New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-15
slope discovered something new in the agriculture of

slope discovered something new IN tue agrlcuIuioo
Westchester County.
Upon portion Of the estate Of james Odell. which
has been lately sold by Dykeman Odell to brewer.
there is field of five Of hops which look as wen
though growing upon the hills ofOsego or Delaware
and Mr.. Ode told that in all their growth and pro-
ductou they bid fair to be paying crop as In any
part Of the State. There is them no reason why hop
culture should not be largely increased in this county.
found farm land in this vicinity valued at $50 an
acre At least that was the asking price Of A. Mead,
whose place adjoins Odells. and has good farmhouse
and buildings, upon a tract Of 100 acres fenced "to
get rid of the stones with snperabundance OF excel
lent stone walls.
The land this high plain appears to be rather more
clayey than the farms along the Bronx. but not too
much for profitable grass culture or rather for graz
ing which is undoubtedly the most profitable use that
such land is usually put and then the question arises
whether any one can afford pay $50 800 an acre
where there is necessarily good deal OF waste land in
rocks and hillsides
In nv opinion farmers IN this section will have to re-
duce their ideas Of the value OF land elevate them as
TO modes Of cultivation The present style will not pay
interest repairs overseeing and hired labor IL is this
last item upon which all hopes Of profit are wrecked.
Growing at dollar busLel upon any of the farms
we have seen today particularly without manure will
not make the owner rich while the wages OF his hire
lings are n dollar and "A half day; and that Is tho
cheapest have hired days work this season. And as
IL will not pay to keep the land uncuvated nor to cul
tiyate rs it is the question becomes very important
one what are the owners 10 do with III Let 1t lie
and rapdly run into the condition Of the farm have
described. as it soon will. since tie grass and weeds
viii grow as soon the plow stopsf
No this will never do; nor will it do TO make money
by business In the city or the pleasure of spend
ing It in ornamcntng farm. The farm must be made
TO paw and il can be made TO do by first underdran-
ing, deepening the soil and enriching by draining
swamps and using muck upon upland, by growing cIo'
yer as manure crop, and. in short, by making the
land more instead of less valuable, and by doing away
with st, l. OF farming suited to the age of our great
grandfathcrs when farm produce carried from this
very Odell farm in the farm wagon to NewYork. Even
in the lifetime of the father of It's present owner that
was the only mode and then 1t enabled the owner to
lay up more money than il does now.
| New crops and new methods Of farming rust be
adop,ed in all the lover part of Weschester County
else landowners will be compelled to let their farms go
TO weeds aud waste and become eyesores to the lovers
of good husbandry.
AS rode homeward, down tho rich valley OF the
Sprain Irehcctcd much upon this subject, and thought
what different results the owners Of those pleasant
farms would realize II all these hsides aud this narrow
valley were covered with grapeyines (Which do not
often mildcw as they have this year, and currant
bushes raspberry and blackberry canes. strawberry
beds thrifty Young orchards and certainly something
that would pay for guilty alton better than present crops
pickles being the only at present grown that can be
Accounted strictly profitable. and that fails to be
where labor is very dear and oil the MANURE. which
must be freely used has TO DO purchased or hauled
long way up In.
| hope these slight elmpses may awaken Thought
Auqon Westchoscr farming. and be read with interest
enough induce ne 10 givc some others In future