Litchfield enquirer., 1871-11-23
vrsrnAsp, N J. Nov. 1T, 1871

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 vNEnAND, N J. Nov. 1T, 1871. ,
 MR. EDITOR. "A few notes respecting this region, the result of personal aobserv- ation and inquiry, may be of interest to those of your readers who have not been here. Rarely, even in a country proxerb- ial for the wonderful growth of its towns and cities, has a more rapid settlement of any region, and development of it's re- sources, been witnessed than here Ten years ago Vineland had no existence, save in the brain of it's projector, young man of perhaps thirty years of age, Pennsyl- vanian, with whom the founding of a city with broad avenues and tastefuldwellings, with school houses and churches, and a yirtuous community, where o,so iaatoricat- ing drinks should be sold, had long been favorite scheme 47aY s}as1 S"
 This whole region was then wilder ness. The West Jersey Railroad traversed for miles an unbroken tract of scrub oaks, and pines; the heavy timber having been cut off and burned into coal for the neighboring glass factories of Millville and Glassboro. In 1861 Charles K Landis, Esq, selected this inhospitable and un- promising spot for his future city,-on ac- count of the mildness and heatthtut,sess of the climate and the special ond ac1apt- edness of the sosi to .fruit culture, and pur- chased 10000 acres. He then commenced advertising in some of the leading. news papers of the country, under heading which has since become so familiar to thousands of their readers, ''To all want ing Farms. a.,sg.r B..
 I should have said, however, that he first secured competent engineers and la borers, and laid out his city a mile square
 with central avenue 100 feet wide and five miles long, and divided the different squares into building lots 50 by 15O feet, and the farm land into five and ten acre plots, holding the former at $50. the lat
 ter at $25 per acre., uncleared. The won der is, not that the inducements held out brought numerous letters of inquiry, and many applicants in person to MT. l.. s of flee, but that, having been put off from the cars at Vineland station, in the midst of this forest of scrubs, they did not prompt ly take the first train back, and remain contentedly at home. Fortunately ,wheth- CT for his own interest I cannot say, but for the future of Vineland, some one was persuaded to purchase farm, and locate, and beginning was made. n. ..t-. ;. . Less than five minutes walk from where I am writing, there stands small house, in grove of oaks (removed from it's or iginal location), on the ridge of which is a white painted board with this inscription: ''The first house erected in Vineland, Feb
 1862," now owned by the Historical So- ciety It's dimensions are 16a feet by IA feet 4 inches, and eight feet high to the caves. Nine years have passed away, and how great the change. To-day the town contains population of ten thousand, and the village from three thousand to five thousand inhabitants. I have seen the number stated at the latter figure. Lan- dis Avenue is closely built-up at least a mile beyond the Eastern limit of the city plot. ia +tAI ..''il''a ' 1ss,..'''
 A stranger cannot but be struck with the evident prosperity and enterprise of the place. There are several handsome brick stores, and numerous others built of wood, groceries, shops, fruit and confectionery stores, four public halls, a pearl button, and other .manufactories, schools of high grade, six or seven churches, &c, ..
 The dwellings of the first stsettlers- many of them mere shells, are giving place to more substantial, often tasteful and ele- gant structures. One pecuiarity, which perhaps soonest arrests attention, is the almost entire absence of fences, but oin their place hedges of spruce, arbor Sitse, or other evergreens, some of them of sufic- tent height to be very beautiful, others only just started a -as5e ssa o3 ass9'
 Many of the first settlers erred in de. pending too exclusively for their support on the ayails of their fruit crops, which os course they did not realize for four or fivs years. Now the farmers off from their ter acres raise general crops for home con
 sumption, besides fruit for market, and | are much more successful asagq sfsJ aas
 One of the principal fertilizers, by whicl the land is brought into the best .condi
 ton, is clover. A heavy seeding once plowed in, there is no difficulty afterwart in keeping it in good hear, such is th' universal testimony, and raising satisfac tory crops. Green mari and ninck art found in abundance in the vicinity, tn, former costing delivered about g, per ton
 Besides, everything about the premise. that can be converted into manure isutil ized, the contents of the vaults being de
 oderized with dry earth, or muck. ...,,a, Now, does farming pay on this soil ? I. fruit-raising profitable? Let me give yoi the testimony of three men, two of whom are well known in Wolcottville, having re
 moved from there to this place, and thu third married his wife there. MT. I. R Fowler had no knowledge of farming, but came here on account of his health, from New York city five years ago. He ha' 700 vines of the Concord grape, five yearl old, and few other varieties Get ms here say, that vines are usually trained k posts, or on trellises, from five to ten fee in length, cut back very close in the win ter). From two acres he gathered 15,50t pounds, and realized from their sale $1 ,0O' net, besides what were. consumed in hi family. From less than an acre he dul } 15o bushels of sweet potatoes, planted wide apart among young peach trees From 75 young apple trees he sold $10l