Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-08-30

qnencc OF the rs.naWe shoulu wait tntil
Monday, the 18th. We went. and found the
largest farm ever had the pleasure of see
ing, and TO nay great surprise it is in the
best condition of any farm. of any size, |
ever WAS upon. TO give some idea of its
magnitude will give you some facts. lie
has G23 acres Of wheat. $50 OF oats, 7C0 of
corn, and 400 acres Of. tobacco $50. 900
I hills.
The wheat was being cut by six reapers
drawn by from two tofour mules each, :.
sight weIlaworth Il trip there. TO say the
wheat was the finest ever saw would con
vey a very poor idea OF the magnificent
sight. 1t was all put in with tirills--the
straw WAS regular, every straw in the drill.
and DO not eNag@erate wien say never
saw 8: quarter of un acre in this county so
even and regular as liis Whole crop of 625
acres. One field of 40 acres, which produced
linn, two, years ago 600 bushels, was so
thick that out Of six reaprrs he had, only
two of them would go through. lie said
the wheat was better than was the last crop
on it,.
in the loWlands, or what we usually call
bottoms, and not one single gulley on all
this magnificent farm ot'over 4,O00,acres |
asked him why that was 50. when adjoining
lands had so many washed places lie said
the gulley were filled up with wheat straw
and reclaimed. The whole OF this wheat
anIbats was sown OH clover sod, and to say
theswhole ]. 800 acres was we'll set i'll clover
would give TO no one Il conception Of the
regularity Of the clover or the vast quantity
of it. Il, fact, the whole place is in perfect
order; lis yield cannot be1ess than 10000
bushels of wheat this year, and Of the best
variety-whte wheat, purple straw. |
spent two days there, most of the time in
the field to witness the rcapcrs i'll operation.
Ihey cut down 65 acres the first day. and, /
! juGge. more than 100 the next and in all
that cam safely assert that / could grasp ali
the filth sawil the whole Of the wheat
crop in one hand ut ONE time. Il did not see
Il single blasted head, or one of smut, upon
/ the place. 5E II 2 Eo@a"
/ The land is clcan. fertlized with clover
and wheat straW4and not with commercial
fertilizers, or even barnyara m;tnuipS. The
cattle are not allowed TO rilm at large, there
being in Halifax county a $40 fence" law,
so that one fence around a body Of 4pasture
/ land sutices for The whole "pace-a subject
! we'll worthy of the consideration Of our
farmers. 4
Major Sutherlin lae; 60 mules, lGO head Of
fat cattle. and works 7Ohands regularly, and
at times double that number. Last year he
p,ltup over 400 900 pounds of clover, Il large
quantity of which is now baEed Up and under
sheds-eIegant clover hay.
lie planted for 500 bushels OF corn, and
the crop is now very promising.
The condition of the farm and the crop
and no fences ftsvin&ted me so almost lost
siyht of, the S,.tlerlin and Milton narrow
guag.e railroad which Major Sutherlin is
constructing through his farm with one
hundred eelored cuusicts from the Virginia
pententiary--:l! Of whom work we'll ana
seem pleased with the change, their diet and
surroundings being more varied and endur-
oblc 'rhe whole hundred are easily coli
] trolea by sixteen guards, in fact they look
as though they would obey one lone man.
Their labor is very efficient. The earth Is
,ooseneI .x1it,l two ploSs, ana wheeled III
barrowS. and they will average over ten
wards each every day. 50 ll-es'perlntendl-
eat told me.
This road, about seven miles !oag, VIII he
in operation by Christmas.
J,A,.l- tn tha farm NithOI { fences. CX-