210 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Jofir 
SKETCHES OF FINE FARMS. 
Having lately had an opportunity of spending a few 
hours at some fine places in Dutchess county, we sub¬ 
mit a hasty and necessarily imperfect sketch of some 
of the objects which met our attention. 
The farm of J. W. Wheeler, Esq., of Hyde Park, 
consists of 300 acres. It has been in his possession 
for five years, but at the present time about 200 acres 
are rented. The natural situation of the place, on the 
east bank of the Hudson, is very pleasant, and Mr. W. 
has done much to improve and beautify it. His build¬ 
ings are tasteful and neat ; his grounds are handsome¬ 
ly laid out, and mostly enclosed with stone -walls of the 
best kind. It is designed that all the outline fences 
shall be of stone, and that the few internal ones which 
are necessary, shall be of iron. 
The soil of Mr. Wheeler 7 s farm, generally, is of 
rather a loose texture, somewhat gravelly in places, 
underlaid by slate rocks. It is well suited to the pro¬ 
duction of Indian corn, rye, and most kinds of fruit com¬ 
mon to the latitude—especially apples and pears. There 
is a large number of pear trees, and we have never 
seen finer or more healthy ones, or those that were bet¬ 
ter set in fruit. 
The principal products of the farm are fruits, Indian 
corn, rye, potatoes and hay. The grain is chiefly used 
in fattening beef—the other articles are sent to the 
New-York market. Most of the cattle to be fattened, 
are commonly purchased in the fall, fed through the 
winter, and sold the following Mayor June. Oxen are 
employed in farm labor. They are at all times well 
fed, and not being over-worked, they get in high condi¬ 
tion, and with only a little extra feeding, are turned off 
for beef at good prices. Mr. W. showed us six hand¬ 
some and well-fattened oxen, which had been sold to 
be taken away in the month of June, at an average of 
a hundred dollars each—estimated equal to nine dollars 
per hundred for the nett beef, or four quarters. 
All the stables and stock yards are constructed to 
prevent the waste of any portion of the excrement, li¬ 
quid or solid. Large quantities of good manure are 
made by the stall-fed cattle and other animals, and it is 
all carefully saved and applied to the land in the most 
judicious manner. The yards are kept covered with 
muck and litter, and the manure is made up into com¬ 
post heaps, where the decomposition is so regulated, 
and the gases so absorbed, that there is no loss of fer¬ 
tilizing elements. It is commonly applied to hoed crops, 
and is thoroughly incorporated with the surface-soil. 
Mr. Wheeler has some Ayrshire, and some Durham 
cattle. He prefers the former for the dairy. He has 
two Ayrshire cows and a bull which were imported, 
and several young animals of their produce. They are 
good stock. Only one of the Ayrshire cows had a calf 
the past spring. This one (“Effie,”) and a ‘‘Dutch” 
heiier were put on trial together, for butter, for a few 
weeks, and the two yielded from twenty-two to twen¬ 
ty-three and a-half pounds per week. Few cows, of 
any breed, carry more good points for the dairy, than 
the Ayrshire last mentioned. 
We were highly pleased with the good order, neat¬ 
ness, and the general evidences of good management 
displayed on the premises of Mr. Wheeler, and re¬ 
gretted that circumstances did not permit us to make a 
longer stay. It was also with much regret that we 
were compelled to forego the pleasure of a visit to the 
fine places of Mr. Fuller, Maj. Allen, and Mr. 
Butler, all situated in the same neighborhood. 
From Mr. Wheeles 7 & we passed up the river bank 
to Ellerslie, the residence of Wm. Kelly, Esq., near 
Rhinebeck. This place, consisting of about 600 acres, 
has been in Mr. K.’s possession about seven years. Ira 
its original purchase and subsequent improvement, he 
has made large expenditures, and whether considered 
in reference to its natural position and features, or the 
embellishments of art, there are but few places of equal 
beauty and interest. The mansion stands on elevated 
ground, but is flanked on the north and west bj beau¬ 
tiful woods, which effectually screen it from the boreal 
blasts. The prospect to the south is delightful, embra¬ 
cing a view of the river and country on both sides, for 
the distance of nearly twenty miles. 
The appearance of the grounds is highly attractive. 
On one side are extensive carriage ways and walks, 
leading for miles through groves and forests, and tak¬ 
ing in their course points from which we have the 
finest park-like views ; while on the other side, lie broad 
green fields, whose gently-varied surface presents to 
the eye a rich and extensive rural landscape. 
The farm is divided into lots of from fifty to a hun¬ 
dred acres, and where a division of these lots becomes 
necessary, moveable iron fences are used, which, as 
they cannot be seen at a distance, preserve, unbroken, 
the view of the grounds. The soil is mostly a clay 
loam, more natural to the production of grass than 
grain. Gypsum operates favorably, and by the use of 
this article every year or two, and occasional top-dres¬ 
sings, with compost, a great portion of the farm is kept 
constantly in grass. A large field was shown us which 
had not been plowed for upwards of thirty years, and 
it had a stout crop of excellent quality. The herbage 
of the pastures is likewise much improved by moderate 
dressings of plaster. Hay is the principal product of 
the farm, of which it yields from 300 to 400 tons an¬ 
nually, mostly sent to the New-York market. 
Considerable live-stock is, however, kept on the farm, 
and in this department Mr. K. has spared neither pains 
nor expense to obtain the best. We saw sixteen cows, 
full blood and grade Durhams, all of which were good? 
and several of them uncommonly fine both in points 
and dairy qualities. Among the herd was a very fine 
imported Ayrshire cow — u Kitty.”* Mr. K. showed us 
some very promising young stock of various ages, and 
several yoke of staunch working oxen. A pair of near¬ 
ly full blood Durhams were of large sizre, and appa¬ 
rently of great strength. 
Mr. K. has a flock of about sixty South Down sheep, 
several of which he procured from the best flocks 
in England, at a cost, in some instances, of two hun¬ 
dred dollars per head. Many of them are of first rate 
quality, and show that they have been bred with car© 
and judgment. 
Mr. K. has shown great liberality in- the distribution 
of such of his fine animals as he could spare, among 
the neighboring farmers, at prices not higher than 
would have been paid by the butchers. 
The old out-buildings of the farm are in good order, 
but not in all eases of the most approved style. Mr. 
Kelly is erecting on different parts of the farm, seve¬ 
ral spacious barns for storing hay; and next season 
he designs to take down the barns where the cattle am 
kept, and put up others of the most convenient and 
substantial kind, in their stead. 
* This qow has since been purchased by E. P. Prentice, 
