The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-10-17

$1,000 ILL
surface of the stream was al
most level with the surface Of
ground, my fellow citizen being
a gentleman OF good intellect
and considerable reading. saw
on reflection that he could with
little trouble utilize its waters.
He constructed his stable lust
as near to it as possible. and
then cut a slight ditch 10 the
stream, aud with the aid OF a
hastily made gate OF boards he
could at will, let the water into
his stable. When, therefore.
his stable become rather full of
manure, he had only to turn his
horses on the pasture for "a day,
raise his little gate, and in a few
minutes the stream of water
carried everything away, and left
its stable much cleaner than it
would have been if he had used
a mattock and spade. His neigh
bors all admired his ingenuity
in having been able to plan such
a labor-saving operation. Indeed,
this operation brings to the
mind Of the classic reader one Of
the most famous achievements Of
the great Hercules.
Which of these two methods
is most advantageous to a coun-
try? Italy is certainly the most
beautiful region that | have vet
beheld, but this is not entirely
due to its natural features, Won
derful as they are. Old Bun
combe and its surroundings pos
sess a beauty marvellous to the
human eye, but Italy has had
certain adventurous aids that
place it far in advance.
No mere selection and arrange
ment Of words will convey to
those who have not seen it an
adequate idea of the richness
and variety of It's vegetation.
Every available foot Of ground
seems to have been used in the
best manner to produce in the
greatest abundance, grain and
grass, and tree and vine. No
land is given to division fences.
Even the roads, finer than any
others in the world, are allowed
to interfere as little as possible,
with production. These roads,
macadamized in the best man
ner, with their surfaces as smooth
daily sweeping "a render them,
have at intervals of twenty
yards on each side octagonal
stone pillows, Immediately out
side of which are rows of Lom-
hardy popIars. But these pop
lars have their limbs trimmed
Oft SO as to remind one of the
E old-fashioned May pole. The
tutt of branches at the top are
, suffered to grow, while such
limbs as shoot out from the sides
are annually trimmed away and
converted into fuel. In real OF
the trees are shallow bitches
which In the month of May, OF
, their bottoms and sides, were
covered with a good coat o
grass. The muleteers paid 6
!, small SUI for the privilege 0.
letting the mules get their din
ners in these bitches. These
, annals, left for the time by
themselves, continued to graist
without eve attempting to ste(
out into the half-grown wheat
! and rich cultivated grasses neal
them.
When one travels through
r Buncome, the landscape make:
t a different impression on him
The distant valleys and greer
and picturesque mountains fully
E satisfy him, but he sees near hin
9 often exhausted hill-sides fur
: rowed with gullevs, which, wher
5 first cleared, produced sixty OF
. seventy bushels of orr to the
5 acte. AS elsewhere In Nortl
Carolina, the impression is pro
e duced on his mind that the lane
: even that has been cleared, i:
5 not utilized to the extent of one
+ fourth of its capacity. When ]
S ask why does not North Caroline
lnc1- IL I4l-0 L. IL.