48 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Feb, 
good wishes for our kind acquaintances, we must bid 
farewell to them and “ Little Tennessee.” Would that 
all Virginia could be fully impressed with the impor¬ 
tance of this part of the state, and see that it is des¬ 
tined to a celebrity more to be envied than its present 
political one—that our legislators would come down 
from the clouds of federal politics, and look more to 
domestic necessities, and that the vast mines of wealth 
which now lie hidden away in that remote corner of the 
state, be left no longer unproductive, like the talent 
wrapped in a napkin and buried in the earth. And let 
us hope, that the projected system of internal improve¬ 
ment for this country, be speedily completed, to deve- 
lope its mineral and agricultural resources, and appre¬ 
ciate its manufacturing power, which is now but dimly 
shadowed forth in its spirited little rolling mills and nail 
factory, when almost every mountain stream might 
work a Lowell, and Virginia, at length, become what 
is her right and her destiny,—an empire herself, and 
yet 11 imperium in imperio.” S. F. C. Walnut Hills, 
Augusta Co., Va., Dec . 1848. 
Skftcljcs of JFarms. 
The Farm of W. A. Hayes, Esq. 
Editors of the Cultivator —The agricultural 
readers in New-England are quite generally aware that 
this gentleman is a most systematic, enlightened and suc¬ 
cessful cultivator. He has long been a zealous promo¬ 
ter of improvements in farming, and that zeal has been 
directed by a most thorough knowledge of^all its prin¬ 
ciples. In the month of October last, I had the plea¬ 
sure of visiting Judge Hayes, at his farm in South Ber¬ 
wick, Me., and found much in his mode of culture that, 
in my view, is worthy of consideration. Some of the 
prominent points of his husbandry, I shall now T notice, 
with the hope that the readers of The Cultivator may 
find something useful in the perusal. 
Judge Hayes’ farm consists of about 160 acres, the 
most of which he pm-chased some 30 years ago. He 
has, in addition, 60 or 70 acres of pasture, a mile or 
two from home. His land is the oldest settlement in 
that part of Maine j and some of it has been cropped 
for a long period of years. The Judge has in his pos¬ 
session the original deed from the Indian chief, to the 
first white or civilized proprietor, and he gave the deed 
of the premises to the Judge. The farm extends over 
a high hill, with low, wet lands on each side, and 
much of the soil is naturally quite thin. As it came 
into his possession, it was mostly pasture land, covered 
with bushes, and other coarse herbage, of little value. 
The arable land had been hard-run, producing only hay 
enough for the wintering of 6 or 8 head of cattle. 
It has, through life, been a favorite object with this 
agriculturist, to set such an example of judicious and 
systematic husbandry as any farmer, of moderate means 
and some enterprise, might follow w T ith safety and ad¬ 
vantage. The land being in an exhausted condition, 
he determined to render it gradually more productive, 
without any great outlay of capital at any one time. 
Although his means have for many years, been ample, 
and the temptation sometimes quite inviting, to enter 
quite largely into improvements involving quite an addi¬ 
tional investment, he has still adhered to his original 
determination. The improvements have been made to 
pay as he went along, and the farming business has not 
been suffered to run in debt to him. 
The mansion and farm-buildings stand upon rising 
gr< und, a little back from the public road, the elevation 
affording quite an extended view of the adjacent coun- 
t y. The land rises gradually back of the buildings, 
t • minating in quite an eminence, which commands a 
fi'-e prospect of great extent, in every direction. About 
every acre of the estate, on either side of the slope, 
may here be seen. The mansion is approached, in front, 
by successive flights of granite steps, with turfed ter¬ 
races intervening, filled with a variety of shrubs and 
low-growing trees, w r ith ornamental foliage, arranged 
and cultured with much taste by the ladies- The house 
was built by the former proprietor; it is spacious, with 
an aspect most rural and comfortable. The farm-build¬ 
ings combine every thing desirable for convenience, 
neatness and order in their arrangement. In the rear 
of the buildings is an ample kitchen-garden, and a fine 
young orchard of ingrafted fruit of 15 acres. A south¬ 
ern slope is deemed highly favorable for fruit-trees in 
that bleak country; and the fine appearance of this or¬ 
chard would seem to substantiate it. The fences are 
all durably built, and kept in good repair. A farm-road 
runs nearly through the premises, dividing them about 
midway. Strong and conveniently hung gates, with 
granite posts, are placed along this road. They have 
been erected at different times, as the materials- 
could be advantageously procured in the way of an ex¬ 
change trade; thus exemplifying the determination be¬ 
fore stated in proceeding gradually and judiciously in 
outlays for improvements. 
The Barns —The principal barn is 105 feet long by 
43 feet wide, with 20 foot posts. In stowing away 
hay in this barn, the mows are gradually laid out on 
each side until they meet, forming an arch over the 
floor sufficiently high to walk under. All the room 
over head can thus be filled with hay. Stables run the 
whole length of the barn, on the south side, with a cel¬ 
lar underneath them. There is another cellar for roots 
at one end of the barn, well finished and ventilated, and 
convenient for feeding the cattle. A grain-barn, 35 by 
26, stands a little back upon the side-hill, with a base 
ment story, open on the south side, for the storage of 
every farm implement. This is the c( place ” for every 
tool not in use, and here it may be found, u in its 
place.” 
When the large barn was built, it was most thorough¬ 
ly underpinned with granite, and the cracks made per¬ 
fectly tight with mortar. It was soon found that the 
sills and sleepers began to rot, by reason of moisture, 
and confined air, and three or four feet of the bottom ol 
the hay-mow was damaged from the same cause. It 
became necessary to remove the underpinning between 
the posts: and a circulation of air is now deemed of 
importance, for the preservation of the timbers and the 
sweetness of the hay, in the bottom of the mow. It 
is thought that the cellar should be left open on the 
south side, for the health of the cattle, as well as for 
the other considerations named. 
The corn-house stands a little away from the other 
buildings. It is set upon substantial granite posts, 
about three feet above the surface of the ground. 
Smooth slate-stones are placed on top of these granite- 
posts, projecting over them several inches, on all sides, 
which effectually keeps out the rats. Light,, moveable 
steps are placed at the entrance, when it is necessary 
to pass in and out with grain, and are removed when 
not in actual use. There are bins in this building for 
the storage of all kinds of grain raised upon the farm, 
as fast as it is threshed. 
Care of Stock— Judge Hayes is very considerate 
of the comfort and consequent thrift of his farm stock, 
during the inclemency of the winter. I give his own 
concise and sensible remarks upon this subject:— 
“ The cattle are fed several times in the morning, and 
carefully carded; and at about 9 o’clock turned out for 
water and for exercise. While they are drinking, the 
stalls are cleaned, and supplied with fresh and clean 
litter, and in an hour or two they are again tied up. If 
the weather is stormy or very cold, they are permitted 
to return to their stalls as soon, as possible j but if the 
