ISO 



Visit to the Farm of B. V. French, Esq. 



Vol. in. 



them up, to prevent the destruction of the 

 trees; even the sight itself, riciily repays all 

 the pains tiiat have been taken to rear the 

 trees. In loolving over his orcliard, and cal- 

 CLilatinjT the probable increasing annual pro- 

 fits, which may reasonably be expected for 

 an age to come, we could not help wondering 

 at the indolence and want of foresight in ma- 

 ny of our farmers, in suffering fruit of a worth- 

 less character to remain to encumber the 

 ground, when every healthy tree, however 

 unpalatable its fruit, may be transformed by 

 engrafting, ia three years time, into any de- 

 sirable variety; or if necessary to set out young 

 trees they may lay the foundation for a hand- 

 some income in their old age, or at least to 

 do much to benefit those who succeed them. 

 Although pears and apples have received the 

 principal attention, his place is well stocked 

 with cherrie.5, peaches, plumbs, quinces, &c. 

 We were pleased also to observe, that while 

 he has bestowed much attention upon fruit, 

 the kitchen garden has not been neglected ; 

 but every vegetable desirable for the table had 

 its appropriate place. 



Mr. French does not pretend to have much 

 taste for flowers, yet he has setofl:"a generous 

 portion of ground which is devoted to their 

 culture, well laid out, and well stocked with 

 plants ; but over this he holds no dominion; 

 this he leaves to the management of the ladies. 

 This is all right, every intelligent farmer will 

 encourage floriculture, and esteem it a pleas- 

 ure to gratify and encourage a taste so pure 

 and pleasing as the culture of flowers; and 

 if he takes no delight himself in ornamenting 

 his grounds, he will not prevent his wife and 

 daughters from performing the pleasant task, 

 by withliolding the necessary funds and labor. 



In the garden we noticed a neat apiary, but 

 were sorry to learn that the bee moth had 

 been very destructive to his bees. We 

 were shown a board, the top of a hive, or some 

 part of it, which had been pierced like a rid- 

 dle by these voracious vermin. 



Tiie poultry are well accommodated with 

 a capacious yard, which appears to us much 

 more economical than to let them run at 

 large, destroying twice their value in the 

 garden, besides the vexation it occasions a 

 man to see them scratching up his plants. 



His whole farm is enclosed with a substan- 

 tial stone wall, and some portions upon the 

 road are handsome faced. All his mowing 

 lands and orchards are accommodated with 

 gates, hinig upon stone posts, and built in tii'' 

 nice-t manner and so fixed tiiat there is no dan- 

 ger of havinij' any trouble from theirswagging. 

 VVith Mr. French's permission we design to 

 give a more particular description of his gates 

 illustrat d by plates in some future number, 

 aa we do not ollca see them that open and 



shut, so easy, and secure after they are shut as 



his. 



The main pasture is divided in the centre 

 by a stone wall, and each of the divisions is 

 subdivided into three equal portions. The 

 cattle are turned into each in succession, 

 thereby making the most of the pasturing. — 

 In every department we witnessed the great 

 advantage of system. A small river runs 

 through this farm, known by the name of Mon- 

 atiquot river — affording him a good mill pri- 

 vilege, plenty of water for cattle, accommo- 

 dations tor ducks, gee.se, &c. and adding much 

 to the interest of liis place. 



In his cfil)rts to raise wheat the present 

 season he has had a complete failure, although 

 a liberal application of lime and other manure 

 was made, and the best variety of seed pro- 

 cured, yet he has had the mortification, after 

 his field has exhibited the most flattering ap- 

 pearance, to see the whole of it blight, and 

 totally fail ; but having sowed a liberal allow- 

 ance of clover seed, (at the rate of 22 lbs. to 

 the acre,) he will not have occasion to say 

 that his labor has been wholly in vain. 



Our farmers do not generally allow suffi- 

 cient clover seed to the acre, and are thereby 

 great losers. The English sow from 20 to 

 28 lbs, where clover alone is sowed. In 

 this case no other seed was sown. We have 

 never seen a more promising field of clover. 



The unfavorable season for the last two 

 years, and the failure of the corn crop in con- 

 sequence, has led the agriculturists to seek for 

 an earlier variety. There was a geat enquiry 

 in a particular manner the last spring for seed 

 corn. Mr. French among others turned his 

 attention to the subject, and fancied if he 

 could procure the genuine golden Sioux from 

 the north it would prove the variety wanted; 

 this he procured with .some dilficulty; but not 

 fancying it, he rejected it, with the exception 

 of enougli to plant one row. It is probably 

 the same as the Dutton, but the specimen ho 

 obtained was much inferior to what is grown 

 among us. lie procured al.so some of the 

 Parker corn, so called, a beautiful variety to 

 look at, with long ears, eight rows, and very 

 largo kernel. He planted about one half 

 ills field with the Parker corn, and one 

 half with the Dutton, with the exception of 

 the one row of Siou.x. Part of the Duttorj 

 corn was soaked in saltpetre water, the other 

 was not; there was a striking difference in 

 favor of that which had not been soaked. — 

 Alter examining critically the Sioux and Dut- 

 ton, we do not hesitate to pronounce them to 

 bo the same originally; our Dutton is an im- 

 provement upon the Sioux, and we l)olicve 

 that after all that lias been said, the Dutton is 

 the most desirable variety, and shall recom- 

 mend it iiefon? the Parker, or any other sort 

 we arc aciiuaintcd with, for our country. 



