156 The Story of Vin eland. 



gent writer estimates that the fences in the United States have cost more 

 than all the railroads, bridges, and public buildings : and a careful compu- 

 tation forces the conclusion, that it would cost at least five hundred thou- 

 sand dollars to enclose the improved places in Vineland ; and that the 

 expense for necessary repairs could not be less than twenty per cent of 

 that amount, or a hundred thousand dollars per year. But this is not the 

 only saving effected. Besides relieving the settlers of a heavy burden, the 

 arrangement necessitates the soiling of cattle \ and thus large quantities 

 of fertilizers are secured. It also induces the cultivation of root-crops ; 

 and it has been proved that a given quantity of land in root-crops will sup- 

 port six times as much stock as the same land in grass, aud that the 

 manure is much more valuable. In Germany, where the no-fence custom 

 was originally introduced, the effect has been the redeeming of entire dis- 

 tricts which had become waste by bad farming. 



Other noteworthy points in the management were those which required 

 that each owner seed to grass the roadside contiguous to his premises, and 

 set shade-trees. The streets were all laid out and finished at the expense 

 of the founder 3 and the colonists were granted some valuable privileges, 

 such as free access to the muck, which is a rich fertilizer, and, in the opin- 

 ion of some, even more serviceable on this soil than marl, lime, gypsum, 

 or phosphate. Mr. Landis has also proved in other ways that he regards 

 the permanent prosperity of the people ; and it is intimated that such 

 future proceedings are contemplated as will augment the evidence of this 

 fact. But, after all, perhaps he deserves little credit on this score. Strate- 

 gic considerations would have prompted to this course as the best he could 

 have pursued : and the only difference between him and others who have 

 attempted similar schemes is, that he had the superior sagacity to see that 

 an enlightened self-interest, and a steady regard for the public welfare, are 

 closely allied ; that the one suffers when the other is neglected. It is 

 a question of phrenology more than of philanthropy, of brain more than 

 of heart ; and thus, while the nine would have had the penny prudence, 

 and never suspected the pound lost, Mr. Landis, more highly endowed, 

 stepped in, and won the distinction of being the greatest colonizer of which 

 tliere is any account, while at the same time he was doing the best possi- 

 ble thing for his balance in bank. 



