Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-08-30
[CoMNuSIcArED.1
2 r... WAsHScrox. Aug 90, lS5:
Hon. John n Clayton's Farm.


As the season approaches for tho annual
| meeting of Agricultural Societies, and for
sowing winter grain, the orators expecting to
| address said societies, and tho farmers, would
be benefited by visiting Bucna Vista, Della
| ware, to seeits cultures, and to converse with
the Hon. John NJ. Clayton on practical farm
! ing . .s.f ~. -~.t. .--;..
Mr.. Clayton about ten years ago purchased
between three and four hundred acres of land,
/ five miles from New Castle, in Delaware
| The railroad from that city to Elk passing
| through it, which, in conmemoraton of the
great victory gained by General Taylor, he
designated Buena Vista, on hearing of the
triumph of the American arms. The soil,
when he purchased the farm was not wholly
| exhausted, but greatly impoverished. The
| farm wa, intended for his son Charles one Of
the most promising young men of that State,
| if not of this country. At the age of from
sixteen to eighteen years, he went to Paris TO
| finish his study of the French language lie
| was treated with kindness by Gov Cass, then
| the American Minister at the Court Of France,
and fully gained his confidence When Gov
Cass returned in speaking of Charles Clay
| ton, he said he was one of the most interesting
! young men be ever knew, and there was no
man, of any age more firmly established in
principles of virtue. After Charles had COM
! pleted his studies in Paris he travelled extern
sively through Europe on foot, to obtain that
practical kno~ledgs of business and men,
nnl,y ho OIL fpa1h h,v~ h.
rations and conversing with them.
| His father hoped he would qualify himself
| for the bar, but he .ccn quit the office, to fol-
low his favorite pursuit of farming, and he
fondly anticipated that the exercise and en-
ployment would arrest the disease of his lungs,
| which had caused some alarm. He died the
death of the righteous at a premature age, on
returning from a voyage he took by the
| advice of his physician.
! When the farm was first taken in hand after
the purchase, lime was literally used. the land
plowed deep, and all the fields cultivated in
winter or small grains we're stocked with
| clover In some instances the clover was
plowed in, aid In others converted into hay,
and fed to the stock in the stables or yards.
! The hay, cOrnstaiks, straw, and ro1ious weeds,
have been, year by year, converted into
| manure, and that has been put upon the
ground in the spring of the year, and plowed
in, SO as to retain all its fertilizing qualities
After guano was brought to this country, Mr.
Clayton was among the first to use it, and no
one has been more Successful in it's applica-
ton. Last fall he drilled field in wheat of
| forty-fve acres. [ saw it about the middle of
May. The wheat then was on an average
| three feet and half high. 1t was soon after a
rain, and in few places the stalks had fallen
One acre that stood up, at harvest, was ac-
curateiy measured, cut, secured by itself and
threshed, and ii produced ffty-two bushels
and half. The straws generally fell, and
| the quantity of wheat is less than it would
have been, if they had remained erect; but on
the 10Th instant, half the crop was threshed
producing fifty bushels to the acre It-
l saw his pastures the fore part of June
that he stocked down the fall before with
clover, rye and orchard grasses His cattle
and horses had been in them from the spring.
| They were moved in July. and produced over
two tons to the acre The corn, oats. potatoes
and whatever was planted, or sown in the
spring, richly rewarded the husbandman
! There is not on the farm hedge row or strag-
| Cling bush.
| At the house in an eastern and southeast
ern direction. part of the State of New Jersey,
| the broad and beautiful Delaware river, and
the Pea-patch Island and Fort, are in full
view. Towards the south and southwest,
there is an extensive view of the country, its
| highly cultivated farms. with their neat and
comfortable houses, and other buildings To-
| wards the northwest, the vision extends to
the high lands in Pennsylvania. In all direc-
tons, the view is extensive and delightful.
Mr.. Clay ton sold his farm last spring to his
nephew, James c. Douglass, for several year.
most favorably known and esteemed As a
Purser in the Navy. MIR. Douglass attends to
its cultivation personally, and the fertility OF
the land will not lessen under his vigilance
and skill. ..E
Delaware abounds in good agriculturalists
and Mr.. Clayton is among the best of them.
They are practical men, and what they do is
done in the best manner, and at the right
time. Delaware is a glorious little State, not
only out of debt, but having large fund at
interest Her statesmen have been wise in
council-her officers il the Army and Navy
brave and skilful, and her citizens patriotic
and Industrious. No one can mingle with he,
citizens without receiving valuable lessons O,
instruction.
| '. 80. H'.'... ..-".HE
| % 1TTWo things ran navo,. bo e,,,,,r,,