The North-Carolina standard., 1849-09-12

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and valley-torest and cultivated feld-which sur
round him. Nature is here most bountifu1 and ]
cannot but believe that the associations by which
MI. Calhoun is surrounded have had great bearing
IN making him the illustrious man he is. -, :
Directly south of the mansion, distant perhaps.
twenty steps, is his study. 1t stands alone, plain
white building, with butone room piazza and four
pillars, and one door; ENTRANCE In it is his libra
fy some way connected with the great study of his
hte-the Union and her interests. He is not read
er: His book is nature and practical experience.
His theories, or doctrihes as the world calls them
are all based on these, and they never fail him al
ways correct, and he always will be, as long as he
lives. The key of this building he always keeps
under his Immediate control when he is home No
one enters 1t but him, unless he is there. = .{igr5
The view to- the southwark of his house is very
beautiful, extending over hill and dale the Seneca
river passes through his plantation, and forms the
principal branch Of the Savannah river, by whehthe
produceof his plantation is to Hamburg, opposite
Augusta. His house itself stands 1000 feet above
the level of the sea, and about 200 feet above the
Seneca river In sight Of the house and Office is the
negro quarter, hill 100 feet above the valley and
one-eighth of a mile from the mansion. The houses
are built of stone and Joined together like barracks,
with garden attached and large open space in 'front.'
There are perhaps, seventy eighty negroes on and
about the place. The largest part of his negroes
in Alabama, where Mr.. Calhoun owns large planta-
tion and which is under the management of his
Andrew, (alluded to his eldest son,) who has the
reputation of being of the best cotton planters in
Alabama. 3d ssls se.. ..'..- r1-71.1,.'" a
Towards sunset Mr.. Calhoun gave me an invitation
to walk over his farm. l gladly accepted. After
the south of it. descended to the valley pass
ing by the negro quarter. Here Mr.. Calhoun stopped
few moments, making inq1iries in regard to some
who were sick: among them, seated under cherry
tree, was aged negro man, who was, he inform
ed me, the Oldest the place, and enjoyed some
particular privileges. He was allowed to cultivate
four five of land for cotton and other
things the proceeds of which became his property,
md some times uooAd to
is privileges however, that Mr.. Calhoun allows his
slaves, and all have patch containing less
acres of cotton. These patches are the negro
quarter, for their convenience. The negroes cultivate
the cotton at their leisure. Mr.. Calhoun. has it
ploughed for them by his horses and ploughs. and
they hoe 1t In their spare time. These darkies
as shrewd in getting the highest price for their little
crops white planters, and as perfectly
SAINT with the fluctuations in the cotton market In
Liverpool and New York as a cotton broker. Mr..
Calhoun has no drivers. He has overseer, Mr..
Fredercks who superintends his planting interest-a
very intelligent and faithful man. Leaving the quar-
ter, passed down to mill the foot Of the hill
which the negro houses are built. From the mill
we passed into large field of Indian corn, and
assure you do not exaggerate when say that
never such splendid agricultural sight in my
hfe The field is in the low ground or bottom, and
covers one hundred and twenty acres. The average
height is twelve to fourteen feet la sea of dark
green, waving with tassels and glossy silk of every
hue and color, and is grand beyond description. From
or larger covering hundred and twenty
and extending over hill and fiat, high and low ground
1t the first time had ever cotton growing,
and it was new and novel sight to me. MIR. Cal
houn explained to the process Of its cultivation.
1t is planted like Indian corn, and cultivated with
even greater care; it is hoed four times. He pointed
out to me the blossoms the first day after the bios
som appears, the flower is white; the next day red
and the third it drops off, and the cotton boil begins
to form. 1t was in this stage l saw it. 1t is a
pleasant mode of farming. There is nothing wanting
the farm fields of oats, of wheat, of potatoes and
of rice, and all in forward state. The rice field
occupies part of the low land the Seneca rlver
and it's pale green in striking contrast with the
dark green of the The farm is model farm
1t consists of about thousand acres, four hundred
and fifty of which are in cultivation, Mr.. Calhonn's
striking method and arrangements every
where. His system of drainage, of dltching, and
of planting the side hils-so that the tnr
carry off the water without allowing the land to
wash-s novel and so useful is 1t found, that his
neighbors copy his plan. They have the ad vantage
of his example constantly before them an6his crops
are far ahead of any one else in this region There
is not anything which escapes him. After an hour
had been spent in passing through these feld9 we
returned towards his outbudings cotton press, barns
granaries, &c. / surprised. His whole heart
and soul seemed absorbed in the farm. Had / not
known with whom was conversing, should have
set him down in my mind the most thorough going
practical farmer 1 had ever met with. There is no
detail connected with it, with which he is not per-
fectly familiar, and as he carries you along with him.
most simple manner possible. Y on wonder, know
ing the man, where he got his information from, and
when he had time to get it, and still more when ne
had time to carry it into operation But people cam
not understand Mr.. Calhoun; he is perfect Napo-
leon in his system and power of combinations. He
has time and place for every thing in word, to
give vulgar quotation, " what Mr.. Calhoun don't
know about any and every thing, aint worth mans
while to look after" Say what you please about MI
Calhoun's other qualifications, dispute them much
as YOU please whether he is this that the other
care not-but this assertion l will make, John y;
Calhoun is the best practical farmer in the United
States and if any man doubts this assertion, let him
make pilgrimage to Fort Hill, and his doubts Will
be left there. t..s -a,. IL
By the way, while walking in the large corn field,
l asked Mr.. Calhoun what gave the name OF Fort
Hill to his place. He answered nay query by point
ing out to me long hill about mile from the mani
sion, and west of the field, above the Seneca,
and remarked " There fort stood there, built
believe, during the war of the revolution it was
used during that time by the Americans, and called
name has been given to my farm, on which the old
fort stood.v His conversation is ever Instructive
and while giving me the history of Fort Hill. OF
which the above is but an abrupt summary, he gave
most Interesting narration of the Indian war, long
before the time of the French of the Six Natons
of whom the Senecas extended dewn South as far as
this region, and gave their to the river near Us
of their pow and greatness, their with the Cher
okees and when the Cherokees had driven them
back to the orth he came down to the history OF the
Cherokees alliance with the French
against the English colonies, Then again the Cher
oRees in the revolutions sided against the Americans,
and with the English and during the war Fort Hill
was fortified more against the Indians than against
tie 5Rv this tirne5 we had passed through