FARMS OF MESSRS. WADSWORTH AND AYRAULT. 
21 
Besides the crops hitherto receiving attention, 
there are many which might be introduced with 
decided advantage. Among these may be named 
the indigo, the tea plant, and the Ma, or Chinese 
hemp. 
I find here many among the planters possess- 
ing the right kind of spirit and character, to insure 
the fullest success in whatever they may under- 
take. They are men, equally ready for planting a 
cane, or cotton field, a catamount hunt, administer- 
ing a bolus, or dissecting knife to a patient, take up 
the forensic cudgels at the bar, or draw a crowd of 
willing listeners at a barbacue, or stump speech, 
where a political adversary is to be flayed. You 
must know, about one half the leading characters 
of the south are M. D.'s, and the other half L. D.'s 
— not lazy dogs, but driving lawyers, most of 
whom hold some domestic military rank, ranging 
from Major to General. What they have ever 
found to command, in this land of extremes, in the 
way of rank and file, it is impossible to discover, 
where a small part of the population is somebody, 
and all the remainder nobody. Such is the plethora 
of military dignities here, that at a large convivial 
meeting, where the last orator in closing, called on 
the General for a toast, every mother's son of the 
audience, rose at once on his feet to respond to the 
summons in right of his title. But maugre the 
stern character of their military cognomens, they 
are as mild and placable as a May morning, and 
provided you come to them in the gentle garb 
of peace, you are sure of good cheer, and a 
hearty welcome to all the sweet charities of south- 
ern hospitality. 
Mr. Westcott, the present senator from Florida, 
has recently brought together the leading projects 
and means for draining the swamps of that penin- 
sula. Millions of acres that are now covered with 
water throughout the year, the Everglades of Flori- 
da, and the adjoining swamps, are easily suscepti- 
ble of drainage, and capable of contributing their un- 
surpassed fertility to the production of numerous 
tropical, and other desirable crops and fruits. 
These now lie in a basin, only separated from the 
ocean waters (which are sufficiently below their 
level to insure a thorough dvainage), by a narrow 
rim of earth and limestone. Cut this at proper in- 
tervals, with sufficiently wide channels, and 
another large territory would be added to our Union. 
Fish, alligators, turtles, terrapins, and bull frogs 
enough might be caught in the escape of the waters, 
to supply " swate Ireland 1 ' against a five years' fam- 
ine, to say nothing of a part of the adjoining coast of 
France. If we have no more destiny, nor civiliza- 
tions to accomplish soon, in the way of teaching 
Mexico or the Camanches propriety and Christiani- 
ty, at the point of the bayonet, it is to be hoped 
some of our large revenue may be devoted to this 
object. Patapsco. 
To Destroy Ant Hills. — Cut them up entirely, 
both above and below ground, and haul them into 
a heap to form a compost by mixing them with un- 
slacked lime, which may again be returned to the 
pasture or field in the form of manure. 
A bright plowshare is the cheapest commodity 
ever used by a farmer. — Cobbett. 
FARMS OF MESSRS. WADSWORTH AND 
AYRAULT. 
I am induced to make a few remarks on a recent 
visit to Geneseo and its neighborhood. It certain- 
ly is a very beautiful country, and deserves all that 
has been said in its favor. I was much gratified 
with a ride round the extensive farm of Mr. James 
Wadsworth, containing about three thousand acres 
in one body, who pointed out to me the quality of 
land in each lot. His lower pasture reminded me 
of the Aylesbury Flats, in Buckinghamshire, Eng- 
land, considered to be the richest grazing land in 
the world. The farm of the late Mr. Westcar has 
grazed an ox to the acre, on an average, all 
through his career ; and he took more prizes at the 
Smithfield show, than any other grazier. He 
purchased none but the first quality of Herefords, 
and obtained higher prices than any other man in 
England. He gave a public challenge in 1825, at 
the Smithfield dinner, " that he would go to the 
next October fair, at Hereford, and purchase one 
hundred oxen of the Hereford breed, which he 
would feed and show against all the breeds in Eng- 
land, for one hundred guineas per head, or two 
thousand guineas," which offer no one dare accept. 
This was done to show the rich men who then pos- 
sessed the short horns, that he was ready to sup- 
port the Herefords with his purse. He then told 
the company that during his experience as a grazier, 
he had fed and sold twenty Hereford oxen to the 
butcher, at an average of one hundred guineas 
each, and he would defy all the breeders of short- 
horns to say they had done the like. 
Had the white faces (Herefords), been distributed 
about this farm of Mr. Wadsworth. I could have 
almost fancied myself in the large meadow on Mr. 
Westcar's farm, at Crestlow. It is my impression 
that the lower pasture on the river, will graze an 
ox of the first quality to the acre. I believe the 
superiority of that grass is derived from constant 
feeding, while the other is generally mown ; but 
fed out on the land it is grown upon, from a variei- 
ty of small barns distributed about the lots, and 
under his moveable sheep sheds. The only loss 
in these two different modes of culture is, the grass 
is left to grow to seed, and impoverishes the roots, 
while in grazing, they strengthen and thicken, mat 
together, and shelter the surface from the scorch- 
ing sun ; by that means they become richer, as the 
grass grows older, and finer, and if not so long, will 
carry more stock than thinner, longer, coarser 
grass ; and cattle eat it with more avidity. I ob- 
served the orchard grass on these meadows grows 
very luxuriantly, and I prefer it to Timothy; it pio- 
duces good aftermath, or excellent feed for cattle or 
sheep. These beautiful fields are covered with 
clumps of black walnuts, spreading their branches 
round; the butternuts follow their good example, 
with clusters of nuts displaying their productive- 
ness and beauty. Here and there peep from amid 
the clusters, the beautiful-shaped sugar maple, with 
its dark, green foliage, and thick, bushy branches. 
The promising young oaks, also twined their 
branches there, and all seemed linked in good fel- 
lowship to weather the storms together, and pro- 
duce shady nooks by the side of the circuitous river, 
for the flocks and herds to repose in comfort. 
Some old oaks stand alone of extraordinary dimen- 
