. Great 

 attenti-^n has been paid to manures, and the 

 effects of this great right hand prop of the 

 farmer is clearly discernible on every part 

 of this well arranged, highly cultivated and 

 beautiful plantation. Col. Bowie has over- 

 come many and serious difficulties, showing 

 to the committee and those around him, that 

 he is possessed of the spirit of enterprise, 

 with a head to plan and a hand to execute. 



The plantation of Mr. Richard S. Hill 

 evinces much labour and industry, although 

 there is not that beauty and neatness of man- 

 agement which are so pleasing to the eye. 

 This great omission may in charity be attri- 

 buted to the fact, tliat the worthy proprietor 

 is a bachelor, and lacks that stimulus and 

 taste for the beautiful and ornamental, which 

 in some cases can only be supplied by the 

 kind and witching influence of a neat and 

 tidy wife, an article in the way of domestic 

 comfort and happiness, your committee with 

 perfect unanimity recommend Mr. Hill to 

 possess himself of right speedily. For his 

 soil is first rate, and its yield abundant. 



The plantation of the worthy president of 

 this society, is another evidence of the spirit 

 of improvement which is abroad in the land 

 He has given to the committee ample evi 

 dence, that his efforts are most judiciously 

 applied to the enriching of a soil, which, in 

 its nat'iral and uncultivated state, offered but 

 few temptations to the spirit of enterprise. 

 His system appears well arranged, his houses 

 and farming utensils in good order, his stock 

 well provided for, and every thing around 

 him appears cheerful, contented and happy. 



Your committee regret exceedingly, that 

 the limited time allotted to this report pre- 

 vents them from going into an extended re 

 view of many facts and circumstances, well 

 calculated to excite great interest in the 



mind of every Agriculturist. But they trust 

 that they have presented sufficient consider- 

 ations to demonstrate, that great good grows 

 out of a worthy and laudable spirit of compe- 

 tition. There are but few honours that con- 

 fer more real satisfection, than the honours 

 of an Agricultural society, impartially be- 

 stowed; as the evidence of skill and industry, 

 of management and labour. In the quiet of 

 his family, and surrounded by his friends, the 

 successful competitor points with laudable 

 and heartfelt pride to his premiums, as so 

 many monuments, which to him cannot be 

 valued in money. In this he has a higher 

 and holier pleasure than the successful chief- 

 tain, whose renown is written in the blood 

 of thousands slain. 



Your committee now proceed to the most 

 delicate part of their duty, and that is, to 

 award the three premiums. It is due to say, 

 that, in many instances, they considered the 

 merits of Col. Bowie and Mr. Calvert equal, 

 and their only regret is, that they cannot 

 award to each; but upon a review of every 

 fact and circumstance brought to their con- 

 sideration — and mainly based upon the writ- 

 ten answers of each of those gentlemen to 

 the interrogatories propounded — they have, 

 after due examination and consideration, una- 

 nimously agreed to award the first premium 

 to Mr. Charles B. Calvert, for his farm of 

 fourteen hundred acres. As the committee 

 consider it their duty to award the other pre- 

 miums under the rules and regulations pre- 

 sented to them for their government, a ma- 

 jority have accordingly awarded the second 

 to Mr. Richard S. Hill, and the third to Mr. 

 Robert Bowie. Under the rules, it will be 

 borne in mind that Col. Bowie, having here- 

 tofore obtained the second and third, could 

 only compete for the first. 



The first named of your committee would 

 here take the liberty to suggest, that the 

 spirit of competition could be rendered 

 sharper and keener, by extending the bounds 

 of competition. As at present constituted, 

 the competitors must be confined to Prince 

 George's county. There is a little river well 

 known as the Patuxent ; let that be crossed 

 in the spirit of generous rivalry, and many a 

 gallant spirit, with polished plough and prun- 

 ing hook, will be found on its eastern banks, 

 ready and anxious to enter the lists. 



Your committee cannot conclude their 

 report, without expressing the great plea- 

 sure they have derived from their excursion. 

 Social feeling and generous hospitality pre- 

 vailed at every place where they sojourned. 

 They have derived much pleasure from the 

 general evidences of improvement that were 

 manifested on all sides. There were only 

 one or two spots that presented themselves 



