FARM OF MR. CLIFT. 
227 
rather open barn was best for housing green hay. 
Mr. Clift’s are as tight covered as a house. This 
hay comes out very green and sweet in the winter, 
and is so nutritious that it will fat sheep as well 
as grass, and without any other food whatever. 
But it must be recollected that the sheep are of a 
fine breed , and not the coarse long-legged riff-raff 
of the country. 
Buildings .—The house is in plain cottage style, 
extremely neat, and just the thing for a farmer. 
We think large mansions quite out of place on a 
farm, and that too much money is often invested in 
these to the great regret afterward of the persons 
erecting them. A farmer’s pride should not be 
displayed in a costly house, but rather in improve¬ 
ments upon his land, and in his stock, and growing 
large crops. The grounds about the house are 
prettily planted with trees; the garden is ample 
and well stocked with fruit and vegetables. The 
outbuildings, sueh as the dairy and ice-house, are 
all convenient and well made. The corn-crib 
stands 2£ feet from the ground, upon stone posts, 
with wide stone caps upon them, rendering it quite 
impossible for mice or rats to get in. The barns 
are admirably constructed. They are built upon 
the side of a hill; the upper story is of wood, and 
is used for storing the hay and grain; the lower 
story is devoted to stabling, and a cellar for roots. 
The stables open into yards exposed to the south. 
We are great advocates of underground stables; 
they are cooler in summer and warmer in winter 
than those above ground, and where the soil is a 
dry one they never suffer from dampness. Water 
is introduced into these by pipes from springs 
above, and also into the yards, a very great con¬ 
venience and comfort which is too often neglected 
by our farmers. The cellar-walls are furrowed 
out by scantling six inches thick and lathed. This 
keeps the roots from touching them and imbibing 
moisture, which spreads and rots, or causes them 
to grow. The mangers face the windows, with 
an alley between for foddering, Mr, Clift preferring 
that the animals’ heads should be to the light : 
each one has a stable to itself, and remains there 
unfastened—a wheelbarrow is used to carry out 
their manure. The under stories of the sheep- 
barns are fitted up with racks and troughs, and 
have a moveable front which is closed in storms 
or very severe weather. Water is also constantly 
supplied in their yards, for Mr. C. finds from long 
experience, that this is as necessary for sheep as 
for any other kind of stock. Turning the poor 
animals on to snow for their drink is a cruel meth¬ 
od, and often the cause of disease and death. The 
sheep-barns and smaller buildings are thatched 
with rye-straw. It makes a cooler roof for sum¬ 
mer, and warmer in winter, is impervious to rain, 
is cheaper than shingles, and will last 20 years. 
Such roofs are quite common all about New York, 
they are also used for stack-coverings. 
Orchard .—Formerly 400 to 600 barrels of cider 
were annually made on this farm; now, only a 
very few, just enough for vinegar, the residue of 
the apples being fed to the stock. 
Stock. —Mr. Clift has been celebrated for some 
time for his superior flock of long-woolled sheep, 
embracing the best crosses of the Leicester and 
Cotswold. He gave an excellent account of these 
(page 183 of our June number), which supercedes 
the necessity of our dwelling upon them at much 
length. We inspected these animals closely, in 
their naked forms just after shearing, and we must 
confess that we think them among the choicest 
flocks af the country. They are very evenly and 
finely bred, maintaining a striking family likeness 
throughout. One meets with no great incongrui¬ 
ties here, such as coarse heads, ears, and legs, and 
big paunch bellies. The heads are not only fine, 
but dished , a point we think much of. The brisk¬ 
ets are wide, deep, and projecting; the backs 
broad and rounding ; and the quarters well let down 
and full. Since the introduction of the manufac¬ 
ture of mousseline de laine among us, long wool 
is quite in demand. It is full 40 per cent, higher 
than last year, and now pays the sheep-master 
well. Growing wool is henceforth destined to be 
a profitable business. We were surprised to see 
how easily these sheep are kept. They get fat on 
quite short pasture, among the rocks and hills; in¬ 
deed, three are well supported on the same space 
of ground, where two of the coarse, long-legged 
sheep of the country will scarce obtain a living. 
Crosses of them on the common sheep make large 
thrifty animals, maturing early, and are in good de¬ 
mand for mutton in this market. Mr. Clift breeds 
for sale, and considering the superiority of his flock, 
and the expense he has been at in rearing it, his 
prices are moderate, and within the compass of 
any farmer desiring such stock. 
The swine are a cross of the Berkshire on a 
good-sized while hog, imported some time since 
from England, and resembling the Grazier. The 
white color now predominates among this stock. 
The pigs are generally well formed and thrifty, 
mature reasonably early, and grow to a good size. 
They pervade in all the river counties. 
The cows are nearly all a cross of the Durham 
or the Devon, and are selected for their dairy 
qualities. We found two good native milkers 
here, indicating no trace of a recent foreign cross. 
Mr. Clift showed us two pairs of formidable stags, 
a high cross of the Durham. They are extraor¬ 
dinary animals in the yoke, and we should like to 
see those who are prejudiced against this cross for 
working-oxen, outmatch them with any other 
breed. 
We called upon Judge Watts, Mr. Fuller, and 
several other farmers of Putnam and Westchester 
counties, nearly all of whom follow the system of 
grazing cattle. It was a great satisfaction to see 
their fine herds ancle-deep in rich grass pastures, 
which one might judge they were turning into meat 
and tallow at a profitable rate. We were so much 
pleased with our short excursion in these fine 
counties, that it is our intention to repeat it as soon 
as possible at more length. Whatever may be 
said to the contrary, the improvements here for 
the past 20 years have been great, and they are 
still progressing; more especially such as ditching 
and draining, husbanding and applying manures, 
and keeping the land in grass, or giving it a fair 
rotation of crops ; fences, farm buildings, &c. We 
regret to say that Putnam has not yet formed an 
Agricultural Society. It is to be hoped that the 
