412 



NE\^ ENGLAND FARMER, 



July 13, 1S31. 



From the Sen Ycirk Fanner. 



SPESUTIA FARM. 



The farm, wliifh is tlie siihjt'ct of the pres- 

 ent article, belonss to Mr W. Siiiilli, of Ealti- 

 more, Maryland. Tlic account, wiiich we take from 

 the American Farmer, cannot fail of being read 

 with interest by fanners. One of the leading 

 principles on vvliich this farm is conducted, is not 

 employing an overseer, Iiy which an expense of 

 $500 is saved. Mr Smith has found the conse- 

 quence of not lru?tiirg his farm to the manage- 

 ment of an overseer, to be an increase of its pro- 

 ductions. The experiment is a striking instance 

 of whut may be accomplished by sysieniatic reg- 

 ulations. We consider a description of farms to 

 be among the most useful topics for agriculturists ; 

 and we should be happy to have communications 

 on the subject for the New York Farmer. 



1st. The farm is situated at the distance of 

 about thirtyfive miles from the residence of the 

 owner. This circumstance alone would teem to 

 render an overseer jndis[)ensably necessary. To 

 diininisii the evils of so great a distance, he has 

 established an invariable rotation of croi)S, and a 

 systematic arrangement of all the various oper- 

 ations of the farjii. With such uniform regular- 

 ity, as to time, altered only by casualties, are the 

 several pieces of work begun and ended every year, 

 that in visiting his farm, be knows to a moral cer- 

 tainty, in what particular work he will fmd his 

 people employed, what progress they have, or 

 ought to have made in the general business, and 

 of course what are the indications, if any, of neg- 

 ligence or idleness. All this, it is obvious, evinces, 

 on the part of the negroes, vigilance and industry. 

 2d. The farm consists of 450 acres of rich 

 upland, and of about 550 acres of reclaimed 

 marsh, which is in progress of being completely 

 drained. That portion of the upland which is un- 

 der cuhivation, is ilivided into five equal fields of 

 70 acres each. The course of rotation is corn, 

 oats, wheat, clover, wheat ; a system too severe, 

 were it not for the abundant supply of manure 

 every spring and autunm. The field in corn is 

 manured throughout every spring, and that field 

 in wheat whicli is on the oat stidible, is manured 

 partially every fall. The acenmidating, the baiding 

 and the spread of such a-l.irse quantity of manure 

 require unceasing zeal and industry. 



3d. To get out the wheal, oats, and clover 

 seeds there is a cosily threshing machine which 

 necessarily requires the utmost vigilance. 



4lh. The whole crop of wheat, and part of 

 the crops of corn, and oats, are sent every year 

 by water to the ov.'uer in Baltimore; so are also 

 sent, from time to lime, beef, hams, butter and va- 

 rious other articles for the table. 



5th. The operations of ploughing, harrowing, 

 and hauling are performed by breeding mares 

 which have been selected with a view, not oidy to 

 their work, but to the value of their progeny 

 From them there are now on the fartii many celti 

 of various ages, the sales of whicli constitute a 

 clear annual gain over and above the profit accru- 

 ing from the labor of their dams. These colts are 

 served by a full blooded horse, owned by Mr S. 

 In the place of this horse has been purchased 

 this spring a beautiful stallion of the trotting breed 

 a colt of the celebrated Fagdown. 



6tb, Besides these working mares, there are 

 two full blooded valuable Virginia mares, and three 

 colts from them — one a much admired two year 

 old fdly, from a favorite son of the New York 



Eclipse, and the other iwo are foals of this spring 

 from the Virginia horse Monsieur Toiison. These 

 colt? are also intended for sale as part of the profits 

 of the farm. 



7th. To this stock of neat cattle, a cross of the 

 llolst(.'in and IJakcwell, there has been recently 

 added a bull and two cows of the improved Dur- 

 ham short born breed. 



8th. On ihe norlb side of along line of sta- 

 bles, sheds and barracks, are three convenient 

 glass lots, and on the south side there are, besides 

 the Slack yard, three spacious yanis wilh a few 

 subdivisions for the accommodation of every varie- 

 ty of stock. The full blooded mares, the working 

 mares, the neat cattle, the colts and calves are, 

 during the winter kept in these stables and sheds, 

 and in the yards and lots thereto attached ; and 

 they are duly supplied with water from a pump 

 with troughs so arranged as to suit the several 

 yards and lots. The neat cattle are occasionally 

 fell oil long necked winter squashes, turnips and 

 |)otatoes. In addition to these articles of green fiiod 

 they will the ensuing winter, have cow cabbages 

 and carrots both raised in the field. In the cul- 

 tivaiiou of carrots, ftir S. has adopted, by way of 

 trial, the plan recommended in a number of the 

 American Farmer of last March. And accor- 

 dingly on an acre of ground, so'wed with the 

 usual quantity of flaxseed, he has sowed, this 

 ■spring, a quart of carrot-seed. Should this exper- 

 iment answer, his cultivation of carrots will licre- 

 after be every year co-extensive with his flax 

 ound. 



9tb. The great extent of his rich outside 

 pasturage and the great abundance o his winter 

 provender, enable him to maintain, besides other 

 live sto''k, a vast number of mares, colts, cows and 

 calves, which of course require untiring assiduity 

 at all seasons and especially in winter. 



lOtb. Such is Ihe attention of this farm to 

 domestic manufactures that no part of llic bed- 

 ding or of the clothing of the people, except their 

 shoes and hats, is ])urchased. 



lltli. The ice house, built by the negroes them- 

 selves, is every year so carefully filled as to keep 

 the ice in a state of high preservation thruughoui 

 the whole seosoii. 



12th. The apricot and plum trees are along 

 ibe fence on one side of the lane leading to the 

 dwelling. They are protected by a parallel tem- 

 porary fence, made so as to admit the hogs and to 

 exclude the cattle. And as the ai)ricots and pluins 

 of these trees do not (all but ripen every year un- 

 less destroyed by an early frost, their preservation 

 is attributed to the .food offices of the bogs. 



13tb. The peach and pear trees are preserv- 

 ed by a very simple process. As soon as the, 

 leaves of a tree begin to curl or to change their color 

 the dirt is removed from the roots to the distance 

 of about 12 or 18 inches from the stem of the 

 tree. The roots are carefully scraped and every 

 part wounded by the insects, or at all discolored is 

 cut out and the incision made smooth by a siiarp 

 knife. All the roots are then plastered with a 

 tbic!; coat of fresh cow dung, upon this coat of 

 dung are put fresh hickory ashes enough to fill 

 the hole. The dirt dug out is thrown aside, so 

 that the surface around the tree is altogether of 

 ashes. 



This enumeration of particulars has been here 

 set forth for the purpose of shewing the multifa- 

 rious matters, requiring circumspection and fore- 

 thought, which for a series of years, have been 



advantageously cninmilted to ibe care of negroes, 

 and for the further purpose of calling attention to 

 the practical details id'lbe management of a farm, 

 which, fi)r some time, has been gradually improving, 

 as is indicated by its general appearance and by 

 the [irogressive augmentation and amelioration ot 

 its productions of every nature and kind. 



LIGHTNING HODS. 



The following are the most approved rules foi" 

 the construction of the Lightning Uod, and for 

 its proper adaption to buildings ; .-iiid we recom- 

 mend them to those who arc concerned in the 

 erection of Houses, Sliips, and Mannfaclories. 



1st. The Rod should consist of Iron, about 

 lliree quarters of an inch in diameter ; closely 

 joined throughout, either by securing cue part 

 within the other, or liy welding the several parts 

 togetlier ; it being fi)und, that links or loose joints 

 prove a great interruption to the passage of the 

 electric Hiiid. 



2d. The upper end of the rod should ter- 

 minate in three |)rongs, or branches, of a pyra- 

 inidial form, with the edges, as well as the point, 

 very sharp ; this part also sh.iuld be gilded, be- 

 cause its conducting power will be im|jaired by 

 oxidation or rust. 



3d. ll should be elevated five or six feet above 

 tlie highest part of the building, giving preference 

 to the kitchen chimney, if it be etpially high with 

 the olbers; as it is more of a conductor, by reason 

 of the vapor and smoke, which are constantly as- 

 ccndi ig through it. 



4tb. The rod should be secured to the build- 

 ing by wooden cramps, instead of iron ones, as is 

 frequently done ; for, although electricity will take 

 the shortest route, through a good conductor, yet 

 in case the rod should become slightly imperfect 

 from any cause, the passage of the fluid into the 

 building would be favored by iron holts. 



5ili. The lower end of the rod should descend 

 into the earth in a direction leading from the foun- 

 dations ; and deep enough to be coiinecied with 

 earth ichir.h is continually moist. In some places 

 four feet will be sufficient, in others five or six, 

 and even more will be required ; and in situations 

 which are very dry and rocky ; it will be best to 

 connect the bottom of the rod by means of a 

 chain, or the rod continued, wilh a well or vein 

 of water. If this cannot be done, a trench 

 should be dug at some distance, and filled with 

 charcoal in which the rod should terminate; as 

 charcoal, from its power of absorbing and retain- 

 ing moisture, is always a good conductor of elec- 

 tricity : It would be well also to have this end of 

 the rod pointed, and branch off in several di- 

 rections, to facilitate the passage of the fluid. 



6tli. Paint made of lamb-black, is best suited 

 to Lightning Rods, to protect them from rust ; 

 this substance being a better conductor tlian other 

 kinds of paints. 



7tb. Manufactories, and other large Ijiiildings 

 should be furnished wilh more than one conductor; 

 for it is a mistake that a single rod will protect 

 all ill its neighborhood or even a very large build- 

 ing: Its protecting power is said to extend to 

 only about forty, orfortyfive feet in each direction. 



Slh. For ships, a large copper wire, si'ciired to 

 the mast as above directed, and made to extend a 

 foot or two above it, and to pass over the deck in 

 a groove made for the purpose and to terminate 

 in the water, will be an ample protection un- 

 less the ship should be a large one ; in which 

 case, it should have two or more. — Mech. Adv 



