National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-29
FARMING IN MARYLAND.
Il SPECIMEN PLANTATION IN HohI-
GOMERY COUNTY.

a SPECIMEN PLANTATION IN HoHT
GoMERY COUNTY.
THE ROBERT Y. BRES t PLAcE-RECovER1
OF ROCK CREEK MEADows-DRAINAGI
AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF GNEIsS
ROCK AND. MILES OF STONE FENCE
WHAT ALFRED RAY HAS DONE.
June is natures honeymoon, the time whel
she is clothed IN her richest and loveliest garb
the period of CESSATION between seed-time ant
harvest It is the month especially adapted Il
ruralizing; when the denizens of smoky cftiei
and dreary ofices-which are only other namei
for prison cells-are prone to fall deadly IL
love with agricultural, horticultural and nort
cultural pursuits. Not practically, perhaps
but Theoretically, while lolling under the snaoe
of tree, enjoying fine Havana, and adnlrlne
the fruits of the studies and laoors Oh olners IL
these pastoral walks of life. -
Captivated with something AKIN 10 sucn
feeling and sentiments, aided by the memories
of rural life in early youth, not many DAYS
since we INDUCED in drive out seYenth-street
road in company with a friend, past NJ. q
FmeryIs. Alex. r. Shepherds and the Blairs
farms and country houses, CHANGING admiringly
from a distance at them as we went, and also
taking note at the same time of the many i'm
proyements which had been made in that di-
rectiop since the days of the "late unpleasant
ness" Much sympathy was excited in behalf
of those Door people, inside the District line,
who have been taxed so heavily for the splen-
did roads over which we drove; but, after dis
cussion, It was determined that the increased
value of the properly far more than covered
all the damages which they had suffered. In
order, however, that We might be able to do
full Justice to the complaints of these people,
we extended our drive into the county of Mont
pomery, over the old pike, which, by the way,
the condition of this corporate road with those
of the District. The verdict was still in favor
of the District as against the turnpike.
About three miles beyond the residence of
F. P. Blair, ST., we turned of upon o country
road leading to the old, historic Robert 7.
Brent farm, which, after some intricate re-
search, we found uncovered In the forests, q
few hundred yards from the Forest-Glen sta
ton of the Metropolitan branch of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad.
THE MANSION
is an unpretending, but comfortable and roomy
frame building, situated upon an eminence sur
rounded with ancestral shade trees. The
grounds are embeIlished with fruits and flow
-ers of numerous varieties. "A splendid view is
presented from the house of fields and forests
bathed in luxuriant foliage of the season.
This old homestead, around which many his
toric memories Of the earliest days of the re-
public still rnger-relics and legends of the
visits of Washington, Jefferson and Madison,
with all of whom Robert Y. Brent held init
mate personal relations-is destined ere long
to give place to more modern and graceful
structure of stone from the native lodges by
which II is surrounded. But the time is not
yet. To- 10 or.
The care and affection which the proprietor
exhibits for his young and sturdy oaks L. illus
trative Of the character Of the man. He re-
ceiyed q tempting offer from the railway con-
tractors for the privilege of cutting theee trees
for ties, but he could not bring himself to the
saerilcial point. It wc2ld hgYe marred his
forest home, and would hare been too much
ike parting with tie friends who have con-
stantly cheered him in his daily toll. But the
woods are clean of underbrush and dead wood.
The Qnsightly and decayinS trees apd the over
crowded spots are thinned out for fuel and
farm timber and derricks for the quarries.
This makes the spot desirable for picnics,
which are Of frequent occurrence there. e..
THE BRENT ESTATE,
consisting of some five. hundred acres, much
of it under d high state of culture, is now
owned and occupied by Mr.. Alfred Ray, de.
voted son Of toll, native of the District and
practical agriculturist. The properly is Of
rolling and diversified surface, strongly re-
sembling some of the best parts of New Eng
land IN its changes from bill 70 vale, brooklets,
mounds and intervGles. When Mr.. Ray pur-
chased the property he found 1t had been much
neglected for many Years until it had, in fact,
begun to reassume its wild, natural, unculti-
waited aspect. Young forests were developing
upon some Of the clearings of the ante-Revo-
luton times. The rich bottoms along the
margin of Rock creek were covered with
swampy underbrush, and IN many places the
debris from the field and forests had so accu-
minated as to dam up the waters and cause an
overflow Of the surrounding meadows at each
heavy rain. This, of ecurse, endangered the
grass crop Of this richest so1.
r--- -.-f-r-r pKkfsSkeK 80 --s'.. :.
His first effort was 70 clear out this drift, so
that the stream could pass without obstruc-
ton. To accomplish this he purchased the
meadows above his own, through which he cut
canals, in some instances turning the course of
the creek partially, and thus forming minis-
ture islands Of incalcul2ble richness and beauty.
The waters Of the creek could now follow their
sinuous course unimpeded by drift-wood or
sand-bsrs. Nr. Ray, having secured this de-
sirsble object, next turned his attention to the
draining of his interval meadows and giving
them heavy, smooth top-dressings, which con-
stitutes them the best timothy fields in this
section Of the country. Not a drain can be
seen; they are all submerged beneath the soil
and covered, SO that the latter is sufficiently
smooth to permit the operations of the machine
reaper or mower. These lands are now only
allowed to be flooded once yesr-during the
spring rains.
FERTILIZERS.
The uplands of this farm are titled in
manner equally careful and practical. Science
ap1o and al lrpo LODI
are all cherished, and combined to make the
earth yield up her best fruits. No opinion or
theory is despised by Mr.. Ray. All are exam
fned and considered, but if his own judgment,
based upon the experience of years, should
eopdemn one as inferior, it would cost him but
little waste of time or money. 1t would be
cast among the rubbish. He believes largely
in fertilizers. He does not expect to withdraw
q good crop from the soil each year without
reimbursement. As soon would he expect to
constantly work his stock without feeding.
He endeavors to give more than he takes.
Stable manure, Peruvian gIano, lime and
ground plaster are his faEoriLes. he makes it
. rule never to buy aduiterated guano. If
he should do so he says he wo2ld never know
what be was using. II is like doctorlng your
self with patent medicines.
But he takes the genuine Peruvian, and
mixes the plaster with il himself, about three
parts guano to five of plaster, before sowing.
He snds this the most prudent and equable
method of dressing ground with guano. Lime
<-air-slacked-Mr. Ray has found to be the
best equalizer of the consistency of upland
soils row in use. If the soil is too hard and
stiff, an infusion of lime renders it more soft
and pliable. On the contrary, if it is too rich
and mellow, the lime seems to neutralize the
other salts and introduce them into the crop
with better effect. Besides, he thinks it reim-
burses more readily and directly than any
other mineral fertilizer, the phospates ex-
tracted by the crop. This result is shown in q
plump and well-matured kernel OF berry Of
grain where it has been used, even when the
straw is comparatively light. He has given
lime a thorough test, and decided to use 1t
more extensively in the future. Still, after all.
stable manure is his prime favorite. It is per-
haps because it makes the nearest approach to
the material and substance Of the crop yielded,
and therefore may naturally be considered the
most gratifying return TO the soil. His rule is
never to allow a team TO return from the city
without load Of it, If it has no other freight.
FRUITS.
We examined several juvenile fruit orchards,
which surpassed anything Of the kind we have
ever seen in this vicinity. Young and healthy,
vigorous peach and pear trees of numerous
varieties, loaded with the crop of the year ARE in
fine progress. These orchards, with acres of
grapes, occupy the southern slopes of several