New-York tribune., 1870-10-01
WHAT KNOW OF FARMING.
ny HORACE GREELEY.
XXXVI.
STONE ON A FARM.


the action Of internal fires by the transmutation OF
solid bodies into more expansive gases; ana 'u0
fragments torn away from the sharper edges VI UP
hesved masses of granite quartz, or sanuS'o"o' Ia
ing been frozen into icebergs bostihg Oh SOO" ,
so have been carried all the surface Oh oui
planet and dropped upon the greater part a. .u1o
iceberps were ultimately resolved, py i~iAuo- ~
temperature into flowing water "nen .n0
were afterward reduced nearly OF qui'e :" VII"
-. LIMIT and the icebergs restricted 10 tne
- ,.s and their vicinity streams had 10 MAKE
+hai, ,.,v down the sides of the mountains anu iS
a. the snbiacent valleys and plains sweeping aio"s
,ot merely sand and gravel, hut powders aiso OF
,,o,,, size and form, and sometimes great rocks as
I'll b, the force Of their impetnous currents Anu'
n very large if not the larger, portion OF our
rtl5 snrface bears testimony TO the existence and
,rarf,I action through ages of larger and smaller
tercour-es ,yide and general diffusion of stones,
not in ,lscea but more less triturated smoOthed
and rounded by the action Of water, was among the
inevitable results.
These stones are sometimes facility. but Oftener
an impediment. to efficiency IN agriculture. When
heated by fervd sunshine throughout the day, they
retain portion of that heat through part of
tie succeeding night thereby raising the sempera-
ture of the soil and increasing the deposit of dew
the plants there growing When generally broken
80 finely ss offer impediment TO cultivation,
they merely absorb heat by day, TO be given of
by night but ny rendering the soil open and porous,
secure much more extensive diffusion of air
through it than would otherwise be possible. Thus
do slaty soils achieve and maintain warmth unique
in their respective lstitudes, to ripen grapes
further North and at higher elevations. than would
otherwise BE possible
The great Prairies of the West with a considera-
ble portion of the valleys and plains of the Atlantic
slope expose no rock al their surfaces and little
beneath them. until the soil has been tTaversed, and
the vicinity of the underlying rock in place fairly
attained To farmers Injured TO the perpetual stone
picking of New-England, and other hilly regions,
this is a most welcome change but when the
pioneer comes to look about him for stone 10 wall
hrs cellar and his well TO underpin his barn, and
form the foundations of his dwelling, he realizes that
the bOwders he had exulted in leaving behind him
were not wholly and absolutely nuisance; glad as
be was TO be rid of them forever he would like now
GO call sOmo of them back again
Yet the Eastern farmer of to-day has fewer uses
for stone than his grandfather had. He does not
want his farm cut up into two or threeacre patches
by brosd-based unsightly walls which frost is apt
60 heave year after year into greater deformiy and
less efficiency nor does he care longer to them
in draining since he must excavate and replace
thrice much earth in making stone as in making
tile drain; while the former affords shelter and
impunty TO rats mice andlOther mischieyOus, pTeda
tory animals. whose burTowing therein tends con-
stanty 10 stimulate its natural tendency TO become
chOked with sand and earth Of the stone drains,
constructed through parts of my farm by f0Temen
whose wills proved stronger than my own, but two
remain in partial operation and shall rejoice when
these shall have filled themselves up and been
counted out evermore Happily they were sunk so
dow that the subsOn plow will never disturb them.
Still my confidence that nothing was made in
vain is scarcely shaken by the prevalence and
abundance of stone our Eastern farms. We
may not have present for them all but
our grandsOns viii be wiser than we, and have
Asses for them which hardly suspect
r9iDsist that land which is very stony mainly
created with eve TO timber-gTowing, and that
millions of OF such ought forthwith 70 be planted
with Hickory. White Oak, Locust, Chestnut, White |
Pine and other valuable fOrest-trees. Every acre |
Of thoroughly dry land, lying near railroad in the
Eastern Middle States, may be made TO pay !
good interest on from $50 up to $780, provided there
lie soil enough above it's rocks TO afford decent
foothold for trees and how little will answer |
this purpose none can imagine who have not seen |
the experiment tried. Sow thickly, that you may |
begin to cut out poles six 10 ten feet long within
three four years and keep cutting out but never
cutting Off thenceforward. until time shall be no
more and your rocky crests steep hillsides and |
Tavines will take rank with the most productive |
portions of your farm.
In the edges of these woods, yoa may deposit the |
assurance that moth and rust will not corrupt nor
thieves break through and steal, but that you and
Your sons and grandsons will find them there when |
ever they shall be needed well those you found
there when you came into possession Of the farm.
lam further confident that we shall build more |
and more with rough unshapen stone. as we grow |
older and wiser In our harsh, capricious climate |
walls Of stone-concrete afford the cheapest and best
protection alike against heat and frost for our ami
Il o1o f,ro alt-aa Lot
the farmer begin bis barn by making of stone, laid
in thin mortar, a substantial basement story, let
into hillside, for his manure and his root-cellar;
let him build upon this seco.d story OF like ma !
;eriss for the stalls Of his cattle; and now he may
add third story and roof OF wood Tor MS |
,llay and grain if he sees fit. His son OF grand |
son will. probably. take this off, and replace 1t |
with concrete walls and a slate roof; or this |
NAV be postponed till the original wooden |
structure has rotted off; but feel sure |
that ultimately the dwellings as well as barns |
of thrifty farmers in stony districts, will mainly
be built of rough stone, thrown into box
and firmly cemented by thin mortar |
composed of much sand and little lime, ana
that thus at least ten thousand tuns OF stone 70
each farm will be disposed of. 1t may be somewhat
later still before our harnyards fowl enclosures,
gardens pig-pens Sc. viii be shut In by cemented
walls but the other sort affords such ample and per-
petua lurking places for rats minks, weases ana all
manner of destructive vcrnin, that they are certain
10 20 out of fashion before the close OF the next
century.
As 10 blasting ont Stone, too large or 700
firmly fixed TO be otherwise handled, L Wouio
solve the problem by asking, do you mean