New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-30
INTERESTING TO FARMERS,
VISIT TO TIE HON. A. b. CONGERS NEv
YORK STOCK FARM

western shore of the Hudson River at Havens,.
Ray lies Wsldberg," the farm Of the Hon. Abn 4
CorEcr, President of the Nev-York State Ana
tursl Society. The rver, beautiful throughout 4
entire length il q, this point peculiarly sttrscts
Spreading ont 20 width of some two miles 81 the ps
sadss II widens with gradual curve al either sb,x
until at Sing Sing il forms the T'appdaa Zss ~
above Croton Point the beautiful Bay Of Havensr,.
Dir. Congrrs estate has shore line of two miles !,
hall. The whole farm contains 400 acres embnl
ing li and vale, woods and cearings. The hous,,
b large one, built il the Tudor style, and "A
ausrgod within for comfor,. This same sys
architecture Las been applied TO the immense M,
Of harms md fam buildings that lie in q cluster
sheltered valley at some distance from the fan,
mansion.
The soil Of the farm "a generally clay loan, rss,,
upon a red sandstone formation, and having n
average depth Of ten feet Here and there wAs.
mountain gui;es have met in some basin deposits
woods-moli and Grck have been formed, % Tn
there is in one place II swamp lot twenty sereh
extent; sual!rr deposits ol the same valuable masys
are found in other places. The FARMS, properly sped
ing the gradual slope If The hills, and this give,
coed fall for drainage The little brooks from ".
range Of hills trend Of la the southwest and unit.
form the HrcLrnsack River, INTO which also 4.
waters uf Rockland Lake hai m outlet.
The surface of the ground is thickly strevn vi
bcu'drrs, large and small, which are serious impt.
neut To- proper cultivation, and which are avslssa
for walls only Il, great expense in blasting. Shcsl
Mr. Couger ever nd his fourteen hundred Of Ia
difficulty, he will deserve great credit for persevn
ance and courage. To form his present place he hs
purchased thirteen farms, the greater part Of whss
have been skinned for generations by the old Dsst
farmers. The houses these thirteen farms hsss
generally been allowed 10 stand for the us Of n
CongCrs met, while the barns have in some esns
been enlarged and repared FOR the stock, and soas
times tom down. Land throughout the valley ID
for so TO $l0G per acre, while exactly opposite
the other side OF the river people pay as high a I've
ard three thousand. Diapidated barns, strsggnz
moss-grown stone fences, land covered with thin tad
Of June grass ard foul with weeds, or bare falown
wet in places that water stands the surface sisA
Spring-,hcse are the signs of bad farming that AZ
sees all through these old Dutch settlements.
To yet things back into decent shape; to tear dou
the tumbling walls and build better ones, put in
era miles If tilerain, clear away the boaders, gt
gradually work his farm into thrifty condition,
the sef.imposed task Of this spirited proprietor HI,
plan is to pillow deep and manure thoroughly With
barny ard and special fertilizers, and plant With con-
following with root crup the next year, and eves
the third If necessary 10 get rid of weeds and put the
roll in good heart aud filth, then after oats or barley
with clover. to seed down with wheat. He wshese
get into grass enough land to support his herd, devo
ing the residue to regular grain crops, following ns
beet system Of English busbnndry, aud getting ap to
crops ut forty bushels of wheat, aud thirty tan7d
mangods All this il possiblc with time and money,
and patience; but, looking at the size OF the piece,
the dscouragemeDts 70 be met, and the obstacles 70
be overcome. We fear be will become fsnt-hsatsd
before the work is entirely accomplished.
Although Dir. Conger has over two hundred heNd
cattle. and large pamber Of horses and sheep ~
his Ideals 10 make the stock-breeding incidentan
the Improvement of the farm, 80 that, ne mas W
breeding Improbable, he can have recourse 10 ses-
ern larming. He hns set 10 work like large 'Srmf
TO get good stock by judicious purchase oil parsk
keeping always enough Of best blood pure to recm~
from time to time. Thus for instance, he might cr'
other strains with Duchess 0r Oxford blood, o@ 10
would be careful to keep much pure that he msn'
return To IT, if he found the qualities OF these mHaS'
did not show beyond two or three generations VI
horses he aims n. breeding roadStcrs % good SIZE a'i
nr,on but does not wish to raise racers. lie mas m
tive. Grade and thoroughbred dams, and old HERO
sire to bis colts. ~.
The principal barn is composed, in part, OF 'nsifa
budiurs o,ned together, and in part Of new adda"O'
the whole finished in harmony with dehnite pAA'
IN FORM it is parallelog,an, open on one OF II,
sides toward the south. The portion aires'y 'aA'
gives range Of four hundred feet oi stais w ~
basement. and first floors. Those stalls are sr"s''
on either ride Of four-foot passage the whoe n"'-s
grouted floor, which in the stalls slopes back
gutter, which las sufficient fall TO carry hqui'' y.
the tank under the mannre-shed outside 10 "'o
ing.bo1es and loose boxes Hoor Of sIats Is ia'''
cordlng to Mechi's plan, the spaces between '"'
varying with the kind Of animals that are 70 wv
the stalls-nanower for sheep and WIDER io' n"
cattle or horses. We noticed particularly so'd p
"a, making the front Of the stalls Oh the passage y"
In place Of rising perpendiculariy to the ceinhg
il nj sav four feet from the floor, slant inward
cellsr door for short distance, and then the p~S
lion is ngan carried up perpendicuary. Inc apr.
,iers Of three or four bosrds Omitted, 30 thae
c,crla,io, of mir j. secured from the rindows at ee
side of tie building The siant in the partition ~,
feeding door 10 the stall, and IS hung Oh hingo'
fastened up bys ring To hook above Inc -
passc. through the four-loOt passage, ana "as wv
spoe Of room to carry basket Oh bis sh"uoS'' !,
large sruful of hay. Inside the '''il' ao' "'1 :,
napcer, hood comes down so as 70 prevent az 49,.
r,ly bu! from rushing at or gorng his Keeper W.
tie feeding door is opened. ~
BIZ. Conger, believing that each breed o'
no,.e..ed peculiar excellent qualities, Las 0'i ~,
Sbort.Horn.. North Devons, Ayreshires ana AZ
news upop bis place, and proposes to breed ron ).
Of them. The herds,nan, Thomas ii. Pax. rso0'
sr,ro,ly with Col Stewart in Ireland, aud had s'''
oppo,tunty to make himself familiar n'h 'hs
srsnent Of stock. Tie prac;iced at Co.. ssls~ -