380 7'JiA^'SA('TWJ\S OF THE AmFHTCAX INSTITUTE. 



your most excellent organization. I am young, and just ready to 

 begin the active operations of life, assisted by a younger wife ; and, 

 paramount to all other aims, I am anxious to begin life at the right 

 point, and for this reason I address you. I am situated about a mile 

 from the busy little city of Corry, upon a farm of thirty-five acres, 

 the most of which is yet incumbered with logs and stumps, only four 

 or five acres being in condition to cultivate. From my earliest youth 

 I have always had a fondness for agriculture ; and this spring, 

 through the endeavors of a kind father, I find myself in possession 

 of enough land, I think, which, if properly employed, might be made 

 remunerative. The soil is a pine loam, mixed in places with gravel, 

 and nearly all in the state of virgin purity. Upon the south end of 

 the farm is a sidehill, with a slope of about forty-five degrees from a 

 level ; and this would be, I have imagined, the place for hot-beds. 

 My intention is to become a gardener, and, as fast as possible, bring 

 into this use twelve or fifteen acres of the farm, allowing the remain- 

 der to lay in pasture and meadow. I wish to inquire : 1. If from 

 one and one-half to two acres of cabbage would pay upon such land, 

 and near the city in question. There are some thirteen hotels in the 

 place, beside numerous eating-houses and restaurants ; and the place 

 contains, I should think, 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants, and is growing 

 very rapidly. 2. Would it answer to put cabbage out by the 25th 

 of May, in hills of four to six seeds in the hill ; and would thej 

 mature for winter use ? 3. "What would be the process of raising 

 " onion sets," as commonly used in tliis country from the seed ? 4. 

 Can the Club inform me w^here I can get poppy seed, and whether 

 there are profits to be made in raising opium? 5. Can the Club 

 inform me if it would be advisable to raise cabbage and onions at 

 this point for New York or Philadel})hia markets? We have the 

 A. and G. W. E. Tt., the Philadelphia and Erie, the Oil, Cr. and A. 

 R. R., and the Buftalo, Corning and Pittsburg R. R. radiating from 

 our city; and with these facilities for transportation, would it pay to 

 engage in cabbage and onions, &c., for the large market ? 6. Would 

 it pay me to put in hot-beds upon the sidehill, say 75x300 feet, and 

 six feet deep, covered with glass, with late improvements for removing 

 the sash ? My query is whether six feet is too deep or not, with the 

 top-soil replaced in the bottom in order to retain strength of soil, and 

 yet give me room to work inside with it covered by the glass ? I 

 omitted to mention that there is a good stream of water at the foot 

 of the hill, wl)ich runs a good saw-mill, where T can make all the 



