The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-08-05

known in this region as the Brick. All along
up to this point we observed general thrift
in the appearance Of every thing. But along
the route of the remaining 0 miles we observed
what never saw elsewhere in all my peregri-
nations--that about one fourth Of the houses
are abandoned. They were almost invariably
old, one story houses, with seldom more than
two rooms built of wood, and surrounded by
well titled fields. From appearances many Of
them had not been occupied for 20 or 30
years--and yet they had not been torn down
nor burned. made some inquiry regarding
the matter, but was not able to get salts
factory explanation. The country hero Il
good and well titled. and the farmers OCCUPY
well built houses, which are mostly good and
Of convenient size.
At 5 o'clock p. NJ we crossed the Navesink
and was in Port Jervis. This is,a splendid
little city, Of little over 5000 inhabitants,
peculiarly surrounded by mountains. 1t is .
city amid the hills. 1t is well laid out and
nicely groved,s and the public spirit of its
citizens is conducive to thrift We had occa-
sion to come in contact with some merchants
and mechanics and we were particularly
pleased with their manliness politeness and
fraternal conduct towards one another. We
saw none of this cut-throat spirit which too
often is prevalent in our cities and villages ;
but each spoke of the other as though he was
of blood relation, and in his heart really de-
sired his prosperity.
This is a thrifty city--rapidly growing
and why should it not be so? Such principles
and such habits practiced by such men would
engender and sustain a substantial prosperity
any where. Our recollections of Port Jervis
and our first impressions Of its people will not
soon grow faint. That people who SO work
together both privately and publicly, that
each individual may enjoy the highest degree
of prosperity and respect, deserves to be re-
membered. The recollections of such are
healthy growth in the human mind calculated
to stimulate to noble deeds, day by day, and
to a broader philanthropy.
After having passed through the main
streets of this city we took our reckoning,
and having turned the noses of the grays east
ward SO as to form an angle Of 400 with the
meridian of this city, we directed our course
ooWaiuc htuSoJOu Ou tuc IluuSOu Ills Gthcn
us up the valley of the Navesink--a rich and
fertile plain--beautiful beyond description.
At this place it is about two miles wide, ter
raced SO that the north western part of the
plain lays higher than the south eastern by
about rs feet. The lower terrace, or the plain
properly SO called is, by the people who live
here, called the flats, from which term a
Hunterdonian would infer that it is wet or
sloughy. But such is not the case--it is rich
and loamy-and the site peculiarly favorable
to the heaviest crops of corn and oats. On
the south of this valley, rising up to the
height of about 1900 or 1900 feet is the Sha-
wangunk mountains, a ridge extending SOUTH
eastward some so miles, and almost as level
on the top for many miles as though it had
been graded for railroad. On the N. w.
almost parallel with this ridge is the High
lands, continuation of the Catskills-having
an altitude in some places almost equal to the
Shawangunk. Hence, we see that this vale,
is well enclosed, and we might well infer tina
it would produce abundantly-which is indeed
true, as we have already said. But it is
considerable above the level of the sea, ant
in consequence the summer season here i
much shorter and cooler than other places oil
the same parallel which are not so mucl
elevated. This influence is here to-day strik
ingly illustrated. In our sunny redshale plair
to-day the corn is scarcely two feet high, ant
not tassel to be seen excepting in the case o.
J some early corn planted in some favorable
spot. Here the whole fields are in tassel ant
the ears set, and the silk waving in the breeze
like golden fringe. And yet the farmers who
own this corn tell me that none Of it was
planted before the 25th of May, and much OF
it as late as the 9th of June--they also say il
will be cut by the first of September Here
then the corn summer is 10 days long; on the
redshale 1870 days.
But there is another popularity that |
must not fail to notice. The best field Of corn
that see in this region-although as tall as
it will ever be--and the farmers here declared
it to be excellent--is scarcely four feet high
on the redslale we would regard it poor did it
not reach the height of six feet. But not
wthstanding this difference IN the size of the
stalks, the number of lbs. Of corn per acre
will be about the same in both places. That
grown in this valley will be hard and finty
while that grown at home will be soft and
easily ground. Such is the combined in
fluence of latitude and altitude upon our COM
mon indian corn. Nor is this influence less
marked in case of all other crops, but upon
those it is different. When | left home the
farmers of the valley of the Neshanic had
finished gathering their wheat and hay here
the wheat and hay are scarcely ripe enough
to cut. The onions in the garden we're with
ering and ready to pull, here see fields Of
them as green as leeks, and will not be
gathered yet in month. And here too ! see
fields of cabbage SO large as almost entirely ia
shade the ground.
1t is $50 P. M. and we have passed
the village Huguenot, and the shades
of night are drawing on. But halloo
there what does that meant Do you see
that fellow there by that little pune fire, wink
ing and blinking like toad in milk pan
enveloped In that volume Of smoke? Yes,
see him. That means mosquitoes and the
big kind too They don't have the little