Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1824-04-22


The efficacy oflimc as a manure is
general aud experinentally well un
derstood in Chester county, and when
u reflect on the benefits which the Far
mers here have SO long derived from
the practice of lining their land, 1 am
constrained to express my astonlsh
mept, that its virtue as manure are
so little known, or so little apprecia.
ted, in the interior OF Pennsylvania, a
state somewhat celebrated for its ag.
iiculture, particularly in the growing
of wheat which constitutes its staple.
The advantages ofliming | immagine
are we'll illustrated in the following
account furnised me by my friend Col.
David Dickey, of Lower Oxford
township, who, for his enterprlsing
spirit in both agricultural and manufac.
turing pursuits, merits the appreciation
OF the community for the good exam.
pie he sets them.
About thirteen years have elapsed
since Col. Dickey purchased the farm
whereon he now resides, containing
$50 acres, at IS per acre. The I'M
provements on it, at the time he
bought it, were of the most Indifferent
description The dwelling was I'm
phatically the habltation of poverty.
The late proprietor was not able to
support wife and five children,
though he was very industrious A
still more just conception of the native
barrenness, ofthis place may be had,
by rejecting on what the price of land
was l3 years ago. At that time land
was about its highest. As far back
as Cumberland county, in this state,
five miles from Carlisle, there was
land oil but middling quality, the i'm
provements but indifferent, and not
enjoying any public advantage, sold
for forty dollars per acre; aud this land
o. the Colonies which lay compare
tway so contiguousthc markets OF Phil
adeiphia, Wilmington and Baltimore,
was bought for SO per acre.
The first year after Col. d. purcha
sed his farm, he rented it to tenant,
who had stock of one horse and four
head of cattle, for the SUPP %. of which
he had not near sufficiency of proven
der; at this time the farm produces an
abundance of fodder to winter ten hor-
ses and thirty head of cattle. His
crops of wheat the last three years,
were 8, 5 and 600 bushels, and should
the ensuing season prove as propitious
to fall crops as they ordinarily are, he
expects one thousand bushels. This
would make an average increase, for the
four years mentioned, ofthree hundred
bushels per year--a pretty encourag-
ing ratio OF increasment surely.
1t is about six years since the col
onel built his lime kiln, which was the
third in the township. The lime stone
and lime which has improved this farm
so much, has been drawn -eIeven-
many draw it IA or 60 miles, and
enhance the value Of their property, so,
100 or 800 per cent
Messrs. S e. and D. Dickey. a.
bout twelve years ago, erected Cot
ton Factory at this place, now known
by the name of "Hopewell," which
has been regularly in operation ever
since. At the time they commenced
this establishment, a more poor, rug.
ged, wild looking place, could hard
ly have been found in the county.
Eighteen families now live at the Fac.
tory and number of other persons
inthe neighbourhood weave Cor it. The
whole number of persons depending
on II for support is about one hundred
and forty, and the quality of grain and
vegetables raised, aud the number of
cattle fed, on the aforesaid farm, would
be nearly sufficientto subsist all these
persons. This may give us some idea
of the population this state will one
day sustain, which it is all complete
iy improved by the hand Of the hus-
bandman. Five or six millions of hap,
Ply human beings may yet innocently
revel on its bosom, in the enioymenis
OF inxurlant abundance, under the pro-
lection OF the mild laws emanating
from our free institution and disciplin,
ed IN their morals by the pure perfect
OF Christianity.
Now reflect moment on the manner
tins rude, wild, barren place has been
transformed, IN a few years by the