416 Transactions of the American Institute. 



to the acre. As indicated in the title of this paper, this is designed 

 by nature as a pastoral region. The winters are so mild and open 

 that sheep can keep in condition all winter with very little atten- 

 tion. The hardy wethers generally seek remote and sheltered hol- 

 lows, where they find picking all winter. The ewes and sheep not 

 born on the mountain, come around the house, and need a little hay 

 on snowy days. But the dogs and wolves kill more than perish 

 for want of food in winter. Neat stock require fodder for about 

 three months; but for half that time they will make the most of 

 their living in the woods. As a general rule, a farmer may feel 

 safe if he enters on the winter season with as many tons of hay as 

 he has horned cattle and horses, the latter, of course, receiving 

 some grain, as also the milch cows. I think ten tons would take 

 two hundred sheep from December to March. In short, the differ- 

 ence as to w^intering animals may be understood by taking the three 

 severe months out of our winters, and joining the last of Novem- 

 ber to the first of March. 



The soil appears to be wanting in lime and also in ammonia, but 

 is not very defective in potash. Wheat does not do well. Rye 

 heads and fills well, but the stalks stand thin. Potatoes and all 

 the roots do well. It is the chosen locality for fruits. Late frosts 

 in the spring are very unusual, so that peaches are almost as regu- 

 lar a crop as blackberries, and in many places as plentiful. 



Fall and summer apples thrive. The trees groAV to a large size 

 and produce well. But south of the Ohio, it has as yet been found 

 impracticable to attempt winter fruit. All the vines and small 

 fruits flourish in this hilly region. As the autumns are long and 

 quite rainless, grapes can remain on the vine till late in October or 

 early in November, and thus draw larger supplies of' sugar from 

 the air than is possible in a climate where killing frosts may be 

 expected early in October. The woods abound with wild grape- 

 vines, and these are generally productive, some years being loaded 

 so that many bushels can be picked from one vine. Peaches bear 

 on the third year from planting, and the crop is surer than in any 

 other part of the country. On account of the remoteness and diffi- 

 culty of access, the peach crop is dried in kilns, or fed to hogs, or 

 made into peach brandy. 



The first method of disposing of this delicious fruit makes 

 drudges of the women, and the last makes brutes of the men. 



I have never seen good red clover on this soil, and doubt whether 

 it can be grown without a liberal use of lime. But on the low 



