FARMERS' REGISTER— FARMING, &c. IN NEW YORK. 



643 



redeeming quality, except in the genius and pat- 

 riotism of its people ; but as I became better ac- 

 quainted with it, I am j)leased to see tliat at least 

 there are green spots here and there upon wliicl) 

 the eye can rest, and that there are persons upon 

 them competent not only to, manage successfully 

 the multiplied operations of their individual farms, 

 but to give practical lessons of profitable huslian- 

 dry to the population by which they are surrounded. 

 If the high destiny of great conquerors and 

 statesmen docs not await these men, they will have 

 a more useful liie, and enduring monument, in the 

 increased wealth and happiness they will impart to 

 the respective portions of their country : and where 

 agriculture can have the benefit of such examples, 

 their efTects will l)e observable upon all within the 

 sphere of their names and influence — for barren- 

 ness will be turned into fruilfulness, and there 

 will be health, and wealth, and happiness, where be- 

 fore were disease, discontent and poverty. Let tliem 

 but persevere, and the time is not far distant wlien 

 the farming of tlie state of Virginia will bear a 

 comparison with that of any state in the union. 



Witli tliis j)reliminary, I will now state distinct- 

 ly the object of this communication; and that is, 

 as you sir, have given me the opportunity of be- 

 coming acquainted with your methml of farming, 

 I feel bound to discharge the obligation, and as far 

 as I am able, to make known to you mine. Whe- 

 ther the soils we cultivate are similar, I cannot 

 undertake to determine ; but presuming from your 

 description of your farm that it is sandy, and has 

 once been covered with pine timber, I have cnily to 

 say that mine is level land, situated on an extensive 

 plain, of whicli almost the only timber was tl.e 

 pitch and yellow pine. I take it for granted there- 

 fore, that whatever system of farming (allowing 

 for the difference in situation,) is profitable in the 

 one, will hardly be less so in the other; and if, by 

 an interchange of each other's practice, new light 

 is shed upon any one subject of husbandry, we 

 shall both be gainers. 



My farm, with thousands of acres around it pre- 

 vious to the introduction and use of clover and 

 plaster, was not worth more than three dollars per 

 acre, and it might all have been bought at that 

 price : but the improvement that has taken place 

 from tiie use of these two articles, connected with 

 an intelligent cultivation of the soil, has so far in- 

 creased tlie value of this land, tliat at this day, 

 with moderate prices for its products, it will yield, 

 free of expense, the interest of more than one hun- 

 dred dollars per acre This improvement has been 

 gradual, but it has been steady — and what was 

 formerly looked upon as an unprofitable sandy 

 plain, with here and there a poor Ihhahitunt, now 

 teems with life, intelligence and wealth. It is the 

 land most sought after, because it best repays the 

 husbandman from the fertility that has been im- 

 parted to it. Of this he has the strongest evidence 

 in the appearance of its houses and barns, its stock, 

 fences and roads. The ease, celerity and cheap- 

 ness with which it can be cultivated, are addition- 

 al arguments in its favor — and although its fertili- 

 ty is all artificial, yet the most experienced have 

 the utmost confidence in its powers, because their 

 capacious barns liave often borne evidence that 

 their industry upon it has not gone unrewarded. 

 The change that has been wrought is the strongest 

 proof of what industry with intelligence will ac- 



have reached, or even yet approached the ultima 

 thulc of good farming, yet we rejoice in our suc- 

 cess, and would feel happy if our practice and ex- 

 perience could be beneficial to-olhers. 



I will now advert to my farm, and enter at once 

 into its arrangement. I came into possession of it 

 in 1815. It consisted of one hundred and twenty 

 five acres, all in one lot : half was cleared and in 

 rye, the remainder was covered with stinted pines. 

 The part in rye was put down in the spring to clo- 

 ver, sown with plaster ; and tiie first having taken 

 well, things soon assumed a new aspect — for in 

 two years, from this same field, which did not yield 

 five busliels of rye to the acre, I have harvested 

 fifteen bushels of wheat per acre. Since then, the 

 farmiiig upon the wliole has been simple — never 

 at most to take off over three crops from a lot be- 

 fore it was again seeded vv-ith clover, and plaster 

 was commonly applied to all the lots every year. 

 Tlie effect of this treatment is not as discernible 

 now as it was at its first application; still we have 

 yearly evidences of its continued beneficial effect. 

 The stinted pines on my lot were removed as 

 the land was wanted ; and although I cultivated at 

 first with only an outer enclosure, I soon found 

 there were many inconveniences and losses attend- 

 ing it, and I now have it fenced off in about ten 

 acre lots. By adopting this plan, I find it much 

 easier to get along with my stock ; for whilst they 

 are benefitted by the superfluous herbage, they 

 impart a fertility to the soil by the droppings of 

 their manure, and save the expense of soiling — 

 whilst I can take advantage of each lot either to 

 pasture, plough, or keep it for hay. There is no 

 waste ground therefore, that runs to weeds, be- 

 cause the land adjacent is in a crop and cannot be 

 used ; each successive lot bears its share of what 

 constitutes the rotation of crops on the farm. This 

 division of a farm into several lots generally obtains 

 here, and farmers find the great benefit of it, as all 

 the arable part of the farm comes successively into 

 cultivation, which im})roves it, and any part may 

 be taken either for hay or pasture at any time 

 most convenient to liis interest. Standing pastures 

 formerly in use are not known on our best farms. 

 Since artificial grasses have been used, we find 

 that one acre \m{ down carefully with grass, now 

 yields as much herbage to beasts as ten acres did 

 under the old system ; and that not only a much 

 larger portion of the fai-m is thus brouglit under the 

 use of the plough, but that it adds materially to the 

 profits of the farmer. By this practice he is like- 

 wise enabled to have a succession of pasture lots 

 through the season, and tliese several lots thus pas^ 

 tured become highly fertile by the sward which 

 has been thus artificially created. But it is not 

 only in the increased fertility of the soil that we 

 are gainers. The cattle by this abundant supply 

 of food are much more serviceable, both for labor 

 and the profits of the dairy ; and stock thus treat- 

 ed are in a few months abundantly fat for the 

 butcher. It is not found profitable to feed too 

 close, and stock is not turned in until the grass has 

 become somewhat rank, and then enough is left to 

 afford nutriment to the next crop of grain that 

 may follow. Clover is the'^grass most commonly 

 used, and if gypsum is applied to it, it grows with 

 a ranknessand luxuriance, that if when riiie were 

 trodden down, would cover the ground for inches. 

 There is, however, a difference in the kinds of clo- 



complish; and although we do not pretend that we I ver seed, and we prefer in all cases what with us 



