226 
FARM OF MR. CLTFT. 
FARM OF MR. CLIFT. 
This farm contains 300 acres, and is situated on 
the south side of the town of Carmel, in Putnam 
county, about 14 miles east of Peekskili landing, 
on the Hudson. In common with most of the land 
in that part of Putnam, it is broken and rough, and 
abounds with ledges of rock and loose stones. 
Such a country as this is particularly agreeable to 
one fond of the wild and picturesque; but to the 
farmer of rich alluvial plains, the idea of ever cul¬ 
tivating it would seem somewhat appalling—a 
thing to be talked about rather than performed. 
Yet cultivated it is, and in good style too, and 
what is most surprising to him who first takes a 
cursory view of the country, it is done at a hand¬ 
some profit. The stone on the surface is usually 
not more than sufficient for the requisite fences, 
and when these are picked up and laid into walls, 
the land is clear enough for plowing; it is then 
got into grass as soon as possible, by a proper ro¬ 
tation of crops, and thus allowed by the best far¬ 
mers to remain. The average yield of grass may 
be estimated at about two tons to the acre, some 
perhaps as high as three tons during the whole 
season. The grass is prevented from running out 
by the use of plaster, or ashes, and an occasional 
top-dressing of barn-yard manure, or peat and 
swamp composts. When the turf becomes some¬ 
what hard and “bound out” as the term is, a fine 
harrow is passed over it early in the spring, a 
small quantity of grass-seed is sowed upon the 
surface, the top-dressing applied, and then rolled 
smooth with a wooden roller. The land also is 
occasionally varied from mowing to pasture, and 
so vice versa , or is first mowed and then partiallv 
pastured. By such management the farmers of 
Putnam, and indeed of most of the other counties 
in this vicinity, where the land is rocky and broken, 
keep it constantly in grass and good heart, reserv¬ 
ing the smoother and more easily worked sections 
for their root and grain-crops. They raise very 
few cattle here, usually marketing their calves, and 
depending upon purchasing steers from 3 to 5 years 
old of the western drovers, principally in the months 
of March and April. These they keep till grass- 
fat, which is from August to November, and then 
dispose of them to the butchers of this city. Being 
so near the market they are daily advised of prices, 
and can thus always sell to most advantage. Some 
of the farmers assured us that their land would sup¬ 
port a beast to each acre; but as we saw much 
which would require at least three acres for an ani¬ 
mal, we suppose it would be safer to allow two acres 
for each steer during the eight months of feeding. 
The gain during this time is estimated at from $10 
to $20 per head, according to circumstances; al¬ 
lowing it to be $13, to $14 on the average, and 
the land worth from $30 to $60 per acre, it re¬ 
quiring so little labor to manage the stock, the far¬ 
mer gets a handsome return on his investment; 
and with this system of grazing and consuming all 
he raises upon the land, he is constantly enriching 
and improving it. 
When Mr. Clift came on to his farm 30 years 
ago, the buildings were few and mean; scarce a 
good fence upon it; the upland covered with stone, 
and the lowland with swamps and bushes. His 
improvements have been gradual, but thorough and 
permanent, and the farm is now under a high 
state of cultivation and presents a very fine appear¬ 
ance. 
As many places as we are in the habit of visit¬ 
ing, it would be tedious to our readers to describe 
over again in each farm such things as are in com¬ 
mon ; we shall therefore confine ourselves to those 
improvements we have not noticed elsewhere. 
Ditches .—In ditching swamps Mr. Clift has 
contrived to have these run generally where he 
wanted his fence. They are usually dug two feet 
deep and four feet wide, and filled up with round 
stones to the surface, and the wall then carried 
up four to five feet high. Thus he absorbs all 
the stone upon the land, and the water finds its 
way through the bottom of the wall to the open 
courses. The drain is of a gentle slope, the bot¬ 
tom consequently never gullies; neither can it fill 
up between the stone by the wash of the soil, and 
being sunk below the frost it is always open even 
in the severest weather. 
Walls .—These are very thick, and instead of 
being laid up all the way double, every other 
course is a large stone placed across the whole 
width, and when finished they are capped by a flat 
stone as wide as the wall. Made in this manner 
they settle evenly and last a long time. In build¬ 
ing these, whenever it was possible, he has laid 
them up along the banks of rivulets, and finds that 
they stand better so than when no stream runs 
with their line. 
Irrigation .—This Mr. Clift intends to pursue to 
some extent, by making dams across the rivulets 
and open places at convenient distances, and sink a 
flume in each dam with a gateway in it. He can 
thus turn the water back upon the swamps which 
he has formed into dry meadows any time that 
irrigation maybe of service to them. We have 
very little idea as yet in the United States of the 
value af water-meadows, and how easily they may 
be formed, and the products upon them doubled or 
even quadrupled. Under head of Tour in England, 
No. 8, Yol. I., page 231, we discussed this subject 
at length; it is therefore unnecessary for us to dwell 
further upon it at present. 
Hay .—It is well known that grass which grows 
upon stony land is much sweeter and more nutri¬ 
tious than that produced upon a rich, smooth soil. 
That of Putnam county is therefore particularly 
valuable, and, ton for ton, will make at least 25 
per cent, more beef or mutton than such as is 
grown upon plains. Mr. Clift says his best hay is 
made from the grasses which come in naturally, 
such as white clover and blue grass. He cocks it 
early in the afternoon of the day it is cut, lets it 
stand till the next day to go through the sweating 
process, and then puts it in his,barn, sprinkling four 
quarts of salt to each ton, as it is stowed away. 
If unusually green, he mixes a little drier hay with 
it, or puts a dry load on the top of the mow or 
stack; in this way the excessive moisture will be 
absorbed. He prefers quite a tight covered bam 
to one more open to put his greenest hay in, closes 
the doors and windows, and finds that it thus keeps 
best. This is contrary to all previous practice 
known to us; we had supposed that a stack, oi 
