THE TRAVELLER.—NO. 1. 
107 
THE TRAVELLER—No. 1. 
Under this head, I propose to give a variety 
of little items, picked up upon my travels 
through the United States. 
First, then, I left New York, November 8th, 
1849, on the “ Frankfort,” a large, noble steamer, 
employed in the immense freighting business 
between New York and Philadelphia, by the 
railroad from South Amboy, which landed my 
carriage and horses at that place in two hours, 
against a heavy wind and tide. How different 
was the passage over this 30 miles of water 20 
years ago. The village here has been built for 
the accommodation of men engaged upon the 
railroad. On the hill above, is the summer 
residence of Mr. John C. Stevens, where he has 
about 70 acres of land, which he has trans¬ 
formed from barren sands to fruitful fields ; an 
example that might well be followed by a good 
many others in New Jersey. 
American Pottery. —A mile further along the 
shore, is the pottery of Mr. Cadmus, where 
every variety of crockery known as “cane- 
colored ware,” is manufactured in a very neat 
style, from clay found in the immediate vicinity. 
I noticed among many other handsome articles, 
some spittoons, ornamented with vines and 
bunches of grapes, in raised work. These might 
be called parlor ornaments, provided they were 
not defiled with tobacco spittle. Designs of 
agricultural products or implements, would 
make far more sensible ornaments for such 
ware, than the miserable, unmeaning daubs 
often seen upon articles of every-day use in 
farm houses. 
Potter’s Clay .—-About two miles along the 
shore from the railroad wharf, is one of the most 
valuable and longest-worked clay banks in the 
country, formerly owned by the late Gen. 
Morgan, and now by his son, Col. Charles Mor¬ 
gan, who also has a" well-improved farm of rich 
soil, part of which was once blowing sand. 
The fertility of Col. Morgan’s place has been 
brought to its present state by salt-marsh mud, 
and leached ashes; the latter obtained from 
Burlington, Vermont, in vessels that came for 
clay, which is also taken to points along both 
the Northern, and Erie Canal, and eastward as 
far as Maine. The price of the clay at the pits, 
is about ten cents a bushel, delivered on board 
vessels. Some 30 men, and several ox and mule 
teams, are constantly employed. The deposit, 
where the pit is now’ open, is 30 feet thick, with 
a superincumbent mass of sand of equal thick¬ 
ness. The earth is removed in railroad cars 
and tipped into the w r ater, and carried off by the 
surf. The pits are then dug down some 40 feet 
square, and the clay hoisted out in a tub by a 
mule, and carried off in carts and deposited in 
heaps, from whence it is again taken in ox carts 
along side of vessels at low water. Many acres 
have thus been dug over, and an almost incon¬ 
ceivable quantity of clay taken out; and the 
demand is still increasing. 
Leached Ashes , used by Col. Morgan, as a fer¬ 
tiliser, cost 12£ cts. a bushel. Would not guano 
be cheaper? I think it would. Col. M, has 
embanked and ditched 150 acres of salt marsh, 
which he intends to plow and plant next year. 
Part of his land is so full of shells, from the 
remains of Indian oystering, as to be unpro¬ 
ductive. What application is best for this land ? 
[Cart away the shells from the surface, and 
spread them on land where shells do not exist; 
and cart back earth and vegetable matter to the 
place from which the shells were taken away. 
By this means, a rich soil will be obtained in 
both situations.— Eds.] It is sandy and gravelly. 
I have recommended clay and muck. Here 
there are some very large, old apple trees; 
and down by the creek, there is a dwelling 
house, which carries one’s mind back to the 
days when the Indian hunted wild game in the 
hills around, and white men little dreamed of 
locomotives and steamboats, and cast-iron plows. 
It is upwards of a century old. 
Plum Trees, when attacked by the black-wart 
blight, Col. M. cuts off, and engrafts upon the 
stumps apricots or peaches, which grow well. 
There is a very large salt marsh upon the same 
stream where Col. M. has reclaimed his, that is 
worth about $4 an acre, which, if reclaimed at 
a cost of not more, probably, than $25 an acre, 
would then be worth $100. 
Planting Oysters .—This is carried on in this 
vicinity to a greater extent than planting corn. 
It is all very well, but did any body ever grow 
rich at it ? [Yes. It is a very profitable business 
in this vicinity.— Eds.] Oysters are brought 
here to fatten, from Virginia and Maryland. 
From South Amboy, along the old turnpike to 
Spotswood, ten miles, the land is very sandy, 
and covered with a scanty growth of wood, with 
few inhabitants. 
Use of Lime in Jersey. —The farm of Peter C. 
Stryker is worthy of notice, as a good illustra¬ 
tion of what lime has done in only two years, 
towards renovating a worn-out tract of sandy 
land, by which it is made to produce luxuriant 
clover and very handsome wheat, where the 
former owner scarcely made hay and straw 
enough to feed a small stock, but where now 
more hay than is needed has been made the 
last year. Of course, manure is not neglected. 
Mr S. has only 150 acres; yet thinks he has 
about twice as much as he ought to own, to cul¬ 
tivate profitably. 
The Norman Horses .—Mr. Stryker thinks the 
kind introduced by Mr. Edmund Harris, of this 
state, are the best farm horses ever brought into 
the country. 
I observe with pleasure, that the people at 
Spotswood are so far advanced in civilisation 
as to exclude swine from the privilege, long 
enjoyed by the family, of running in the streets, 
and consequently obliging everybody to pay a 
double portion of the enormous fence tax of the 
United States. Well, we all learn wisdom by 
slow degrees. 
Visit to James Buckelew .—Nov. 12th, I spent 
with one of the most remarkable men in New 
Jersey—one who is more worthy of honor than 
Gen. Scott, Gen. Taylor, Henry Clay, or Daniel 
Webster, because, as a farmer, he has done 
more good than they have, as warriors and 
politicians. James Buckelew* of Middlesex Co., 
