SKETCHES OF THE WEST.—NO. II. 
323 
with considerable vegetable matter, we would 
recommend a greater proportion of lime, say from 
one to ten or twenty parts. Ashes and charcoal 
dust are excellent ingredients to mix with sea-mud, 
and when either of these or lime is used to form a 
compost, they make it much more lasting. It is 
less labor to transport the sea-mud directly to the 
place where it is to be used, and spread it broad¬ 
cast at once upon the land; and as the saving of 
labor is quite an object in our country, we have 
found that this method of applying it is the most 
generally practised. 
With the exception of a few of our more intelli¬ 
gent farmers, sea-mud and marsh-mud as fertili¬ 
zers, are not valued as highly as they ought to be 
in the United States. They exist in immense 
quantities all aiong our seaboard, and may be had 
in an unlimited extent for the mere labor of trans¬ 
portation. We hope that some experiments may 
hereafter be made with them by some of our read¬ 
ers on the different kinds of crops, and that they 
will give us the results. The time, we think, is 
approaching, when sea-mud and marsh-soil will 
be as highly prized here as they now are in Eu¬ 
rope. 
SKETCHES OF THE WEST.—NO. II. 
Plantation of Mr. Grey. —One of the best 
plantations, especially for its farm-buildings, which 
we visited in Kentucky, was that of Mr. Benjamin 
Grey of Versailles. The house, as is usual in the 
more southern states, stands near the centre of the 
domain on rising ground, and commands a fine 
view of the country around. It is in cottage style, 
large and roomy, and flanked by thick, strong 
chimneys, built up outside of the gable ends. A 
pretty yard of smooth green-sward, decked with 
shrubbery and evergreens, is enclosed around with 
pointed white palings, and adjoining this is a noble 
park, formed by merely underbrushing and thin¬ 
ning out a few of the trees of the original forest. 
These are usually termed wood-land pastures in 
Kentucky; yet in most instances, they better de¬ 
serve the name of park, than many of those on no- 
olemen’s estates in Europe. 
Crops. —Mr. Grey’s farm being principally de¬ 
voted to stock, and what is rather unusual here, 
dairy products, the crops are but a secondary con¬ 
sideration. Hemp is the main one to which he 
gives his attention; and in addition to this, he 
raises a sufficiency of corn and the smaller grains for 
his own consumption. The rotation is much like 
that described in our first volume, under head of 
Tours in Kentucky. 
Stock.— This is very fine indeed, Mr. Grey hav¬ 
ing been highly spirited in this matter. His Short- 
Horns are choice, and quite numerous. We par¬ 
ticularly admired the cow Mary Ann, with the 
calf at her foot. She has a fashionable and airy 
form; an up-head, and deer-like action; handles 
well, and in addition to all these, we were inform¬ 
ed that she is an excellent milker. Three heifers 
of her produce we also admired; the two youngest 
were strikingly like their dam. After the Short- 
Horns, we were shown a few good Cotswold, and 
South-Down sheep, imported direct from England 
by Messrs. Bagg & Wait of Orange Co., in this 
state. The stock-hogs are a cross of the Berkshire 
upon the Thin-Rinds, (a grade Chinese,) and they 
make excellent porkers. 
Farm Buildings.— These are among the most 
complete we have seen in any place, and we speak 
of them with the more pleasure, because they are 
blameably deficient in farm buildings throughout 
the whole southwest. The climate here, it is true, 
is warmer and much more open than at the north; 
but it is in this very openness , that consists the 
principal suffering of the stock. The ground dur¬ 
ing this time is muddy, cold, and damp; and worse, 
consequently, for animals to repose upon, than 
when frozen dry, or covered with snow. Sudden 
changes are continually taking place. Mild wea¬ 
ther prevails for a few days, relaxing the system; 
this is then followed not unfrequently by intense 
cold; the thermometer sinking in 48 hours from 
55° or 60° above, to zero, and sometimes 8° to 10° 
below it. These sudden changes are very injuri¬ 
ous to man and beast, and far more to be dreaded 
than the steady cold of northern latitudes; and for 
this reason, more attention should be paid to the 
warmth of their dress on the part of the people 
here, and to the housing of stock, than is generally 
done. It would lessen disease, add to their lon¬ 
gevity, and give a handsomer, fuller, and more 
healthful physical appearance. But to return more 
immediately to our subject. 
With the exception of the usually reserved gang¬ 
way on the barn-floor, the lower story is devoted 
to stables. These are planked, and each animal 
is accommodated with a separate stall. Behind 
them is a shallow gutter, running the whole length 
of the stable, which conducts the liquid falling 
from the animals into a cess-pool in the yard, and 
is there absorbed by muck. The solid manure is 
also equally carefully saved and applied to the 
land, and notwithstanding the proverbial fertility 
of the soil of Kentucky, Mr. Grey assured us that 
he considered himself well paid in the increase of 
