Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-04-08

duce in kind. Itneed hardly be remarked, that
The quantity of milk yielded by COW left night
and day TO shiver in the open air in the rigor of
an American winter, must be very trif1ng, not
certainly one-ihird of what she might give un.
der proper shelter.
The rotation of crops followed on the arabic
farm are wheat and clover acknowledgement is,
wheat is sown in autumn. and among il, clio.
: yer is sown in spring; the clover remains I'M
I'll the second summer, neither moved nor pas
tured, but ploughed in for manure, and then
wheat is again sown in autumn. This is the
only manuring the land receives; for as the
cattle are all foddered in the winter on the
. meadow, the straw is either burnt, or piled Up
in large masses to rot and waste under the in
fluence of the weather.
That this is most improvident mode ofagr-
culture, will at once occur 10 every person &C.
quainted with the principles of good farming;
indeed, il must create an infinite surprise that
} The advantages TO be found in right system
of convertible husbdndry, should at this period
be as terra incosnita to the otherwise enter
pricing American cuitvaor, for it is proper to
observe that in describing Colonel Words.
worth's practice, relate what takes place gen.
orally over the States.
Were Colonel Wordsworth TO alter his
consuming his straw for fodder in the yard in
the winter, and his clover for soilng with it in
the summer, his cattle might be brought 10
double their present value at the time he sends
them TO market; and his land being MANFRED
with due allowance of barn yard-dung thus
obtained. might carry nearly double the crop
of wheat it now produces, which notw,hstanJ-
ing the great natural fertility of The soil, aver
ages only from twenty-five TO thirty bushels an
acre.
Mr.. Wordsworth has numerous tenantry,
but under tenure. which can yield neither
profit to the landlord nor benefit TO themselves;
they have no leases, but plough and sow from
year to year, the landlord receiving for rent
portion of the produce in kind. His portion is
asceriained on the field after the crop is reap.
ep, and is delivered by. the tenants at an APP
pointed barn where it is instantly thrashed out
and the straw given TO the winds.
Such system must be q. ,.--.y ;a,
provemen,; it in fact operates as a prohibition
of all exer,ions and expenditure by tho tenan,
for increasing the fertility Of his farm; it being
unreasonable to expect that any tenant will
use exertions or lay out capital, where the land
lord is to reap certainly large share of the
benefit thence accruing. and from the preca-
robustness of the tenure perhaps the whole. Mr..
w y
share of the pittance of grain which his tenants
may, under present circumstances, be able or
disposed TO raise; but he must lay his account
that in these circumstances, nothing can be
done by them to improve the soil and render
it duly productive.
In agricultural business il is well known there
are two extremes; at the one extreme is placed
the reckless Spectator who catches a, every
new theory however visionary; at the other, he
with whom asufllcienl reason for avoiding every
Improvement however much recommended by
experience, is just thaiit is an interference with
old rules and habits. Now, although Mr..
Wordsworth is an acute well informed man
who must have seen well and far before him,
having a, an early period made an extensive
purchase Of land at price greatly under the
value TO which time and circumstances have
raised il; yet il appears 10 me he is much we'd
ded 10 old customs, Otherwise he would at once
perceive the advantage of dividing his estate
into farms Of proper size, erecting on them
suitable buildings, and granting leases for such
a term of years as would insnre TO the tenants
return for money expended on improve
men,s. BY similar means and by establishing
and stimulating for judicions modes OF culture,
The value of land in Scotland has in my own
time been iripled; and ! have no doubt that
by adopting them, the value Of Mr.. Words
worlh's property would be increased in the
same ratio; but was unable by this argument
or by any other TO persuade him 10 change hls
system Of tenancy.
Here and throughout the States the agicul-
tural horses are light and blood.like, and
greatly admired the excellent control which
they and the agricultural oxen are under, regu-
latng all their motions with great alacrity by
the word of command; but the hores appear too
slender, and a cross with the Suffolk, CIydes-
dale n heavy Lincolns, would in my opinion
make great improvement.
The plough here is similar TO those used
in Scotland. but much lighter and also shorter
both 10 the b-am and also IN the SIMS or ham
dies, difference rendered necessary for avoid
ing the siumps standing 10 the helds---the re-
mains Of the ancient forests, OF which few oil
the upIands are entirely cleared; these sinmPs
are three or four feet high, and being all hard
woods decay, as | was Informed, IN few
wears sufficiently to admit OF their being torn
out.
They plough with two horses abreast, and
tits said a pair of horses generally plough two
acres a.day, but the furrOw IS ebb, not geneT-
ally more than two or three inches. There are
no carts, the agricultural carriage being light
wagon with pole drawn by two horses a.
breast.
The average rate Of Iaborers' wages is about
three shiilings Of our money per diem. with
board and lodging. The hours Of labor are
from sunrise to sunset; all the crops are now
ed. and man mows Of wheat from two 10
three acres, and Of red clover when clover hay
happens 10 be made, two acres per diem.
Cot xyerdsworth's regular establishment