Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-04-03
COMMUNICATED.

!
OF the following article clipped from the
Citizen, Frederick, Md, think its per
usal will be interesting to many OF your
readers. Having seen some ofthe oPer
atoms of Mr.. McMurray, | can vouth
for the article; what he has successfully
accomplished in Maryland can be done
here, for our Jefferson county lands,
with their depth of natural soil over
! laying a substrata of clay, renders them
susceptible of the highest state OF pro-
duction, unsurpassed by any lands in or
out of the State. simply wish to show
what energy, enterprise, system and un-
tagging industry will accomplish. Mr..
McMurray started in life in very mod
| crate circumstances. w. a. NJ.
A GREAT TENTERPRIsE-EXTENsIvE FAR
MING OPERATIoNs-MoUNTAIN SUGAR
CoRN-LARGE FACTORY OPERATIONS
OF Mr.. LOUIS MCMUEEAY.
Hearing that Mr. McMurray was in
Frederick. we called on him in regard
to his coming seasons work, as we un-
derstood he was making extensive prep
aratiou, "a portion Of which we had al
ready seen,) for large business during
the coming season. As our subscribers
have frequently enqnired OF US in regard
10 it, we take this method Of informing
| them
About ten o'clock in the day we call
ed at his Office, and told him the object
of our visit, asking If he had any objec-
ton to giving us the information. lie
very politely answered he would with
pleasure give us all the information we
wished aud said he was now about
taking a ride over his farms, and II we
had no objection, we could jump INTO
the carriage, and accompany him
around to see his operations, which in
vltation we gladly accepted.
We went to his Manor farms, con
taiuing eight hundred and fifty (S5O
acres, where we met with Mr.. Thomas
H. Smith, his general manager and su-
perintcndent.
We observed to Mr.. Smith that he
had done considerable plowing, and had
hauled out large quantities OF manure,
besides burning five or six stacks oi
lime, say twenty-five thousand (25,O0O
bushels, and aked if he intended toat
for the farm, to which lie replied Eyes.
We then asked Mr.. McMarray his
views IN regard to the application OF
lime for CROWN sugar corn.
lie replied, he thought it very lmpor,
tant that the land should be well ma.
nured, with barn yatd manure or a
green sod, and Emed, as the lime i'm
parted sweetness and tenderness that
superseded any method he had tried.
How much manure will you have
this season to 90 on the land!
lie replied: about .hirty-tye hundred
$500 cords.
We then asked how he got so much
He said: Last year he raised FIVE hun
drcd (5)O) acres of wheat, which pro
duced thirty (30) bushels per acre, and
the straw from that, with all the tod
der, husks and cobs, he made into ma
nure.
We enqnircd how he hurried it into
manure. lie replied: am now feeding
two hundred and fifty (25O) head Of
cattle, with some hogs, and fifty (50}
head OF horses and muIes-the latter l
use for cultiyating the ground-in adJi-
ton to which. have all the manure
made by the different livery stables
in Frederick.
We remarked, this is all lime stone
land. He replied, yes, and the qnarrics
being cpened at so small a cost enables
me to use line very freely.
Being familiar with all the lard,
having been agent for il for long time
previous to Mr.. McMuuay's purchase,
frequently cunning over it, and seeing
the surroundings iu such fne condition,
asked Mr. McMnIray 5 views III regard
to the production of Sugar Corn on
these lands, as they laid high, are not
subject to overflow, nearly level, with
Just sufficient roll to carry ofthe water,
and in short distance OF the Blue Ridge
mountains His opinion was, that
there could be no better land for The
purpose, than what he was cultivaling.
lie also said, that some time ago here
quested Mr.. Everitt B. Clarke, OF Con
necticut, one of the largest seed grow-
ers in the State, who supplies New
York and Philadelphia with his prod
ucts, to examine his farms and give his
opinion (Which he kindly consented to
do) regarding the raising of sugar corn
on them. As Mr.. Clarke has accompa-
MED you over your farms, we would
like to know bis opinion Of them?
In reply to a similar question from
me, Mr.. Clarke said: | am large seed
grower in Connecticut, and have been
all over the state, as also great many
of the fertile regions of the Western
States, and think that your farms a
round Frederick are better adapted to
the growing of sugar corn, than any
land | have ever seen, and only regret
that have not some land like yours
on which to grow sugar corn for seed
On our re,prn we enqnired what
other farms he had in that section.
He said he would point them out as we
drove along
Proceeding a short distance he said,
this in one containing one hundred
| QOO) acres. After a short drive, he
pointed out another containing one
hundred and fifty Q50) acres. In a
few minutes we drew ap at another,
containing two hundred and twenty-fy
.(225) acres Moving short distance,
on the opposite side, we came to farm
containing two hundred and fifty ESQ
acres, adjoining which we could just
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