DEC. 27 
894 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THROUGH THE GENESEE VALLEY WITH A 
CAMERA. 
The Squawkie Hill Stock Farm. 
One mile north of the village of Mt. Morris a large hill 
with steep and precipitous sides starts from the bank of 
the Genesee and rises to a height of several hundred feet, 
and then spreads out and forms a gently undulating 
plateau, upon which, several years ago, Mr F. S Peer 
erected the buildings at Figs. 487 and 438, and named the 
place Squawkie Hill Farm. The house—see Fig. 437—a 
combination of Queen Anne and the Swiss styles of archi¬ 
tecture, is a model modern farm house. At the present 
time there is no excuse for farmers to build such hideous 
houses as our forefathers put up, when such a desirable 
house as this can be built for the small sum of $3,000. 
The barn, see Fig. 438. is not an expensive affair, but is 
very conveniently arranged for the purpose. The front is 
about 100 feet, and back of the main barn is an addi 
tion of 2S0 feet, containing 22 box stalls that form 
should possess bone, substance and size, and Barrett has 
these to a remarkable degree. Add to these qualities his 
wonderful muscular development, kind disposition, beau¬ 
tiful form, graceful action and powerful stride, with a 
fine turf record behind him, and you have in Barrett one 
of the best stallions in the States for breeding hunters. 
Macbeth, a large chestnut Thoroughbred, and Baronet 2, 
a very promising Cleveland Bay, three years old, fill out 
the Squawkie Hill Stud, and although not as desirable 
horses as the first two mentioned, yet they are far above 
the ordinary, and as their fees are lower than those of the 
others, an opportunity of breeding their mares to good 
stock horses is offered to farmers of limited means. A few 
years ago Mr. L. C. Underhill, editor of the New York 
Sportsman, said : “Thereis a sure future for any man who 
will go systematically into the breeding of coach horses 
and hunters. Horseback exercise is making enormous 
strides in America, and for animals up to about 200 pounds 
some enthusiasts would give very large sums, for their 
hobbies must be catered to, and really there is nothing so 
all areenites Inactive, which would ordinarly be supplied 
as insecticides. 
The Doctor is known most widely perhaps as the 
founder of the present system of farmers’ institutes. 
Although institutes had been attempted before, none 
were successfully established until Dr. Kedzie, through 
resolutions presented to the faculty of the Michi 
gan Agricultural College and by this body to the 
State Board of Agriculture, submitted a scheme which 
was adopted. This established the institutes of Michigan 
on a solid basis. The movement rapidly spread, until 
to-day nearly every State in the Union has its farmers’ 
institutes. No one thing has done more to bring farmers 
into sympathy with our agricultural schools. The world 
will long remember Dr. Kedzie’s valuable services in 
founding these “colleges for farmers.” No more fitting 
epitaph could be inscribed on bis monument than : “He 
was the father of the farmers’ institutes.” 
Besides these achievements he has written on various 
other subjects of public interest, among which are Venti- 
SQUAWKIE HILL FARM HOUSE. Fig. 437. 
SQUAWKEE HILL HORSE BARN. Fig. 438. 
lation of School Buildings, Water Supply of Michigan, 
Poisons of Agriculture, Green Manuring, The Climatology 
of Central Michigan, Healthy Homes for Farmers, etc. 
These articles have been published mostly in the reports 
of the Michigan Board of Agriculture and State Board 
of Health. He is considered an authority on the subjects 
treated, and his writings are valuable additions to scien 
tific literature. As an instructor, he is a true friend to the 
honest and diligent student, but a “ terror to evil doers.” 
He believes that the teacher is a true friend to the student 
only as he holds him strictly to the performance of his 
duties. During his long connection with the college he 
has made many collections of chemical curiosities, which 
are made valuable adjuncts to bis instruction. His lec¬ 
tures are interesting, complete, and full of scientific truth. 
Hillsdale County, Mich. F. B. MUMFORD. 
A NORTHERN MAN LOOKS AT THE SOUTH. 
I am riding through the “Sunny South ” and there is no 
denying her rapid and substantial advancement; but that 
is not the strongest impression made upon my mind. I 
have stood on the battle fields of the great 
Rebellion, of the Revolution and of some 
of the Indian wars. I have seen the shadow 
of the glory of Mt. Vernon and of Arling¬ 
ton. I have conversed with Confederates 
of almo.-t every rank, and with Northern 
men who have settled in the South. I have 
seen our most recent citizen, the negro, in 
almost every kind of condition. I have 
stood on Lookout Mountain with the coun¬ 
try for 50 miles around spread out like a 
map 1,700 feet below and could see the old 
army over on Missionary Ridge only in the 
“City of the Dead.” I have just ridden 
over the Western and Atlantic Railroad 
made famous by the daring race of the 
Andrews Raiders and the fighting retreat 
of Johnson, and am writing this in the 
land of the palmetto and the pine, of the 
magnolia, the live oak and the long gray 
moss. Many of these things are new and 
strange, and all awaken deep feeling and 
lasting impressions. 
But I want to say to readers of The 
Rural that the thing that impressed me 
most of all is the mournful desolation of 
the abandoned lands—those great areas, 
once fertile for tobacco, corn and cotton, 
now exhausted and left to Nature. 
And she is taking up the work of restora 
tion. Much the same plan we see her using 
in the mountains where sheiscreating soils 
she uses here in their restoration : First, 
she covers the bare lands with coarse, wild 
grass— Muhlenbergia—then with pine and 
not long afterwards with oak. If only 
she could be let alone—but when the process 
is only fairly under way, the scanty growth 
is cleared off in the hopes of securing one 
more crop, but soon the land is again 
abandoned. It is grand, but desolate—this eternal and 
inevitable rotation. So is the soil abused till it refuses 
to be whipped longer into action, when it rests in Nature’s 
embrace like a tired child in its nurse’s arms. And it is 
right. So does the drama become the tragedy ; not every¬ 
where, but all too frequently. It is true of thousands of 
once productive acres. 
This is what most strongly impresses me. Shall 
not we, living on yet fertile lands, learn a lesson by obser¬ 
vation ? Cannot we imitate Nature ? Cannot we keep the 
land covered and busy as well as she f Cannot we dis¬ 
cover a natural rotation whereby the land may not be¬ 
come exhausted ? Is not this the one great problem ? 
[PROF.] EUGENE DAVENPORT. 
three sides of a court, while the main barn forms the 
fourth. 
The stud, which consistsof four horses, headed by Burin, 
is perhaps the best and most profitable stud of its size in 
western New York. When I say that at four leading fairs 
last season, out of thirty two entries the horses captured 
thirty-two prizes—twenty-one first, nine second, one third 
and a gold medal, in all over $1,000 of premium money— 
one can see at once the character of the stud. The im¬ 
ported French Coaching Stallion Burin, Fig. 439, is pro¬ 
nounced by many connoisseurs of horse flesh, one of the 
bestCoachers in America. He is a magnificent seal brown, 
16% hands high, aud weighs, in ordinary flesh, 1,380 
pounds. For a horse so large his action is grand—I might 
say perfect—in the precision of his movement. He com¬ 
bines life, action, quality and style with size, in a remark¬ 
able manner, and is therefore a pattern general-purpose 
horse as well as a model coacher. So decidedly popular 
has he become in the short time he has been in this section 
that his service book was filled with entries before the 
season fairly opened. Since the advent of the Genesee 
FRENCH COURT STALLION BURIN. Fig. 439. 
Valley Hunt Club a healthy demand has sprung up for 
hunters and saddlers, and now many are engaged in breed¬ 
ing these classes of horses. Recognizing the need of a 
truly good horse, Mr. Peer has added the famous Thorough¬ 
bred, Barrett, to the stud. This is a beautiful bright bay, 
with black points. 16 hands high, and weighing nearly 
1,200 pounds. He was bred at the celebrated Belle Meade 
Stud, Nashville, Tenn., and was sold as a yearling to 
Pierre Lorillard. In the three years he was on the Amer¬ 
ican turf he won $16,275. and won either first, second or 
third money in each of the 18 races in which he was 
entered. To Barrett also belongs the proud distinction of 
making the fastest time in the world for a two-year-old : 
three-quarters of a mile in 1.14. A horse to get hunters 
healthful as riding on horseback. Torpid livers are un¬ 
known to the practitioners who exercise daily. Those who 
do this are healthy men, and robust, full-blooded women ; 
a pleasure to look at, a delight to know. When Ameri¬ 
cans fully realize the benefits of such exercise, they will 
take to it with ardency.” Mr. Underhill was correct; 
horseback riding has increased wonderfully in the last 
half dozen years, and there is always a sure market in 
New York and other cities for saddlers from such horses 
as are found in the Squawkie Hill Stud. 
The farm of 200 acres of natural forest and cleared land, is 
divided into a number of fields and paddocks for pasturing 
the mares and colts, of which there are from 50 to 100 on the 
farm constantly. Aside from being fond of horses, Mr. Peer 
has always been a great lover of flowers and small fruits, 
he has recently commenced the culture of vegetables, fruits 
and flowers under glass. To the floriculturist or fine gar¬ 
dener, a visit to his glass houses, three in number, and 
each 100 feet long, would prove very interesting. House 
No. 1 contains as fine a collection of choice flowers as is 
rarely found in the country, and especially notable are the 
many beautiful plants imported from the 
old countries. The most novel feature 
about the houses were the cucumber vines, 
which filled parts of two houses. They had 
been bearing cucumbers for four months, 
commencing in the middle of March, and 
were loaded with fruit in June. 
That this farm is so successful is due to 
two facts : Mr. Peer put the best horses of 
their class in his stud, and farmers, though 
commonly supposed to prefer cheap horses, 
appreciate good ones, and use one when 
they learn by experience that it pays. 
Livingston Co., N. Y. edw. f. dibble. 
LIVE STOCK SAVE THE FARM. 
The rearing and feeding of live stock bring 
salvation to impoverished farms. Careful 
observation of the results of this winter’s 
feeding will teach stockmen many useful 
lessons by which they may profit in future 
operations. Those caring for stock during 
cold weather cannot be too careful of their 
personal safety. A frisky colt, a playful 
steer or bull may, without vicious intent, 
in a playful moment, do as great harm as 
a really vicious animal, and the attendant 
cannot be too careful to avoid giving any 
animal, however gentle, an advantage over 
him. Improvement of the grass lands is a 
most important consideration with every 
farmer, as herein lies the foundation of the 
business, and success in stock raising can¬ 
not be attained without good pasture lands. 
- Then, the first thing co be done on a stock 
farm is to improve the pastures, and there 
is no better time or way to begin than by 
hauling manure on them during winter. I 
have drawn my manure from the stables a a 
fast as I made it for a great many years, and find 
that I get more benefit from it than I used to when I 
threw it out into the yard. I know some of my neighbors 
lose more thau half of their manure by letting it lie in the 
yard all summer. Since I commenced this practice, I have 
raised from two to three tons of hay per acre and a great 
deal more grain than formerly, and it is much easier to 
work the land. The farmers in our section sell too much 
hay and are getting their farms hay poor. No hay 
should be sold off the farm for less thau $10 a ton in the 
Eastern States. It is better to keep it at home and raise 
young stock—“more stock, more hay”—and so make 
farming pay. Andrew>i. lagrange, 
Albany County, N. Y. 
