New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-12
WEsTCHESTER COUNTY AGBI.
CULTURE.
Two Days Among the Farmers OF West
chester and Puauam COunties-A Long
Ride and Examination OF Farms
Whnt 4 Saw, Heard and Learned.

beds the great conduit and servoirs of NewYork.
This lake of the marked beauty spots that make
rp the interesting features of Westchester County
She wonder with me- as / look down from the surround
tng hills upon this long winding lake, is. that
Il is not bordered by q hundred cottages for Summer
residences Of those who would hardly know how live
sithout this "Croton water"
Crossing a wooden bridge part Of The
AXE assembled The 20 lly rolling hills the north
eide impressed with tire tea tina. every of this
southern slope might afford rich harvest Of grapes
81 any acre in Ger any. This than con
tmed by a visit to r. Mott Underhl where found
old Isabella grape vine which his often produced %
j 30 bushels year. with other than suitable
hnual pruning 1t may g also abcred that DR..
ndeFhils celebrated "Croon Point Vineyard Is but
miles distant and that he also has houIishing
vineyard on the hills two mile from the Point where
he advantages greater than upon any of the hill
'ides with the exposure in the interior.
As look upon these ILLS and upon the isso!aed re-
ATS of grape growing | wonder how long G. How
slDg, oh Lord,D before the time will when the
ieope buy gia!es at lower price than they
buy raisins made by drying grapes grown in foreign
country which have laid for labor transportation,
tariff, and profits of dellers. That the time has not
set arrived is not for lack OF location soil and climate
Eut because their preer compete. in growinl
prairie farmers of Illinois The competition is very
much to the disadvantage of WestcheSter.
Mr. UnderhiIl has probably done under draining
shan any other in the country. because his area
Is larger. His drains have tcen principally made of
stone Ito get rid of them and that not having
absorbed ALL he has built stone wall ten feet thick
He also finds it economical mode OF getting id "
If large boudeIs TO dig hole by t. r side and tumble
fhem in and cover the out of sight and beyond
he reach of the pillow. BY ese means he has made
zone very stony fields smooth or the moving machine,
md pro iucye o; two TO three uus OF excellent hay
acre.
His home farm is de otei 10 butter dairy. the COWS
averaging about s47 year. and making good deal Of
)ork. On another farm, in e hands OF his son, the
COWS average S45. seading the n ilk TO NewYork
Formerly Mr. Unjerhill kclt large flock of sheep
and found the business pleasant and profitable. He
was driven out of il by the dogs. and he assures me
that the same produces the same effect upon
nearly MI the farms of this county In all ny drive
OF two days throu rcl est section Of the county
do not think that / ty Sleep yet sure that
saw more than fifty farms in every respect admirably
calculated for sheep husbaRdry and where grazing Of
Western sheep for the city market would be the most
profitable system of farming that could be pursued;
profitable in q money point of view. beside great i'm
provers of the land. Upon farms, for want OF
sheep the weeds and st is are getting the
better of farmers ard render h ed crops laborious
and pasture and moving unprof able all for want of
sheep-sheep which absolutely iudispens upon
farm vet driven out OF existence by this inc Kiln
Suishable American love Of dors-dogs that are not
only useless but the antbTS Of the Os horrd disease
and death that aLcted the human family and the
most utterly wor;lles PESTS and nuisances that even
afflicted any civil ed community. But for this dog
CURSE farmers Id keep sheep and prosper, and the
people would eat sweet neat aad live healthy, long
lives, clothed in cheap wooden garments; but some
"independent Ar erican citi en-" could not enjoy the
delight Of lying down with dogs and getting up with
feas. The experience of Mott Underhi in sheep hus-
bandry that Of hundreds Of other Westchester farm
ersthey have ieen logged out Of the business Ifany
Community leedel the protection OF legislation,
this one certainly does.
AS preliminary step in this direction. let the legs-
lators order the assessors ring 10 mako a CON-
pete of all the sheep and all the dogs in the
. State. (This should Ia cen done BY the census.
takers the present !oar) Ileleye the County Of West
chester would show dogs TO sheep II this Is
really the profit bic and agreeable kind Of stock
Sor the people, 1 will say about dogs. The
present dog law is teusion, and does not enable oil
induce any one to keep sheep. Mr.. Carpenter con.
suited with me while his house about planting an
orchard Of sixty acres and stoc Ing it with sheep
first view ii looked entirely feasible, and prOspeCyely
profitable. Upon sober second thought and after
listening to the sd experience o. Mr. Under, he is
constrained to renqush the sheep part OF the project
Mr.. Underlill is Of the opinion that upon any dairy
farm in the County eep can be Kept to each
running in the pasture, without tie least detri
ment to the product Of milk for the time being, while
The value OF the pasture will constantly improve Upon
farm that would support hundred head OF horned
cattle. from five 10 eight hundred head OF sheep could
BE- kept if their lee ing Id be profit able than
that of cattle 1t certainly woall in the improvement
Of the soil for it is notorious iact that sheep always
enrich the poorest knobs in pa ture.
Perhaps have sal enough to induce people TO think
about sheep-husbandiy, and viii therefore move
Taking Mott Undcrhin along we visited his cousin
Edwsrd. another improving dich-digging. rock hiding
Westchester County farmer One Of the results OF bis
undertaking is a we.stocked. Ornamental fish pond
his house. which is Lept supplied with water by
the oupour Of underlraDs. From this pond ne can
draw supply Of fresh fish whenever he DESIRES A
boat and bathbouse also among tie luxues. With
ihe earth taken from tbs pond he filed up deep hol
low in the public highway greatly improving the grade
Of the road II is wo thy remark that while doing
he complained Of by some Of his neghborS for OBJ
structing and iDjurng the road. believe they have
since learned that level grade is easier than sharp
hill AT this place tasted cider seventeen years old
IT has the cearness and color Of pale brandy. 1t is
needless 10 say that it has alcoholic strength. Its
favor is as mild and pleasant excellent wue In
deed. 1t was preferred by the company to some very
good grape wine drawn from a Cask standing side by
side. This cider.wine was made from Newtown Pippin