FARM OF MR. PELL. 
259 
ments with different kinds of manures and com¬ 
posts, an account of which will be communicated 
to the public in due time. We here give a list of 
the principal materials for his composts: stable 
manure; dry charcoal dust; hickory wood soot; 
bone dust; oleaginous charcoal; oyster-shell lime ; 
decayed leaves ; leached ashes; unleached ashes ; 
guano; sal soda; nitrate of potash; fine salt; 
poudrette; horn shavings; refuse sugar; ammo- 
niacal liquor; blood; sulphuric acid; magnesia; 
plaster of Paris; plaster from walls, ground ; de¬ 
cayed grass ; decayed straw ; decayed weeds; fish; 
refuse oil; sea weed. 
Mr. P. took the analysis of vegetables, grain, 
grass, fruits, and wood, for his guide; he then 
compared them with the analysis of different sub¬ 
stances, which he mixed up in the proportions 
required for the food of the crops to be cultivated. 
He has thus formed, in his laboratory, large heaps 
of highly valuable composts, the effects of which 
on different crops is quite astonishing, having 
quadrupled them, in several instances, at an addi¬ 
tional cost of not over $3 to $5 per acre. He is 
an uncompromising advocate for lime and char¬ 
coal, especially the latter. By the free use of these 
he keeps the rust from the gooseberry, and dis¬ 
eases of pretty much all kinds from his fruit and 
crops, beside adding largely to their yield. 
Stock. —Being so exclusively a fruit farm, we 
found no other stock here than is necessary for 
working the land, and giving milk for family use. 
The cows are grade Durhams, the bull a thorough¬ 
bred. The pigs are mostly Berkshire, and very 
fine. 
Soiling. —Last year the cows here run upon 
very good pasture and averaged eight quarts of 
milk only per day. This year, by keeping the 
same lot up in the yard and soiling them with 
green food, they have averaged thus far within a 
fraction of sixteen quarts per day; thus showing 
that by being driven to and from pasture, walking 
about it in search of food, and the disturbance of 
flies, animals will not secrete as much milk as 
when kept up quietly with plenty of food, where 
they can have shade or sunshine as they please. 
A certain degree of exercise is doubtless neces¬ 
sary for health; but an undue amount is prejudi¬ 
cial to fatting of the animal or secreting milk. 
More manure is made for the farm when cattle 
are kept up and soiled than when left out to run 
upon pasture. 
Fish Ponds. —It is a matter of surprise when 
fish ponds are so easily made and kept up, that our 
farmers do not pay more attention to them ; as 
they could thus have, at a trifling expense, a sup¬ 
ply of fresh fish all the year round, any time at a 
moment’s warning. Mr. Pell has already four of 
these on his farm, and contemplates soon adding 
two others. They are made in the easiest and 
simplest possible manner, by merely deepening a 
hollow in a meadow, and conducting a spring or 
rivulet to it, or damming up a ravine. One of 
these ponds was stocked with pickerel; a second 
with trout and goldfish ; while in another, the ex¬ 
periment is now making to fresh-waterize the shad. 
Last spring, 56 of these fine fish were caught with 
a seine in the Hudson, in front of the farm, and 
instantly placed in the pond. Herring, bass, white 
and yellow perch, sun, and other small fish, to¬ 
gether with some large sturgeons, were added, to 
keep the shad company. When we were there, 
millions of young fish had been hatched out from 
the spawn, and all were doing well. We recom¬ 
mend these things to the earnest attention of the 
public. People would add great variety to their 
food by making fish ponds on their farms, wherever 
they could be formed at a moderate expense. 
Those residing near towns might realize a con¬ 
siderable income from these, in the sale of the 
fish, if they would pay proper attention to them. 
Birds .—Here the birds are protected, and not a 
gun is allowed to be fired upon the premises, nor 
anything else permitted to disturb them. In con¬ 
sequence of this, they build their nests in the 
shrubbery near the mansion, and are so tame as to 
allow one sometimes to catch them with the hand. 
The beneficial result is, that they destroy millions 
of insects, which tends greatly to protect the crops. 
Besides, they cheer the residents by their presence, 
and delight them with their songs. It is true they 
novv and then help themselves pretty bountifully 
to fruit; but what of that? Should they not be 
paid for their labors, and allowed a dessert after 
their insect repast? Mr. P. calculates to have 
fruit enough for himself and the birds too. We 
pity that person who has no sympathy for birds, 
and who is too churlish to protect them. When 
residing upon our own farm, the crows became so 
tame, in process of time, as to come in troops into 
our garden, and we never allowed them to be dis¬ 
turbed. They did no injury to the corn, or to any¬ 
thing else in it: but devoured thousands of the cut¬ 
worm, and other insects injurious to the crops. 
We do hope, if no other motive has weight with 
the farmers, that their own interests will ultimately 
prevail in causing them to protect the birds. 
The Grounds .—A fine natural wood borders the 
estate along the river, and crowns the ascending 
bank. The grounds about the mansion are taste¬ 
fully planted with various trees and shrubbery, 
which when more grown will present a handsome 
appearance. Among these, and leading through 
the belt of forest in various directions to the river, 
are winding gravel walks, with here and there 
upon their borders, in delightful keeping, the rus¬ 
tic chair, settee, and arbor, shaded by creeping 
vines or overarching trees. The deep ravines are 
crossed by handsome wire bridges. The lawn is 
carefully mowed every two or three weeks, and 
kept in the finest order. Around the house are 
groups of fragrant flowers, very prettily planted, 
and continually succeeding each other in variega¬ 
ted bloom. 
The Garden .—This is quite ample, and situ¬ 
ated some 20 rods from the house. A high brick 
wall is built up on the north side, which answers 
also for the back wall of the conservatory already 
stretching 200 feet along its length. Among other 
things here, Mr, P. has commenced the cultivation 
of the native grape under glass without heat. The 
size of the grape bunches are nearly doubled by 
this, and the fruit will ripen full 3 weeks earlier 
than in the open air. The stock of the vines 
come up inside of the conservatory, which is con- 
