185®. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
359 
extensive, both up the Walhonding and Tuscarawas, 
and down the Muskingum valleys. Corn isthesta- 
ple commodity on these bottom lands, and is grown 
to a very great extent—especially down the river 15 
miles, as far as Dresden,* There are here many 
good farmers, and their crops are generally 75 to 100 
bushels to the acre. There are, however, (perhaps 
unfortunately) many large landholders , and some of 
these rent out their lands on shares, or, for 20 bush¬ 
els of corn to the acre, (equal to about five dollars) 
and there are numerous instances where the same 
land has been kept in corn for 15, 20 or 25 years in 
succession, I asked the question of different per¬ 
sons, how the crops compare with those raised ten 
years ago? The answers generally were, 10 to 15 
bushels per acre less. This system, if pursued, must, 
I think, before many years, necessarily require a 
change. The tenants, occupying only from year to 
year, naturally want to get off all they can ; and at 
the same time bestow as little labor as they can; 
and as soon as they can accumulate sufficient funds, 
they are off to the new lands of the west. There 
is but a small amount of live stock in the valley. 
The owners, or land lords, require the corn-stub¬ 
ble to be left on the ground, and plowed in—that 
generally being all the manure that is applied to the 
soil. 
Messrs. E. and G. W. Adams, near Dresden, pur¬ 
sue a different course from that above described. 
They have, within the last few years, commenced 
the stock-feeding business. This year, they culti¬ 
vate 240 acres in corn, besides other large tracts 
rented out on shares. Their lands are partly used 
for hay and pasture, in connection with corn and 
other grain. They pursue the Sciota system'—cut 
the corn and put it in shocks, and from it feed 
through the winter. Last year they fed 800 head of 
cattle; this year they will probably feed 1000, for 
the Philadelphia market. These gentlemen have 
recently annulled two flouring mills that were built 
some 15 or 20 years ago, and have erected, at a 
great expense, two other mills, which combine all 
the improvements of the present age. and are so ar¬ 
ranged as to save a vast amount of labor. They 
make and ship to the house of Adams & Sturges, 
New-York, from fifty to sixty thousand barreis of 
flour per annum, and it is of such superior quality as 
commands a price much above the ordinary brands. 
At Zanesville, the mills have been putin the best 
condition, and they are preparing to do a large year’s 
business. Some of the flour made here, is probably 
equal in quality to any made in the whole world. 
It. is a wheat region, and has obtained a reputation 
for its flour, though I believe the quality is this year 
remarkably good everywhere. The variety of wheat 
called the “white blue stem,” introduced here a few 
’years since, by Mr. Jas. L. Cox, from Pennsylva¬ 
nia, is grown to some extent, and is very highly ap¬ 
proved. It makes the most beautiful flour of any 
kind known. It is sought for at five cents or more 
per bushel advance on the price of other varieties, 
and all say the yield is equal to that of any other 
wheat. 
I believe it is a well founded opinion, that the crop 
of wheat in this State, this year, is one-fourth larger 
than in any previous year. It is also said the wool 
clip this year has brought three millions of dollars; 
and to these add the corn, the beef and the pork, 
each of which are immensely large, and many other 
* I am sorry to say that larg-e quantities of this corn are used in 
the distilleries, and the liquid makes a large amount of commerce 
on the Ohio canals; but it is here, as elsewhere, men will do what 
they can make money by. 
items of minor importance, and the products of Ohio 
this year will amount to a sum much larger than has 
heretofore been conceived of. 
I find, almost everywhere, a disposition to extend 
the sheep and wool-growing business. The country 
and climate are well adapted to sheep, and if the 
management is properly understood and pursued, it 
will, I think, yield more in proportion to the capital 
and labor employed, than almost any other branch 
of farming. There are some very fine flocks in this 
neighborhood. A. C. Howard. C. Merriam, P. 
Buckingham, and others, have wool of superior fine¬ 
ness. Mr. Buckingham has, in different parcels, 
upwards of 2,000 sheep, and sold his entire clip this 
year at 41 cts. a pound. 
Mr. Buckingham and Mr. Shelton Sturges. are 
devoting some attention to the breeding and raising 
of Devon cattle. Mr. Sturges has a portion of the 
stock that Mr. Isaac Dillon, of this place, brought 
from the farm of Mr. Patterson, of Maryland, a few 
years since. He has a cow and calf which, with 
some others, will be taken to the State Fair at Cin¬ 
cinnati, in October next. This cow is of beautiful 
form and symmetry—the hide and hair very soft—co¬ 
lor dark red, exhibiting a rich, glossy appearance. 
Culture of the Grape. —In the neighborhood 
of Cleveland, there are several persons who are be¬ 
stowing considerable attention to the culture of the 
grape, and in the vicinity of Zanesville and Putnam, 
something has been done in this way. In the latter 
section the crop this season has been almost entirely 
destroyed by the curculio. Some persons think it the 
same insect that attacks the plum, but it is probably 
different. Mr. Levi Hartley, of Putnam, has, 
by much pains, saved a portion of his crop, and will 
again make a few pressings of wine. I tasted some 
which he made a year ago—the pure juice of the 
grape, with 1| lbs. of loaf sugar to the gallon, 
which is of very superior quality, and with two or 
three years age, I think would be equal to imported 
Madeira. It will readily sell at $2 per gallon. 
Mr. H. ? s mode of manufacture is very simple, and 
not expensive. He may furnish you an account of 
it for publication. John R. Howard. Zanesville, 
O., Sept. 18, 1850. 
Wire Fences. 
Eds. Cultivator— Agreably to your request, I 
write you on the subject of making wire fences. 
In the fall of 1846, I commenced making wire 
fence, along a road running through a piece of 
wood. Five No. 9 wires, about ten inches apart, 
were stretched from tree to tree, and between each 
of these wires was stretched smaller ones. The 
wires were fastened to the trees by nails driven into 
the trees, one above and one below the wire, caus¬ 
ing their heads to touch each other when they touch¬ 
ed the wire. The five large wires, it was thought, 
would keep out cattle, and with the small ones keep 
out hogs, sheep, &c. This fence failed in the fol¬ 
lowing points: 
1st. The nails opened. This evil was remedied 
by winding small annealed wire around the nails. 
This was expensive—has since failed—rusting and 
being easily broken. 
2d. The small wire broke, and sheep and hogs 
passed through the fence. 
3d. The wires became bent; after four years use 
this fence proved a failure, both in appearance and 
utility. 
The next wire fence was along the line of a lot, 
running east and west, through ground liable to 
