148 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER. 



Vol. 3.. 



Agricultural Excursion in the Genesee Valley 

 Concluded. 



Fences. — The fences in ibis port of tbo country 

 ore chiefly worm fences, formed of chesnnt or ash 

 rails ; and in most coses ten rails in height. A mode 

 of constructing n straight stone and rail fence which 

 prevails here, deserves remark. In this cose small 

 Btones-of tile size ef a man's fist to that of a cocoa nut 

 or much larger ore gathered, whcref/er they ore to be 

 found, and Inid up, beginning with a width af two and 

 a half feet at bottom, and gradually drawing in to- 

 wards the top until tbey reach a height of about two 

 and a half feet. Morticed poets are set in ,the wall 

 about ten feet asunder, and two sawed rails fiuish the 

 fence. But it is most worthy of notice, that in order 

 to prevent these smill stones, many of which are 

 round, from spreading or falling down, small flat 

 pieces of wood about the size of the staves of a poil 

 or barrel, and of various lengths, are pretty freely in- 

 terspersed among the stones ; and operate cfTectually 

 (IS binders. Such a fence is ;iotonly tidy but strong ; 

 and stones are used and cleared from the field, which 

 it has been generally found difficult to dispose of, and 

 which have commonly been buried, or spread by the 

 road side to disfigure or encumber the road, or left in 

 unsightly and inconvenient piles in the field. 



The wont of timber for fencing must presently be 

 seriously felt, and a worm fence, the common fence 

 in the country, occupies a great deal of room. An- 

 other strong objection to a worm fence is, that the an- 

 gles, not being reached by the plough, are commonly 

 Becute harbors tor weeds and rubbish of various de- 

 scriptions. In some coses I saw small pieces of hedge 

 of the white thorn, thrifty, clean and close, and in a 

 condition to satisfy me that there would be no hin- 

 drance to its cultivation. The common thorn of the 

 country would make a good fence, and is easily prop 

 agated. I believe that the beech would make an ef- 

 fectual and durable fence, and its rapidity of growth 

 recommends it. An intelligent English former of 

 Canandaigua, whose good management of his farm 

 entitles his opinions to much respect, states that he 

 has seen beech hedges in hie own country, which were 

 every way to be commended. They bear trimming 

 well and have no enemies. The white thorn is liable 

 in the older ports of the country, to be destroyed by 

 the borers, which infest the apple and the locust trees ; 

 and also to be girdled by tht field mice under the 

 enow in winter. 



Farm Bl'iluings. — The houses in general are of 

 wood. Here and there is occasionslly met with the 

 log-house of the pioneer ; but in most cases these 

 have passed away ; or if not removed, are converted 

 into lumber houses or sheds ; and their place is sup- 

 plied by neat frame buildings of one or one and a half 

 elory in height. The first edition is coarse and un- 

 Bightly ; and seems not in keeping with the clean and 

 cultivated fields around it ; but the second often morks 

 a great advonce, and appears with embossed covers 

 and gilt edges. The power of habit and of naturaliza- 

 tion is in these cases often strikingly illustrated, as the 

 " old folks" of the family look back with strong yeain- 

 ingsto the "log cabin" where they first fixed them- 

 selves. They are often free to confess that some of 

 their happiest hours were passed in these homely be- 

 ginnings, when amidst many severe privations and 

 hardships, they were cutting themselves a passage 

 through the dense forest for the admission of light 

 into their unglozed dwellings ; and beheld the mighty 

 trees, like a retreating army, falling yeor ofter yeor 

 under their victorious advances ; saw the virgin wil- 

 derness, which had hittierto been untouched by the 

 hand of civilization, now gradually pouring out its rich 

 and golden treasures for man and beast ; perceived 

 with a proud conecioiisness of new wealth and power, 



the rapid increase of their white wooled flocks with- 

 out ofid their white hoired urchins within door ; and 

 resting from their labors at the close of day, at the 

 duor of fheir humble wigwam, saw the smoke of many 

 a neighboring cabin slowly curling upward to the 

 skies, heard the lowing of returning herds, beheld 

 where so lately the stately pine towered above the 

 forest in sombre mnjesty, the vane of the village stee- 

 ple like Sinew star sparkling in the beams of the set. 

 ting sun, and the triumphs of civilization ond improve- 

 ment every where spreoding themselves, as the morn- 

 ing's light is seen scattering the shadows of night 

 and causing the wide landscape to become resplendent 

 with beauty. 



There are some brick houses ; throughout the coun- 

 try cloy is obundantfor making bricks ; and a fashion 

 hos been introduced of building with cobble or small 

 round stones. In this cose the window and door sills 

 ore of hewn stone, and so likewise are the corners ; 

 and then the walla arc carried up with these smoU 

 stones, commencing with a thickness of wall of two 

 feet in the cellar, a loot ond n half in the lower story, 

 ajid gradually reducing it to a foot in the upper story. 

 These stones are laid in a strong cement of lime ; 

 ond these walls are chcop, jluroble, and handsome. 



Mony of the houses throughout the county are 

 built in good taste, and a commendable regard is paid 

 both in the villages ond in retired situotions, to em- 

 bellishing the places with trees, shrubbery, and flow- 

 ers. The locust is cultivated with great success. In 

 these respects I know no parts of the country to be 

 compared with what of Western New York I have 

 seen. This speaks exceedingly well for the character 

 of the inhabitants, for their inteiligence and refine- 

 ment. So far as my observation goes it does them no 

 more than justice, for without disparagement to any 

 other section of the country, and my examination has 

 not been restricted, from what I have seen I do not 

 believe there is to be found a more intelligent, culti- 

 vated and improved people, than the rural population 

 ot Western New York, a people of better manners or 

 of better morals. 



Nor do I believe that Heaven ever placed men in 

 circumstonces of more substantial comfort and pros- 

 perity. The soil is of extraordinary fertility and of 

 easy cultivation ; the elimate salubrious, for the inter 

 mittent fevers, which formerly prevailed, are now of 

 rare occurrence ; the scenery in the rolling or hilly 

 ports of the country, picturesque and beautiful ; ready 

 and cash morkete are always to be found for the great 

 slople of the country. There are extraordinary facil- 

 ities of communication by railroads and canals ; good 

 common schools and advantoges of education by 

 meons of seminaries ond academies of the best char- 

 acter, ond numerous colleges for obtaining, at an ex- 

 pence which puts it within almost every one's reach, 

 the best and most improved educfition, ornamental 

 and useful. 



These are great blessings. If we estimate a man's 

 prosperity by a pecuniary standard, we may find situ- 

 ations in which, by the chances of trade and specula- 

 tion, men may so. ner grow rich ; but, if by afar 

 wifcr and truer stondord, we determine their prosper- 

 ity by the eubstontial means of comfort with wuich 

 they are surrounded, and their advantages for social 

 enjoyment and intellectual and moral improvement, 

 then it would be diflicult to find situations more fa- 

 vored. 



Price of Land. — The price of land moy be said 

 to vory from 40 to 60 dollars. I speak now of im- 

 proved farms. There is compnrotivcly a small omount 

 of forest land to be cleared. The land is in mony 

 OSes in the hands of large proprietors, who do not 

 care to sell and prefer leasing their farms. In some 

 OSes leoses for a short time, say of a year only, ore 

 preferred to longer Icospfl ; ond with a view to dcler- 



mine the rent, the general cnltivation is prescribed, 

 the probable or practicable raturn of every piece of 

 land on the farm is estimoted, and the lent calcnlated 

 accordingly. This seems to be an equitoble motfe> 

 and cci^ainly more sotisfactory than naming a gross 

 sum, calculated upon the nominal value of the whole 

 farm. The rent is expected xo be paid in cash, not in 

 kind. Short leases, where a change ot tenants is 

 likely to toke ploce every year, would be prejudicial 

 to both parlies ; but where the landlord is willing to 

 renew the louse upon favorable terms to a faithful ten- 

 ant, and encourage him in making improvements, 

 short leases ore better both for londlord ond tenant. 



The moat remarkable sale of a single farm that 

 has perhaps ever occurred in this country, took place 

 in Groveland, in Livingston county ; where, as I un- 

 derstood, one hundred thousand dollars in cash were 

 paid for 1800 acres of land, and this was for only one 

 half of the farm ot the individual, who sold the es- 

 tate. The buildings upon it consisted only of a brick 

 house and some bnrns ; but the buildings weie noth- 

 ing more than decent, and these were perhaps some 

 log cabins upon the place. This price o little exceed- 

 ed fifty dollars an acre, and the estate was bought by 

 the community of Shakers, not lor speculation, butfor 

 residence and occupation os a farm. 



Thefoctof land in this county being held in very 

 lorge parcels by individuals, hos undoub'edly imped- 

 ed its settlement and improvement. I certainly do 

 not complain of those who hold it, for I know no 

 reoson to question the perfect legality of their poeses- 

 eion, and the equitable manogement of their estates. 

 Nor do I know of any scheme by which property could 

 be generally equalized short of revolution, nor, if 

 even by thot fearful remedy, it could be equalized, 

 how by any possibility it could be kept so one hour, 

 after the division hod been efiei ted. I am likewise as 

 strenuous as any one in maintoining the unquestion- 

 able right of every man to the fruits of his own labor, 

 and to the disposition, bo far as is compatible with 

 public order and good morals, of those proceedb ac- 

 cording to hie own pleasure. But I confi'ss myself 

 so far an agrarian as to think that the corth itself, the 

 soil, the very foundation and means of human subsis- 

 tence, should never be exclusively cloimed or appro- 

 priated or porcelled out to the prejudice of any, who 

 arc disposed to cultivate and improve it, and that it 

 shonid never be held as matter of mere traffic or spec- 

 ulation separate from the improvements which are 

 made upon it- I could wish that the amount held by 

 any individual should be restricted, that no man should 

 ever be at liberty to possess that which he does not 

 use nor improve ; that the fee of the land should 

 always remain in the state ; and at the death of an 

 individual should revert to the state, the state always 

 being held bound to make a just and liberal allowance 

 for improvements made upon it, or any increase of its 

 value through the skill or industry of the man who 

 had it in his possession. These notions, I am per- 

 fectly oware, will be held by most men as mere dreams 

 and moonshine. Let them go as such. I regard 

 them as purely speculative, and in the present -condi- 

 tion of society, how well soever they may be founded 

 in natural right, their realization never likely to be 

 approached. They are altogether Utopian, Those 

 who have the property are too strongly entrenced in 

 law and custom and mutual interest, to fear any 

 change, and those who have it not, may make them- 

 selves quite contented with the present arrangement ; 

 for there will be no alterations for their accommoda- 

 tion. A society or community established upon prin- 

 ciples of strict equity ond justice, is little more than 

 a mere fiction of the imagination, nor as yet likely to 

 be realized upon any large scale even under the clear- 

 est sunshine of the gospel. Even the rich national 

 domain, which ought to be regarded as the great Jeg- 



