The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1859-07-13
From the American Agrculturist.
ENLARGlNG A FARM WITHOUT BUYING


ENLARGlNG A FARM WITHOUT BUYING
LAND.
II man does not know how much land he
actually owns, and gets no benefit out Of
that part with which he is unacQuainted,
and then is informed that he has more, and
is told how to use it, why is not this equiv.
alent to the purchase of more acresa Farm
ers are often heard to exclaim: "Oh thar
were rich enough to by little more
land, then | could fatten more cattle and
sheep, and could carry more grain to mar
ket !" Now, to such men, at least to some
OF them, We beg leave to say, your Isrms are
already larger than you suppose. You seem
to think that your ownership extends only
six inches deep into the earth bur this il 4
Misrepresentation. Ii is not very strange,
however, since all the former swmcrs Of the
soil had the same idea, and the Indians from
whom your ancestors bought or stole the
land, we're content with only the surface.
just enough 10 hunt upon and to grub few
roots out Of. But this Is all mistake. as
you will see on reflection. Examine the
title deeds TO your land and see if there il
any limit to your rights in downward di-
rectlon. You will not find any we know
you won't.
Now, therefore, do not fear to 90 at once
and take possession Of the rest Of YOU farm.
Il Is virgin soil, covered over with only a
few inches Of partly worn land; aud it will
return you fine crops il you will only lay it
open TO the sun and air, or mix it with the
soil YOU have long cultivated. Perhaps il
will not be wise for you 10 try to use il all
the first year: use a little moderation in en-.
terIng upon your new property, for your own
sake and tor your farms sake. Here i what
sumo writer has said on the subieet-a0t
strictly enrrcct perhaps. but highly sugges-
tive: " At the present time, the average
crop Of wheat in Great Britain, on soil
cultivated for centuries, is about double that
produced on the comparatively new soil III
Ono. Why j. this. Simply because the
leading British farmers are educated men.
aud apply their work wisely. They pas
back to the earth what thev borrow from her I;
they enieavOr by every means in their pow
er to enrich their ground, and in return il
enriches them. Ii American farmers, in
stead Of laboring to double the number Of
their acres, would enaeayor TO double their
crops, they would fad il a saving of time
aud toll, aud AN increase of profit. MsnS
men never think of digging ten inches into
the soil, unless they have dreamed about d
crock Of gold hid IN the earth; bat ii they
would set about the work u digging III earn
est, every man would find his crock of gold
without the aid Of dreams and divinatioh."
We once heard OF some remarkable straw
berries raised in neighboring town, aud
called the 4" Washington Excelsior straw
berry. Rumpr said that the leaves we're
large, yiAidly green ali summer, the iruit
large aud abundant iur d long time, and not
diminished by the seterest drOuths. The
plants were sold at hall dollar apiece, aud
were considered cheap at that price. At
tracted by these wonderful stories of the
new fruit, we went 10 see II aud learn all
abont il. The plants we're indeed beautiful,
and The fruit ,ets line. But our cyes we're
opened when Alr. smith, tie owner. told us
frankly. that the plaats were some common
sort, the name ol which be had forgotten. bat
that they we're grown on bed IN the cofner
Of his garden which was made ground, for
al least sir Jeti dfrp. Why did mt this ac-
count for the persistent yerdure of the foil
are aud the siLe and abundance Of the fruit !:
Yet. the superior beauty Of the plants and
berries had attracted much attention in the
neighburhood aud seemed 10 call for high.
sounding name; and so Mr.. Smith dubbed
them the Washington Excelsior. Plainly,
this mans strawberry bed vas enlarged with
out fencing ia more land.