&l)c farmer's ittontl)hj bisitor. 



53 



south of the railroad comes down almost direct- 

 ly over the Long pond : into the granite rook at 

 this ledge uu excavation is made for the passage 

 of the railroad. The rise and fall all the way 

 over the route of the Boston and Montreal rail- 

 road to Rnmney, and from thence l>y VVentvvorth 

 and Warren, over the Benton meadows, and 

 down the Oliverian valley, is the merest trifle. 

 No where does the elevation exceed fifty feet to 

 the mile, and this only in two such short distan- 

 ces as to make them no obstacle. Taking the 

 nearest course either by Wait's river to Montpc- 

 lier, or by St. Johnsbury and Lyndon more di- 

 rect to the Canada line, no route so near or so 

 easy of access from Boston to Montreal will 

 compare with this easy way. The expense of 

 building this road thus far has been less as the 

 ground has been abundantly more favorable than 

 the best. 



At Plymouth the railroad turning a little more 

 westerly takes its course up the valley of Baker's 

 river: it is most remarkable that this valley in 

 the midst of magnificent mountains is so situated 

 that upon the margin of the river the railroad 

 preserves an entire level without a single turn 

 in a straight direction of between six and seven 

 miles. Over this level westward as well as along 

 the distance south-easterly of more than twenty 

 miles by Loud pond and Measley pond on the 

 shore of the lake almost down to Meredith vil- 

 lage, may the whole course of the railroad as 

 well as Wiunipissiogee lake in its entire length 

 be overlooked from the Pleasant mountain situa- 

 te I four miles out of Plymouth. 



The excavation of the road now nearly finish- 

 ed will enable the directors to complete the Bos- 

 ton and Montreal railroad well on its way to 

 Connecticut river as far as Rumney the present 

 summer. The business and receipts of this road 

 with its extension, first from Sanbornton to Mer- 

 edith Bridge, thence to Lake village last fall, and 

 to Meredith village this winter, have been far in 

 excess of the highest calculations of its friends. 

 We took this course to Haverhill, N. H., early in 

 April — when the travelled roads were in the 

 most wretched condition, encountering a stage 

 ride at night of over forty miles, for the purpose 

 of seeing the railroad as far as completed. 

 Branching off as it soon must to Conway in that 

 direction to the White Mountains, and perhaps 

 up the Pemigewnsset in another direction by the 

 Old Man of the Mountain and the Frunconia 

 notch,— opening to Connecticut river in an ex- 

 tent of nearly half of the whole length of Ver- 

 mont — opening also by the Coos country to the 

 Portland and Montreal railroad, the Boston and 

 Montreal road is destined to become one of the 

 most profitable as it will be the most inviting 

 road for summer travel in the whole country. It 

 leads to the very heart of the "Switzerland of 

 America." ^^^ 



From the Cheraw (S. C.) Gazette. 

 Agricultural Letter from General Washington. 



We are indebted to the kindness of an old 

 friend for the following valuable document — val- 

 uable not only because of the revered source 

 from which it emanates, but because it affords 

 many excellent lessons from an able and practi- 

 cal farmer. It is, too, strongly characteristic of 

 the American hero. We see here the exercise 

 in private life of that attention to detail, that in- 

 flexible devotion to order and discipline, which 

 bo eminently marked the public character of 

 Washington. No one can read this letter with- 

 out Becing at once that the writer was an indus- 



trious, sound, practical farmer. He whose in- 

 domitable energy bad given freedom to the 

 world, did not esteem the most minute details of 

 agriculture unworthy his attention. 



It will probably surprise the reader to find 

 General Washington insisting upon the use of 

 harrows and cultivators in the culture of his 

 corn. This we have been accustomed to plume 

 ourselves upon as a much more modern inven- 

 tion. 



The letter, directed to his overseers, is taken 

 from the manuscript copy in Washington's own 

 hand writing, and, as we are informed, now ap- 

 pears in print for the first time: 



Philadelphia, July 14, 1793. 



Gentlemen: It being indispensably necessary 

 that I should have some person at Mount Vernon 

 through whom 1 can communicate my orders, 

 who will see that those orders are executed, or, 

 if not obeyed, who will inform me why they are 

 not: who will receive the weekly reports and 

 transmit them; receive money and pay it; and, 

 in general, to do those things which do not ap- 

 pertain to any individual overseer, I have sent 

 my nephew, Mr. Howell Lewis, (who lives with 

 me here,) to attend to them, until I can provide 

 a manager of established reputation in these 

 matters. You will, therefore, pay due regard to 

 such directions as you may receive from him, 

 considering them as coming immediately from 

 myself. But that you may have a general know- 

 ledge of what I expect from you, 1 shall convey 

 the following view which I have of the business 

 committed to your charge, as it appears to me, 

 and direct you to govern yourself by it, as I am 

 persuaded nothing inconsistent therewith will be 

 ordered by Mr. Lewis without authority from me 

 to depart from it. 



1st. Although it is almost needless to remark 

 that the corn ground at the farm you overlook 

 ought to be kept clean and well ploughed, yet, 

 because not oidy the goodness of that crop de- 

 pends upon such management, but also the 

 wheat crop which is to succeed it, I cannot for- 

 bear urging the propriety and necessity of the 

 measure in very strong terms. 



2d. The wheat is to be got into the barns or 

 into stacks as soon as it can be done with any 

 sort of convenience, that it may not (especially 

 wheat, which is subject to injury by bad weather) 

 sustain loss in shocks; and because the shattered 

 grain in fields may be beneficial to the stock ; 

 but no bogs are to be put on stubble fields in 

 which grass seeds were sown last fall, winter, or 

 spring ; other stock, however, may be turned 

 on them, as it is rooting that would be prejudi- 

 cial. 



3d. The whole swamp, from the road from 

 Mauley's bridge up to the lane leading to the 

 new barn, is to be got into the best and most 

 complete order for sowing grass seeds in August, 

 or, at the furthest, by the middle of September. 

 The lowest and wettest part thereof is to be 

 sown with timothy seed alone. All the other 

 parts of it are to be sown with timothy and clo- 

 ver seeds mixed. The swamp on the other side 

 of the aforesaid lane (now in corn and oats) is to 

 be kept in the best possible order, that the part 

 not already sown with grass seeds may receive 

 them this autumn (as soon as the corn can be 

 taken off with safety) or in the spring, as cir- 

 cumstances shall dictate. 



No exertions or pains are to be spared at 

 Dogne run to get the swamp from Mauley's 

 bridge up to the meadow above, and the two en- 

 closures in the mill swamp, in the highest order 

 for grass, to be sown in the time and manner 

 above mentioned ; but, that no more may be at- 

 tempted than can be executed well, proceed iu 

 the following order with them, accordingly as 

 the weather may happen to be ; for this must be 

 consulted, as dry weather will answer to work 

 in the low parts best, whilst the higher grounds 

 may be worked at any time. 



1st. Begin with the swamp from Manley's 

 bridge, and gel all that is not already in grass 

 well prepared for it, and indeed sown. 2d. That 

 part of the low meadow on the mill run which 

 lies between the old bed of it and the race and 

 within the fences. 3d. After this is done, take 



that part of enclosure above (which was in corn 

 last year) lying between the ditch and Fence No. 

 1, up and down to cross fences. 4th. Then go 

 over the ditch, and prepare slipe after slipe us 

 the ditch runs from the one cross fence to the 

 other, and continue to do this as long as the sea- 

 son will be good or the seed can be sown with 

 propriety and salety. 



1 conceive that the only way to get these 

 grounds in good order and with expedition is to 

 give them one good ploughing and then to tear 

 them to pieces with heavy barrows. Whether 

 it be necessary to cut down and take oft' (he 

 weeds previous to these workings can be decid- 

 ed better by experiments on the spot than by reas- 

 oning on it at a distance. My desire is that the 

 ground shall be made perlectly clean, and luid 

 down smooth, without which meadows will al- 

 ways be foul, much grass left in them, and many 

 scythes broken iu cutting what is taken oft". 



4th. The buckwheat which has been sown 

 for manure ought io be ploughed in the moment 

 a sufficiency of seed is ripe to stock the ground 

 a second time; otherwise, so far from its ans- 

 wering the purpose of manure, it will become 

 an exhauster. For this reason, if the ploughs 

 belonging to the farm are unable to turn it in 

 time, those of Muddy hole, Dogue run, and 

 Union farm must combine to do it, the work to 

 be repaid by the farm which receives the benefit 

 as soon as the work is accomplished thereat. 



5th. Where clover and timothy seeds are mix- 

 ed and sown together, allow five pints of the first 

 and three of the latter to the acre ; and where 

 timothy only is sown, allow four quarts to the 

 acre. Let the seed be measured in the propor- 

 tions here allotted, and put into a half bushel, 

 and the half bushel filled with sand or dry earth, 

 and extremely well mixed together in your own 

 presence, or by yourself, which will answer two 

 good purposes, viz : 1st, to prevent theft, for seeds 

 thus viixed would not sell; and, 2dly, the seeds- 

 man being accustomed to sow a bushel of wheat 

 to the acre, would he at no loss to cast a bushel 

 of this or any thing else regularly on that quan- 

 tity of ground. 



6th. It is expected you will begin to sow wheat 

 early in August, and in ground perfectly clean 

 and well ploughed. I would have, and do ac- 

 cordingly direct, that not less than five pecks of 

 seed be sown on each acre. The plan of the 

 farm over which you look is given to Mr. Lewis, 

 from which the contents of each field may be 

 known. And it is my express direction that ev- 

 ery watch and the best attention may be given 

 to see that this quantity actually is put in ; for I 

 have strong suspicions (but this ought not to be hint- 

 ted to ihtm) that the seedsmen help themselves to a 

 pretty large toll. 



7th. As soon as you have done sowing, and 

 even before, if it can be done conveniently, you 

 are to set heartily about threshing or treading 

 the wheat, and as fast as it is got out to have it 

 delivered at the mill or elsewhere, according to 

 directions. The longer this business is delayed, 

 the more waste and embezzlement will there be of 

 the crop. The wheat is to be well cleaned, the 

 chaff and light wheat are to be properly taken 

 care of for the horses or other stock, and the 

 straw stacked and secured as it ought to be 

 against weather and other injuries; and, until 

 the whole be delivered, it will require your con- 

 stant and close attention. 



8th. The oats at the farm you overlook are, I 

 presume till cut. In that case, let all scythes, 

 and cradles, and rakes which you have received 

 be delivered over to the mansion house ; or, if 

 you choose to keep them against next harvest, 

 you must be responsible for them yourself. 



9th. The presumption also is, that the flax is 

 ere this pulled. Let it be well secured, and at a 

 proper season stripped of its seed and spread to 

 rot. During this operation let it be often turned 

 and examined, that it he not overdone or receive 

 injury in any other respect by lying out too 

 long. 



10th. Get the cleanest and best wheat for seed, 

 and that which is freest from onions. I would 

 have about one-third of my whole crop sown 

 with the common wheat; one-third with the 

 white ; and the other third with the yellow 

 bearded wheat. The overseers (with Davy, as 

 he knows the state of his own farm and the 

 quality of wheat which grows upon it) may meet 



