Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-11-25
DELAWARE AGRICULTURE.
An Extensive Farm in New Castle County.
Fruits, Grain, Dairy,ng, &c.

Prior to the year ls4s William Beck, now
one of the most successful farmers IN Della
ware, was u poor man in England. Wish
ing to improve his condition in life, and
finding it difficult to do so III his own ma
tive country, he embarked for America,
where he arrived in 1913 reaching Delaware
City, with just So so in his pocket. He
Immediately hired as farm hand with An
thony M. Higgins, for ten dollars per month,
and the three succeeding years he still toiled
on with Mr. Higgins, having the two latter
years had his wages increased to $l2 per
month, in which time be saved out of his
wages, $780, From this statement it will be
seen that Mr.. Beck during those three years
only spent fifty-eight dollars for clothing
and other expenses We have an idea that
he must have dealt very sparinsly in the
luxuries of tobacco and cigars, and we have
no doubt he often committed the unpardon-
able sin of modern times Of refusing to treat
''a'l hands round" Indeed we believe Mr..
Beck entirely abstained from those costly
and degrading luxuries which go SO far to
polish and refine many of our young men.
Mr.. Beck having riarried lady as ener-
getic and saving as himself, at the end of
the three years of which we have spoken
rented farm from Mr.. Higgins, who en-
dorsed notes for him and assisted him in
stocking the iarm, upon which he lived
eleven years, realizing in that time money
sufficient to purchase farm of l29 acres on
Jones Neck, in Kent county, for which he
paid S4.500. He did not remove upon this
but soon afterwards sold it for 1900, and
purchased another from N. b. Smithers of
207 acres. near Townsend station, for $S, 750.
He now has on this 50 acres of three year
old peach trees, from which he sold during
the present season $500 baskets of peaches.
1t could not now be bought for less than
go 000 Mr. b. has never yet lived on this
farm, which is now occupied and farmcd by
Edward Lester. Mr.. Beck in 1861 purchas-
ed another farm containing $50 acres, lying
on the road leading from Delaware City to
Poit Penn, known as the ..King," or, sold
Deal farm, for which he paid $2l 1000, and
upon which he has expended from six to
$4,000 in planting small fruits. IL acres are
in pears, 3 IN red cap raspberries, 8 in black
cap raspberries, in grapes Of different
varieties, in Kittaiiny blackberries and
in Dorchester blackberries. This farm is
now worked upon the shares, by Jas. Pord-
ham except that part planted in fruit which
is shared by Henry Lester, an experienced
horiculturist.
Owing to tue low price of berries, the
present season, thousands of quarts were
not gathered, and others were made into
blackberry wine, which we were informed
met with ready sale at two dollars per gal
Ion. Mr.. Lester has also made some straw
berry wine, which lie thinks is superior in
richness and flavor to blackbeTy wine. We
were shown by Mr.. L.. a little pear sprig,
abnut three eighths of an inch in thickness,
from which dangled nae pears of a winter
variety, which weighed A pounds. The
sprig originally contained eleven pears, but
two Of the largest had been pulled off. Mr..
B elk intends moving to this farm himself
when spring opens, where he expects per-
manently tn reside. He is living on the
old " Rcybold" farm, which belongs to
Arthur Colbourn, of Philadelphia. This
celebrated farm is known all over the coun-
try as one Of the largest and best farms in
The State Of Delaware. 1t contains 8S3 acres,
about 100 of which is yet unreclamed marsh,
but by the aid of dredging it is gradually
being reduced into meadow and pasture
land. Mr.. Beck works this farm upon the
shares and will continue to do SO after
| he has removed to his own farm.
| He has raised the present year 4,300
Lp,t, ,.Is ,,,hn hue hall nf o,,I
nearly 800 tons OF hay.
There are two apple orchards on this
place, containing in the aggregate 81 acres,
| upon which the present season there was q
fair average crop of apples, but the most
profitable piece of ground on the place is a
little pear orchard of acres; it bears every
year. MIR. b., the present year, sold 81, ,020
worth of pears out of it, Mr.. Rsybold one
year sold 81, 800 worth of pears from it. In
three years Mr.. Beck sold $50, ,000 worth of
produce from the Reybold farm. The force
required to operate the farm is about an
average of twenty farm laborers, twenty
| four horses and six yoke of oxen. Here is
| to be seen probably the largest barn in Della
ware, and yet, compared with modem
Chester or Lancaster county barn, we scarce
| ly know whether TO call it barn at all or
not 1t would be called grain-shed by a
| Pennsylvania farmer, but in Delaware it
passes for a barn of the largest dimensions.
| 1t is one hundred and twenty feet long by
sixty feet wide, and must be at least so feet
| high to the square. The lower part is built
of stone TO the height nf about 10 feet, the
walls being feet thick. The upper part
of the wall up 10 the comb Of the roof is Of
brick. With the exception Of small win
dows in each gable end, not window exists
in the whole building, no shed extends from
either side or end, except from the east end
where long row of stabling commences.
| There is but one entrance into this vast
grain barrack which is large enough to hold
all the grain and hay raised on the farm
into this one entrance about Is feet wide is
taken the hay and .,rain which is hoisted by
means of huge fork, with block and tackle
and deposited wherever wanted in the barn.
In this entrance which forms u threshing
floor all the grain is threshed with an I'M
proved modern machine which threshes
and cleans the grain at one operation, and
the grain is Immediately carried away and
deposited in a granary.
Mr.. Beck pays considerable attention tu
the raising of sheep and tries To have thu
best breed. We We're shown flock of .:
Cottswold sheep and between 20 and 81
Southdown. The latter he considers iai
superior to the Cottswold and keeps then
separated from all others.
We have yet said nothing of Nlcssrs. Col
bourn s. Beck's dniry which they conslde
the most profitable Of all their undertak
: ings.
There are two dairies on the place, ON
consisting of 62 cows and the other of d
making II total of l20 mlch cows. Eacl
dairy is under the charge OF an experienced
dairyman who has nothing else to do thai
to attend to the business of ais charge. Eicl
dairy has its complement nf stalls and ever
convenience for feeding aud the comfort q
the COWS.
There is variety of breeds amongs
these cattle but majority of them are q
the mixed native stock. There were fe,
of the pure Aldrrney. Durham, and Hol
, stein breeds, which were noiIceable in con
5 trast with the native lreeds.
t Being somewhat curious to see the moau