164 
DORKING FOWLS. 
the sod being broken up the first year, and corn or 
roots planted with a heavy dressing of manure. 
On such fields as the crop could be got off sufficient¬ 
ly early in the fall, wheat was sown with grass- 
seed ; on those which were later, oats or barley 
and grass-seed followed in the spring. The third 
year the land yields grass, and in this it is kept as 
long as profitable, when it will again be broken up 
and subjected to two years’ cropping with manure. 
The whole area of the estate comprises 149 
acres. From this must be deducted for buildings, 
pleasure-grounds, garden, woodland, and salt- 
meadow, 61 acres; leaving for arable land, and 
what may justly be called the farm, 88 acres. Of 
this, 6 acres are taken up in an orchard of full- 
grown trees, in which, owing to their thick shade, 
neither the grass nor any other crop will be more 
than one half what it would if no trees were upon 
it. Yet from these 88 acres, Mr. Woolsey raises 
hay, roots, and grain enough (with the exception 
of wheat-flour, for family use) for the consumption 
of his people—the keeping of 10 horses, 3 yoke of 
working-oxen, 1 bull, 12 milch cows, and 4 head 
of heifers. With this stock, the straw and offal of 
the farm, and the sea-weed thrown up by the high 
tides, he will hereafter probably make 300 cords 
of manure every year, which will enable him to 
still further enrich his farm; so that its condition 
for good cropping is now only fairly attained, and 
we should not be surprised to find three years 
hence, that the products were nearly doubled; more 
especially when we consider the very important 
improvement added the present season, of subsoil 
lowing. Every foot of land broken up this spring 
as been done with Ruggles, Nourse, & Mason’s 
superior eagle and subsoil-plows, and the tilth is 
now so light and deep, that as we were walking 
over it, Mr. Woolsey could anywhere thrust his 
cane easily into it two feet. We consider the 
introduction of the subsoil plow as the greatest 
modern improvement in tillage, and before our 
present volume closes, we shall hope to record for 
the benefit of our readers, the result of it at Casina, 
in its crops of oats, corn, and roots—the wheat- 
crop having been put in last fall previous to its 
being brought on to the farm. 
Of the stock, Jupiter is a very pretty Short-Horn 
bull, and is from the herd of Dr. Pool of New Jer¬ 
sey. He is of a pure white color, medium size, 
fine points, and handles well. He is docile and 
playful in disposition, as active as a colt, and a 
good feeder. Eliza, his dam, is also from the herd 
of Dr. Pool. Several of the cows have more or 
less Durham or Devon blood in them, and have 
been selected for their deep milking qualities, they 
giving when in season from 16 to 28 quarts per 
day. From these, crossed by Jupiter, Mr. W. an¬ 
ticipates raising choice dairy cows, and of his suc¬ 
cess in this we have not a doubt. It is a reason¬ 
ably cheap and sure method of improving the gen¬ 
eral stock of the country. The pigs are of the 
Berkshire breed, pure Chinese, imported directly 
from Canton, grass-breed, and the crosses of the 
three. They are fine animals, good feeders, and 
thrifty. 
The orchard is mostly winter-fruit, and a source 
of considerable income. The grass there is of the 
eoeks-foot or orchard variety (<iactylis glomerata ) 
and clover. It was forward enough the last week 
in April for soiling, and has been daily cut for the 
horses and working-cattle, and for feeding the 
milch-cows at night in their stalls. We are of 
opinion, if the season prove favorable, that three 
cuttings averaging half a ton or more of dried 
grass to the acre may be had there, which will be 
a great yield when we consider how thickly the 
ground is studded with fruit-trees. These re¬ 
moved, it would unquestionably produce 3 to 4 
tons of dried grass per acre. 
The gardens at Casina are large and well stock¬ 
ed. Around the strawberry-vines we noticed dried 
grass was spread, so as to prevent the fruit touch¬ 
ing the ground ; thus not only keeping it clean, but 
hastening its ripening, and adding to its flavor. 
The grounds about the mansion are tastefully 
planted, and enclosed with a light open iron-fence, 
the first we have seen out of England. We think 
such fences the most appropriate for pleasure- 
grounds, as they do not obstruct the view, and are 
quite ornamental. The lawn is beautifully graded* 
and being carefully and frequently mowed and 
rolled, the turf has acquired a thick velvety coat¬ 
ing, which assists in guarding it from the scorch¬ 
ing effects of a drought, and presents a very agree¬ 
able sight to the eye. The view here of the river 
—its numerous bays, and coves, and fairy isles, and 
the adjacent country, is varied and picturesque in 
the extreme, and well worthy the study of the 
man of taste, and the artist. We wonder our cit¬ 
izens do not oftener resort to the country and its. 
healthful occupations. 
DORKING FOWLS. 
We have been so often written to on the subject 
of Dorking Fowls, that we take this conspicuous 
method of replying, that Mr. H. T. Chapman, No. 
77 Fulton street, and Dr. Henry A. Field, No. 51 
Third Avenue, this city, will have a few pairs for 
sale the coming autumn, at $3 to $4 per pair. 
Those gentlemen for whom we brought the breed 
from England, in 1841, do not keep them for sale, 
but merely for their own private use. The Dor¬ 
kings are an excellent fowl, of the larger, though 
not of the very largest kind. They are fine in 
their points, docile, well fleshed, and hardy ; good 
layers, and nurses, and are more used for capons 
than any'other variety in England. Their weight, 
well fatted, is from 5 lbs. to 10 lbs., according to 
sex and age. We have heard of their weighing, 
occasionally, 12 lbs., but this is rare. In conclu¬ 
sion, we beg the public not to entertain any ex¬ 
travagant notions regarding them, and then they 
will not be disappointed when they become their 
possessors. The Dorkings, generally, have the 
addition of a fifth toe, though all do not,* every 
five-toed fowl, however, is not a Dorking, and 
those taking that point alone for their guide will 
get mistaken; for five-toed fowls of no particular 
breed are quite common the country oyer. For 
further particulars regarding the Dorkings, we 
must again refer to pages 180 and 342 of Vol. I., 
and 112 of Vol. II., of this periodical; which we 
think, will give our correspondents all the informa¬ 
tion that they can desire on this subject. 
