Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-03-28
WILMINGTON. n. c.. FRIDAY. MARCH %, 1s45.

4
where Indian corn cannot be we'll grown, are
highly esteemed.
improvement Of an Old Fdrm.-The follow
ing is part of letter from farmer in Ches-
ter county, Penn. to the editor of the Guilt |
vator:
! Seven years ago, my wife and came into
| possession OF about seventy acres of land
The soil naturally would rank as second quail |
ity in this part of Pennsylvania, but much |
was reduced in fertility, and sadly out of or (
der, by bad farming, continued during a series
of years, and the last fourteen in the hands of
yearly tenants, the last of whom paid one hun
dred dollars a year, and frequently claimed an
abatement of that. The soil generally inclines
to yellow reddish clay, with occasional
stony ridges of sandy loan, the whole based
upon subsoil of impesmeable red clay. In
wet weather, this soil becomes saturated with
water, and during the winter and early spring.
when midday thaws alternate with freezing
nights, clover and other >aprooted plants are
thrown out Of the ground, and generally per-
ish.
The fences on this property were in de-
cayed state; not one good pannel could be
found, but brlers, elder, sassafras, cherry, nox-
lcus weeds and stones, occupied both sides of
every fence. On the ridges, red sand rocks,
from the size of stove to bake-oven, were
distinctions to farming, and in spots, small
stones were SO numerous as to throw his plow
out when in the best hands. Briers, garlic,
St. Johnswort. yarrow, wild carrot. and eve
ry other noXious weed in this part of the conn
try, abounded in the fields, and to add to the
evils of this bad system of farming, the water
from the public road and the adjacent higher
/ ground, ran through the dungyard, teaching
, the manure of its tertiizing principles, and
carrying its best substance to waste in the
nearest miil-dam, leaving fifty or sixty loads
OF light strawy substance 10 supply the ex-
: haustlon Of the cropped soil. Ten bushels of
E, wheat, twelve of rye, fifteen Of corn, and one
: ton OF rough field hay per acre, may be set
f down as its produce in a favorable season.
: The experienced reader will believe this
picture too highly colored, until | mention one
+ encouraging feature on this farm. which alone
n enabled its occupant to pay any rent at ALL
# About eight acres formed a valley, through
: which ran small hut constant stream of wa
d ter. Halt d century ago, artificial channels
y were dug at the proper level along both sides
d of its banks for this stream to flow in, enclc-
d sing about that quantity of ground, which
y could be watered at pleasure, and with due
e attention, could be made to produce two tons
= or more of hay to the acre. making the most
- valuable kind Of provender for mich COWS.
If On taking possession of this land, my part
Il ner aforementioned and I, sat down to calcu.
Ig late the cost Of making the necessary improve
g ment to bring this land into profitable con
in ditlon. We borrowed five hundred dollars
in and commenced working. We enlarged on
ut garden to an ample size, and enclosed it witt
IS good picket fence. IenIarged my hog-pens
to contain thirty or forty two-horse loads O
Y. manure; had many loads of small stones haul
r. ed from the fields into the roads, and break:
r. made across the road. with inets for the wa
D. ter into the sod fields, and open bitches O
I'd covered c aims to carry the excess off; pillow
ct ed the road down below the barn, and flllet
III up around the dung yard, so as TO turn tn
% water OH the manure; next cleared the mea
en- dow OF all distractions of wood, stone, or IN
I'll slightly heaps of earth, narrowed the surfac
es with sharp and loaded harrow, sowed timo
i. thy seed, opened the bitches on the sides an
r. the middle Of the meadow, and spread the wa
in ter evenly over its surface; then moved tn
is fences, grubbed the head-Iands, chopped leve
as with the ground every tree not useful for fruit
n. shade, or ornament; collected the bones O
e. animals, and oyster-shells. and on heaps 0
re bllers or brush reduced them to cinders, ap
lis piled this as top-drcssng TO poor spots Q
er sward; applied thirty or forty bushels of fresl
an slaked lime to every acre of arabic land, am
h about one-half has second dressing Of tn
&c same amount applied; have taken up, split
s. and carted to convenient places fer buildin,
wall, every rock in the way of flrming; hav
ing enclosed the lands and divided the field
Is with substantial fencing. and planted abou
on TWO hundred and fifty grated frui, trees; an
% lastly, but not least in Importance. made du
&c ring The last year upwards of two hundre
u two-horse loads Of good manure.
- Now, what is the result in figures of thi
&C system Of farming-book farming, if 70
We choose to call it so? Last summer, fattene
IT, six steers on grass, (that fed the previous yea
IL on straw and corn todder,) and sold them t
'or the butcher in ay-making; fattened and sol
u forty-three sheep, one third of them my ow
e- raising; sold one fresh cow, also my own rails
al ing; sold four hundred pounds of chickens
l'' besides lot of other poultry; sold seven bal
I'll rels of vinegar; butchered four hundred an
SIS fifty pounds Of corn-fed beef, and one thousan
ny nine hundred and fifty pounds Of pork, ais
10 my own raising; sold fifty bushels of early pt
ne tatoes, and sell about eight pounds Of butte
"i weekly the year round raised one two yes
o old and three year old colt; made the last Sc;
u son, though dry one, one ton and half
e clover, ard two tons Of clear timothy hay
IS the acre, and raised twenty bushels of whea
DIS thirty-ei ght bushels of oats, and thirty-thre
''e bushels Of corn per acre. each.
'ii' In presenting this statement Of improvemel
rn' in exhausted land, claim no particular me
* it; it has been done by application Of the pr
4 III ciples again and again laid down in your va
lie liable paper; and | doubt not that, in the hans
-, - cf an experienced farmer, greater improv
yfh ments would have been made. Enough, hoy
'ne ever, is done 10 justify me to present it to yo
readers, as proof of what may be done to re
too ovate the impoverished soil, and make it pr
rk. ftabIe.
1y.
ng
Jag-G fnr