SCHOOLFA'*S MOl."NTAIN FARMING, 
177 
SCHOOLEY’S MOUNTAIN FARMING. 
Permit me, Mr. Editor, the use of a column or so, 
to state the case of our neighbors on the other side of 
the separating line between the fertile hills and vales 
of Warren, and the exhausted, sterile fields of Morris 
County. They have often excited the pity of some 
and the ridicule of others, favored with a better soil, 
or more energy and ambition to develope their re¬ 
sources. By the way, perhaps it would be well for 
some of these sympathizers and scorners, to see to it 
that they are not pursuing the same ruinous system 
with the objects of their commiseration ; and that the 
evil day is only deferred in their case, because the 
soils they cultivate possess greater powers of endur¬ 
ance. 
If you will take the map of New Jersey, commence 
at the New York line, and pass along the western 
boundary of Morris and Hunterdon counties to the 
Delaware river, you pass over what is termed by our' 
State Geologist a continuation of the New York high- j 
lands: It is characterized by him as the most per¬ 
fectly developed gneiss formation in the State, and 
contains those mineral resources upon which are 
based the most prominent manufacturing interests of 
New Jersey. It is geographically known as the 
Wall-kill, Schooley’s, and Musconetcong mountains; 
being one continuous ridge, under three names. It 
is the middle, or Schooley’s mountain district, of 
which I now more particularly speak, stretching 
along south-west of the Morris canal to the line of 
Hunterdon county. 
The sides of this mountain are rugged and steep, 
not tillable, and mostly covered with wood. The 
summit is elevated several hundred feet above the 
adjacent valleys; varies in width from two to five 
miles ; is mostly smooth and clear of stones, and an¬ 
swers the description of what has elsewhere been 
denominated table land. The growth of timber is 
good, and would indicate a soil capable of cultivation, 
both profitable and agreeable. Portions of the soil 
are clay, inclined to heaviness ; but most of it is of a 
gravelly or siliceous character. Settlers were, no 
doubt, attracted thither at the earliest settlement of 
the State, by its supposed mineral wealth, which 
seemed to constitute its chief value with the proprie¬ 
tors; for while they sold the lands for a song, a spe¬ 
cial reservation was made of all mines discovered 
thereon. This may account for the wretched condi¬ 
tion in which we now find it. The soil being con¬ 
sidered of only secondary importance, did not receive 
the proper attention; and thus the habits resulting 
from this under estimate were formed and perpetuat¬ 
ed down to the present day. The agricultural inter¬ 
est seems thus to suffer in all regions where mineral 
wealth abounds. It has been overridden here, not so 
much by mining, as by the conversion of the forests 
into coal for the use of the forges. With two or 
three exceptions, these have now gone down for 
want of fuel; but instead of turning to, and depend¬ 
ing upon the soil, many of the inhabitants keep up a 
miserable continuation of the habits in which they 
were reared—farming some, and carrying charcoal to 
the city—which, sinee the Pennsylvania coal beds 
were made accessible, is almost equal to “ carrying 
coals to New Castle.” A four horse team and hand 
will be gone to New York a week, that he may bring 
back a paltry return of some $20, out of which must 
be paid the woodchopper and collier. 
The region now presents all the features of a worn 
out country—old fields—sickly crops—fences out of 
repair—buildings ditto—and all the other usual moral 
and physical accompaniments. The soil has become 
the by-word for barrenness, all the country round, and 
its occupants a standing reference, when an illus¬ 
tration of the complete rustic is needed, in spite of the 
example of those cultivated New Yorkers and Phila¬ 
delphians, whose annual visit to the Springs, and 
consequent, rambles after fish, game, and pleasure, 
around their beautiful lake, upon the mountain sum¬ 
mit, and among their fields and forests, by which 
they are brought in contact with them, one might 
suppose would induce a better state of things. The 
old adage, thatexample is better than precept,” does 
not seem to hold good in the matter of manners, nei¬ 
ther in city nor country. 
The people here are very economical in the amount 
of labor bestowed upon the soil, and would not ap¬ 
pear to look for remuneration, so grudgingly is it 
bestowed, and so slovenly, ill-directed, and misap¬ 
plied are their exertions. Their shallow and ineffi¬ 
cient plowing betrays a fear lest some portion of the 
subsoil might be disturbed ; which a friend just now 
facetiously observed, had got so close to the surface, 
that it bids fair to crowd the tillers themselves off the 
land altogether. The crops can hardly be estimated ; 
and, in some cases, I am not quite sure there are any. 
As good as I remember seeing the past season, was 
one of daisy, most luxuriant, self -made, and suffer¬ 
ing no interference on the part of the owner. Wheat 
is seldom sown, for fear the seed might not be forth¬ 
coming at the harvest. Rye scarcely yields 10 bush¬ 
els per acre, and is their only reliance for a win let 
crop. This unusually favorable season has given 
better yields of corn than common ; but generally this 
crop shows their unthrifty culture more than any 
other grain. Twenty bushels is the maximum, and 
this is seldom attained. Oats is their standing crop, 
in connection with buckwheat. One early, and one 
late—seed cheap—plow and sow—no after-culture— 
and reap. They have what they get, and no expense 
to pay. Such crops just suit such people. A clover 
field to afford hay, is a scarce thing, and the meadows 
yield but a short supply. You will see them in 
early spring coming over into our county, with teams 
that show the necessity of the case, after a load of 
hay or straw, wherewith to sustain their starving 
stock till the grass season, upon which they are 
compelled to turn at the earliest day, and thus keep 
down both stock and pasture. 
Now, why is it these things are so ? It should 
not be. The soil is naturally better than one half of 
that now cultivated in the United States. Corn, rye, 
and oats can be profitably grown; while for grass 
crops and grazing it is well adapted. Lime can be 
had in the valleys on both sides of the mountain, and 
there are also other means of restoration at hand, 
were there energy, enterprise, and capital sufficient 
to apply them. Neither do they lack in facilities for 
market, having two at their doors, one at the hotel? 
during the boarding season, and another among the' 
forges, colliers, &c., amidst, and a few miles above 
them. Their access to the city is both quick and 
easy. A drive of two hours will place them on the 
bank of the canal, or an early morning start bring 
them to the Morris railroad, and thus to the city the 
same day, in season to dispose of their produce. 
