Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-09-11
AGRICULTURE.
JAMES GOwEN's REPORT TO THE PHlI.A.
DELPIIIA AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
10 THE COMMITTEE ON FARMS:

thas
since became farmer, have spared no pains to
fulfil the duties Of the calling, in manner credi.
table to the community in which I live, as we'll
as to myself and the Agricultural Society to
which belong-that while improving NV own
practice, have endeavored, by sundry means. ,o
stimulate others to compete with me in spi,ited
efforts, 70 arrive at excellence in the highly use
iui anu de"sn'oi pursuits OF agriculture; and to
promulgate as far as in me Law, such INN row.
ments and results, as were likely TO nrnno,a ,,o
general interests ofthe farmer. In CARVING m,
TINS object, have, as part OF the system. ALWAYS
'oeen lound competing In crops and cattle for tho
premiums offered by "rhe Philadelpha Soc;s,v
for promoting Agriculture" 1t is therefore in
accordance with this practice, that now present
any iarm' as worthy OF note, when you come to
award the premiums committed to your dis,r;bn-
tion; in view of which, and in ful6lnent of the
rules and regulations ofthe Society, submit for
your consideration general statement of its cha
racter and condition.
The homestead Farm contained. when remov-
ed to 1t In 1884, about 60 acres; since then
nave added TO 1t by purchase, some 40 acres. ALI
ot which is contiguous; making over 100 acres,
exclusive OF the Woodland Farm in Chel,enbam
township, Montgomery county, par, of which is
cleared and worked by the, aud is in fine condi-
uon, as you. may recoIlect from my communica-
ZION on the crop OF rye, raised there i'm 1912
FROM long neglect and bad practice, previ-
Gus 10 my coming on the Homestead, L found il
In every respect III wretched condition. The
result OF bad ploughing and bad seeding. were
visible In the unevennCss Of The surface: and
the pernicions weeds that scemod to have entire
possession. L ut once took up the old fences
which divided about 40 acres into small fields.
ploughed it up, eradicated the briars and BRAN.
bles that filled so large space along those fem
ces' anu removed the stones within poughing
depth. 1t was cropped according to circumstan
w IN mt
until the soil had been brought into proper sub
lection In The fall oil 1855 when it was laid down
Tor grass, by sowing 1t with grain and timothy
since which it has not been disturbed, with the
exception OF about eight acres in rye This wear
and yet this last summer it cut, may safely saw,
TWO tons TO the acre, and expect it TO do as well
next summer, should the season prove favorable.
BY this practice brought every inch of the land
10 bear, and saved ten years expense, or wear
and tear Of the six fences which formerly stood
inside this section. The fields i'm future will he
divided by hedges of the Macl,.ra thorn. or Osaoe
Orange, raised by mysef four of these HEDGES
already in, with plenty of quicks on hand to sun.
Ply the remainder. These remarks, you will
please observe, apply to the land lying ON the
southeast side OF the lane that divides The farm
The land on The northwest side, opposite, called
the Spring fields, was, If possible, in still worse
condition. Owing to the swampy nature of mari
oft, and the washngs from the higher lands ON
the other side of the lane the posts were every
spring thrown out OF place as the frost left the
ground, while the ravines furrowed out by ,haws
and heavy rains, set at defiance all a,tempts a,
cropping or farming. TO obvlae the yearly
setting up OF the fences, which was not onlv ey
penslve, bat veNatious, | substituted stone and
lime wall for the post and rail fence. The wall
is about half mile long, is two feet below the
surface at every point, Two feet broad at base.
and averages over six feet high from bottom. end.
Inn luht tpri, ~
nnderdran, with grating at mouth, takes the wa.
ter from the lane, while several smaller drains
keep the surface OF the land perfectly dry. The
ravines were well filled up, and ever since, for a
series of years, good crops of potatoes, corn,
grain and grass, have been taken, where formerly
grew spaterdock and rushes.
The land added to the farm at sundry times
within the last five Cr six years, was, in the gen
eral, in as bad a condition in MANY respects as
the worst of that already described; indeed. i,
could furnish material for a more repulsive mic.
ture than any that has been drawn vet; but as
most of you have repeatedly seen it in its original
state, 1 need not trouble you with a description.
TO show its condition now, 1 need only remind
you, that two years ago obtained premium for
raising upwards OF tour hundred bushels of Mer-
Ger potatoes 10 the acre, on this land; and that
on The succeeding year, from The same potato
land took upwards of fifty bushels of wheat to the
acre, without any additional manure. Also, that
last year submitted field of some seven acres
of corn, on another portion of this land, which
yielded at the rate of 200 bushels of ears, equal
to 100 bushels shelled corn to the acre. NV re-
ports on the condition of these fields, and the
aforesaid crops, in possession Of the Society.
The corn land was in this year with potatoes and
oats. The potato, four acres, yielded over 200
bushels to the acre the oats were very oood.-lt
is now laid down with wheat and orchard grass.
This sketch, with your own personal obServa-
tons, will afford you some idea of what had to
contend with, and what have accomplished in
the way of improving land and the present con-
dItIon OF my farm.
From the difficulty and expense in procuring
manure from the city, and after three or four
years experience in that mode of supply, | gave
itup, and adopted the plan of making a supply
on the place, by Increased stock of cattle ;
from which have derived ny sole supply ever
since, with the exception OF light dressings of
lime and gypsum, and small lot of stable ma
nure which | was tempted to purchase a few
weeks since at auction, and which can dispense
with, should meet with purchaser before its
removal in the spring. The keeping and breed
ing fire stock had in itself strong claims upon
my judgment, as we'll as my taste as | could
never think farm was wha. it should be, unless
it could exhibit fine cattle as well as an improy-
ed culture. To maintain this stock and bring
my land 10 high state Of cultivation, by the
hios' eihcieit dhu economical pfactlce, has been
leading object; and to accomplish this, requr-
ed no ordinary management on such farm. The
stock In cattle has ranged for years, from forty TO
fifty head, in addition to the necessary horses,
with large stock of swine for breeding and fat
tenIng; and these have fed from the produce of
the farm, except The purchasing occasionally of
some straw, and supplies of mil-fee for the hor-
ses and swine, and some meadow hay for the
cattle, selling frequently lis equivalent in timo-
thy. During the same period have sold hun
dreds of bushels Of rye, some wheat, and on an