THE CULTIVATOR 
113 
Messrs. Editors— -I here¬ 
with send you a portrait of my 
Short Horn and New Leicester 
bull “ Drag-on,” (tig. 52,) de¬ 
signed and engraved by our 
talented young artist, Mr. J. 
H- Felch of Ithaca. Many of 
your readers will recognize it 
as a most faithful likeness, 
which will give great credit 
to Mr. F.'s skill as a painter 
and engraver. Dragoon is 
three-fourths Short Horn and 
one-fonrth New Leicester ; 
sire 1 by Great Western, dam 
Unadilla by Hollis’ bull, g. 
dam Mr. Adcock’s imported 
Leices’er cow. Great West¬ 
ern sired by Volunteer, dam 
Niobe by American Comet, g. 
dam Norah by Frederick, &c. 
See Herd Book for remainder 
of pedigree. 
Dragoon is red and white, 
and a remarkably fine built 
animal, with great length of 
carcase. His “handling pro¬ 
perties” are very superior. He 
p issesses many of the valuable 
points of both ihe Durhams 
and Leicesters, and bids fair to 
make a splendid animal. He 
will be two years eld in July. 
He received the first prize in 
the class of yearling bulls at 
the last Fair of our Ag. Socie- ' ^ ~ 
ly, and was exceedingly admired by all who saw hon 
Unadilla was bred by Mr. Robert Adcock of Otsego co., 
and is a most stylish and delicate animal, (half S i >r 
Horn and half New Leicester,) as all will admit who have 
hail the pleasure of visiting Col. Randall s herd. 
By the way, how is it that there is so large a portion 
of our farming brethren, who will not, or at least do not, 
take an agricultural paper? There are within a circuit 
of half a dozen miles about me, a large number of thrifiy 
farmers, some of whom are worth thousands of dollars, 
and till hundreds of acres of land, who do not even take 
the trouble of attending our Agricultural Fairs; and as 
to paying a d )Uar a year for a farmer’s paper, why such 
a tfiinir would be thought by them outrageously extrava¬ 
gant. They prefer to go on farming in the old waj'-, 
con iemning every thing like improvcnicnt, amt if they 
gel their 25 bushels of oats, 45 of potatoes, or 20 of corn 
from an acre, they call it a “ good yield,” and are fully sa¬ 
tisfied. Why, my dear sirs, although I haveorilybeen a 
practical follower of the principles laid down in agricul¬ 
tural works for about three years, yet I have already ‘‘ im¬ 
proved my advantages” so as to be able to raise just three 
bushels of all kinds of grain, on the same ground that 
formerly yielded me but one, and with but little more 
expense; to say nothing of ihe benefits which I have de¬ 
rived from the improvement of my stock. 
I would not be deprived the pleasure, as well as bene¬ 
fit, of reading the Cultivator, for ten times the subscrip¬ 
tion pr’ce. Now brother farmers send on your dollar, 
and try it for one year, and ray word for it, if you read it, 
you will never wish to discontinue taking it. 
Caroline, May 15, 1843. .1. R. Speed. 
“ DRAGOON,” A SHORT HORN AND NEW LEICESTER BULL—(Fig. 52.) 
Bred by H. S. Randall, Esq., Cortlandville. Owned by J. R. Speed, Caroline, Tompkins co. N. Y. 
FARMING IN WARREN COUNTY, N. J. 
Well, Messrs. E liters, the furor scribendi has taken 
hold of your humble servant also, inclining me to do 
somewhat in return for the large amount of pleasure de¬ 
rived from the perusal of your journal. 
Most farmers decline making contributions, because 
they have made no new discoveries—have no extraordi¬ 
nary stock or yield of crops—nor made an}' successful 
experiments. Now it is the observations and conclu¬ 
sions of men who keep their eyes open, whether for or 
against the thing or practice under considera'ion, that 
are wan'ed. But if these will not be furnished, the ex¬ 
ample of one of your correspondents, some months ago, 
from Chester co. Pa., might be followed; thus furnish¬ 
ing information respecting the soil and crops of their im¬ 
mediate district. But I proceed to apply the recommen¬ 
dation, and give you a short description of the farmers, 
farms, and produce of this county. And first of the 
lariiiers. 
A large proportion, say two-thirds, if not three-fourths 
of them, own the land which they till, and this would 
lead us to presume a good degree of improvement; but 
we are still very, much behind hand in this matter, though 
a better spirit has sprung up within a few years, and quite 
an advance has been made. 
The modes of renting or leasing land are various; in 
fact, we have no well define ! system of any kind. A 
lease for more than two or three years is a very rare 
thing. There is but little of the English system here, 
and but little land that is leased for money rent. The 
only settled thing seems to be that the tenant shall have 
house rent, fuel, pasture, and fodder for a cow or two, 
and a patch, not exceeding an acre, for a garden and a 
few potatoes. Sometimes the tenant gives only his labor 
for one-fourth of the crop, the landlord being to all the 
expense of team, utensils, feed, &c. Then again the te¬ 
nant furnishes these, getting one-half or two-thirds, ac¬ 
cording as the bargain may be respecting taxes, improve¬ 
ments, and other matters. 
What the prospect then is, may be seen by t n exami¬ 
nation of the value of rents and yield of the lands of this 
district. It is supposed that about two-thirds of our re¬ 
gion is limestone, and the remainder is made up of slate 
and granite formations. The bottom land, as usual in the 
vallies, has been the longest tilled, is in far the best state 
of improvement, and rates from $50 to $100 per acre. 
The hill or mountain lands present the best opportuni¬ 
ties for investment, and are valued from $15 to $50 per 
acre, according to improvements. Our vallies are nar¬ 
row and streams rapid, so that these last mentioned lands 
embrace the greater part of the county. The general 
size of farms is from one to two hundred acres, including 
from 25 to 50 acres of woodland. 
The rotation generally followed, is, beginning with a 
clover sod, then corn or fallow, and win'er grain, upon 
wnicn clover eood is njrain sown. But most farmers SOW 
oats and buckwheat, having less corn and fallow. In or¬ 
der to get a view of the produce and comparative profi', 
let us take a system varying a little from this, to which 
our lands are well adapted, and which will bring in the 
crops last mentioned. Take a farm of one hundred acres 
under tillage, cultivated as follows: 25 acres in clover, 
25 acres in corn, 25 acres in oats or buckwheat, and 25 
acres with winter grain. Our average yield with an or¬ 
dinary season, would be as follows: tons of clover 
hay, (42 tons on 25 acres,) 40 bushels corn per acre, 
(1000 bushels,) 500 bushels oats and buckwheat, or 20 
bushels per acre, and 20 bushels wheat or rye, giving 500 
bushels of winter grain. These at our average prices, 
would bring about $1,500, or yielding $15 per acre for 
the farm. In the above, the clover has been rated as 
though all were mown, but three-fourths of our pas'u- 
rage is got from clover, and the meadow and cornstalks 
relied on for fodder. So (he proportion counted as corn, 
would be partly in other hoed crops, potatoes, roots, &.c. 
This has been done to avoid going into a tedious list nf 
details, embracing the various small produce raised on a 
farm. From this it will be seen that the owner of land 
would get about double the income in a favorable season, 
that he could obtain at the highest jiossible rates for leas¬ 
ing land jiayable in cash. 
There i.s a good deal of stock kept, so that but little 
hay is ever sold, more than to supply some scanty neigli- 
bor who has overrated his supply of fud.ler, and to fur¬ 
nish what may be wanted in the villages,which are very 
numerous through ail this region. Improved breeds of 
swine have been considerably introduced, but our cattle 
and sheep are principally common stock, save now and 
then a few flocks, with some of the Durhams and Meri- 
noes. 
But this must suffice for the present, and if this prove 
acceptable you will hear from me again. Some remarks 
and inquiries I should like to make, but one can find al¬ 
most any inquiry answered in the former volumes of the 
Cultivator, of which I have a complete set, with which 
I would not part for any agricultural work of the same 
price, I have ever seen or heard of. A. R. D. 
Hackettstown, Warren co. N. J., May 10, 1843. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —Observing j'our dis¬ 
position to admit into the Cultivator whatever is useful, 
and that you have given place to Mr. Darling’s Mole 
Trap, I will give you a description of one (not, my in¬ 
vention,) which recommends itself for its simplicity, and 
for the success of which I can 
vouch. Take a piece of inch 
plank six inches square, and 
in each end insert four spikes, 
six inches long, tapering from 
three-eights of an inch to a 
sharp point; set them one.ineh 
apart; you can drive them in¬ 
to the plank by boring wiih a 
small gimblet. If they should 
be found to extend too far a- 
cross the mole track, the points 
can be bent together by the 
hand. Nail this piece of plank 
with the spikes into it, on toa 
board six inches wide and four 
feet long, at about nine inches 
from the end. Set your trap 
with setting sticks, such as the 
boys use in setting bird traps, 
except that the end of the long 
setter must be made broad and 
shaped like a paddle, and be¬ 
veled. Set the trap at right 
angles with ihe mole track, 
and bring the spikes ilirectly 
across the track. Trample t e 
track with your foot, so that 
the mole in [lassing will ele¬ 
vate the jiaddle end of the long 
setter and throw Ihe trap. Four 
or five bricks la’d on the long 
board will give it weight e- 
nough to drive the spikes thro’ 
the mole. Any blacksmith 
will make the spikes for four 
or five cents a piece, mailing (he trap cost 37^ or 40 cis. 
It is a good plan to trample (he track two or three feet 
on each side. If the tra alls you can see from which- 
direction the mole has come. Dig down on that side of 
the trap, and my word for it, you will find the mole pin¬ 
ned to the ground. Let the upright settings ick be long 
enough (o elevate (he lower point of the spikes an inch 
above the ground when trampled. 
B. J. Gc'ldsborough. 
Cambridge, Md., May 14, 1843. 
SPANISH MERINO SHEEP 
Messrs. Editors— I have just taken the fleeces from 
the backs of seven Spanish Merino sheep, which I pur¬ 
chased last fall, with which to commence the rearing of 
a flock. And as I think (heir weights ra her cle\er, I 
hav'e concluded to forward them to you. I hail in all, 
'en; nine 3 year old ewes, and a buck lamb oflast year's 
raising. I selected three of the best ewes, judging from 
quality and quantity of fleece, to exhibit in their coats, at 
our Fair in tlie fall, and sheared the remaining six ewes 
and buck, and the weights of their respective fleeces 
shorn and weighed in the presence of several of my 
neighbors, (and since re-weighed by my friend and 
neighbor Mr. C., who is the owner of a flock of several 
luindred Saxonies, and who rather doubted the report of 
my shearing,) are as follows: 
No. 1. Buck, 1 yr. old, 5 lbs. 4 oz. 
No. 2. Ewe,. 4 “ 8 “ 
No. 3. “ 5 “ 2 “ 
No. 4, “ 4 “ 8 “ 
No. 5. “ 4 “ 14 “ 
No. 6. “ 4 “ 8 “ 
\ No. 7. “ 5 “ 4 “ 
34 lbs. on 
Averaging very near five pounds a head, aside from 
the tags. They were tagged before being turned into 
pasture in the spring, as were the other three, and the 
weight of all was just three pounds clean wool. Novv, 
gentlemen, I am well aware that many of your readers 
will say at once, especially those who are sticklers for 
Saxony sheep, and perchance have got them for sale, 
that this was a small flock of choice selected sheep, and 
were fed high and well housed during Ihe winter past: 
and that had I wintered a flock of several hundred, they 
would not have yielded more than half that amount. 
Well, as to the first part of the reply, it is true to Ihe let¬ 
ter. They were a small flock, and well attended to ilii- 
ring the winter; but no better wintered than smek of all 
kinds should be to make farming profitable. My sheep 
were fed plenty of hay three times a day, and oats twice, 
regularly throughout the winter, and had a comfortable 
shed open to the south, to which they could retire at their 
pleasure. And when turned info pasture in the spring, 
were in as good condition as when put up in the fall. 
Whether a large flock of the same kind of sheep treated 
in the same manner, would have fallen short of those 
weights, I am unable to say, not having made the expe¬ 
riment; but see no reason for supposing that they would 
not. 
As to the Saxonies, in large or small flocks, I have 
had some experience, and with me (hey have never ave¬ 
raged over two pounds and a quarter. 
Very respectfully, J. R. Speed. 
Caroline, June 12, 1843. 
HOT AIR FURNACES. 
The “Subscriber” who inquires the cost of the cast¬ 
ings for a Hot Air Furnace, is informed (hat Silas Eith- 
mond Sf Co. of Macedon, Wayne co., N. Y., manufacture 
