Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-04-01
From the Rural New Yorkerl
Lands in Delaware.

MORE FACTS FROM SUSSEX CO., FARMER.
Since the publication of my letter in the
Rural OF january 10th have received so ma
ny letters of inquiry that it seems TO me the
eyes of the whole country must be on Della
ware,--at least received so many that |
cannot think Of answering. individually, the |
one-half of them and propose to answer
these inquiries, one and all, in general let
ter through your valuable paper.
The old way of farming here was to divide |
the farm into two fields; cultivate the one
with corn one year and let the other rest
for next years corn crop; and so on, Cice
versa, until they began TO learn better
Some few farms are titled in that way TO this
day. Who would suppose they could get
any corn from land titled that way for years
and years and nothing put on in return
And yet they get from ten to fifteen bushels
per acre. Remember that they never use
hoe in cornfeld here, and one man or boy
with one horse will cultivate in proper or
der, after it is planted, thirty acres of corn.
The improved way, or the way now more
generally adopted, is to divide the farm in
three fields Cultivate one in corn thisyear,
sow wheat in the corn in the fall, and the
next spring sow on clover seed, and as soon
us the wheat is harvested, turn all the stock,
HORSES, mules, COWS, Sntcp ulu llbgS ou tnc
clover and keep them there the balance Of
the season, and all of the next season and
the spring after pillow under what they call a
clover sod, and plant to corn again. In this
way they have one field in corn, one in
wheat, and one in clJver at the same time
With this style of farming they get from fiji
teen to fifty bushels of corn per acre; in
some few cases as high as seventy-five bush
els have been got to the acre. OF whea,
g., Ia 1.at
els for every one sown and as high as forty
bushels for one sown has been obtained
Most of the farmers apply what manure il
made on the place to thrive potatoes ant
corn, and apply coat of lime or some com
mon fertilizer, to the wheat at the time o
sowing.
The price OF corn here this winter ha
been from seventy-fiye cents TO one dolla
per bushel, delivered at the station; of whea
from two dollars to two dollars and fft
cents per bushcl. Oats from sixty to scvent
cents per bushel. They usually yield frol
ten TO twenty bushels for one sowed. III
common or Irish potato does well, nev,
rottng, and yielding from one hundred
two hundred bushels per acre the sweet p
tato grows TO perfection, and yields from oil
hundred and fifty to three hundred bushC
per acre. The price OF shell lime per bush
here is about ten cents
that with the plan Of farming in operate
here, grass has no chance Of getting al
hold, and neither did they want il to, as
man here said TO his neighbor, who had .
a suck Of seed grass to sow BE We
careful when you sow il that none of 1t blo'
on my land,a it is very spready stuff, AN,
don't want it to get in to my corn. This h
been and is yet, to a great extent, the feel
in regard 70 grass among the natives OF d
county.
do moi recommend this county for dali
lug or stock growing, only so far n, to 81
ply our home demands, from the fact Il
the land will pay far better put into fruits
different kinds hut nearly every farm
some portion of il that would pay far BET
in grass than anything else, and we COZ
there have what hay and good pasture
needed to produce butter and cheese enor
for the home supply
Most farmers have from one hundred
three hundred acres small farms oftwer
five to seyenty-tive acres are rather seal
and usually sell for much more in proport
than the larger ones; hence it is better
two or three to purchase one tract and
vide it.
The water generally is soft and good.
churches we have plenty, mostly of
Methodist order. Taxes here are ain
nothing Not over one-half of the land
this county is under cultivation, the bala
being in wood, some of which is very he
white oak, red oak, pine, hickory, ches
black walnut, ash, cedar, cypress, and g
Most Of farmers keep some sheep and
do well.
Tho price of farms depends upon
quality Of soil, condition of buildings
fences, quantity of fruit trees out and
lance from railroad The usual pric,
most Of the land is from twenty to sixty
lars per acre. The soil is a sandy loan.
clay subsol in many cases.
Peach trees are put out when one yeal
from the bud, and should be planted '
corn or potatoes for three or four v
afterwards; blowing the ground once
will be sufficient
AS to the climate, our winters are short
mild. AT this time of winter, Feb. 90, s
have planted potatoes, peas, &c, and !