CHAPTER XII.

State of Agriculture-Mr. Stimson's Farm-Situation-Division of

Farm-Soil-Rotation-Produce-Agricultural Premiums-MaizeMrs. Stimson's attention to us-Price of Labour-Advantages of the Americans over the European Emigrant-Clearing of the GroundA Frolic-Dwelling-House-Orchard-Crops-Period of SowingHay-Green Crops-Dr. Dwight as to Quality of Uncleared Land— Crops-Hogs-Silk-Woodland-Prices of Grain-Wages of Labour -Manures-Gypsum-Bargain when Land is Let-Fences-Roads -Horses and Cattle-Agricultural Shows-Sheep-Hogs-PoultryImplements of Husbandry.

November 1828.

On the 18th of November, we made an excursion to the township of Galway, with a view to see Mr. Stimson's farm, about eleven miles from Ballston Spa. Mr. Stimson is a very enterprising person, has an extensive farm, a large hotel, and great stores as a merchant. We are told that there is no farm within our reach at present so well entitled to notice. Mr. Burtis, our Saratoga charioteer, carried us to it. We were unlucky in not finding Mr. Stimson at home, but Mrs. Stimson was extremely communicative and obliging, most especially considering that we had no introduction to her.

The situation of the farm is very elevated, with the

highway running through it. Of 800 acres, of which the farm, consists, Mr. Stimson has about one-half in cultivation. His fences, horses, farm-houses, and the whole establishment, are good, and in good order; and there is an appearance of activity and attention about the place that would do credit to the agriculturist of any country..

The whole land has been improved by Mr. Stimson; it is laid off in fields of about eight acres, inclosed with stones gathered from the land in the lower part of the fence, and a frame of wood on the top of them. There are two rails above the stone, and about twenty miles of this sort of fence

The soil is generally light, but Mr. Stimson manures, though perhaps not so much as might here be done with advantage, yet a great deal more than most farmers in this country, and of course raises better crops. His general rotation is, 1. Maize, or Indian corn, with patches of potatoes or turnips on the edges of the field; 2. Barley, or sometimes oats; 3. Wheat, in which he sows five pounds clover seed, and two quarts timothy per acre. Then he cuts the timothy for two years and pastures for one. He breaks up the pasture for wheat, then takes a crop of maize, and follows the above rotation, manuring either on breaking up or with the maize. Land is less overrun with weeds here than in Britain, and for some time after being cleared, much richer in point of soil. In this view, the rotation by which crops of grain are taken consecutively may admit of justification to some extent. Yet I cannot but

suspect that the return would, on the whole, be greater if the manure was always applied to the maize or green crop, followed by only one grain crop of wheat, or oats, or barley, with which grass seeds are sown. The land would thus constantly be clean, and in good tilth, and the lesser number of grain crops would be compensated by their superior quality.

Mr. Stimson has reported his produce from eightyfive acres to be what follows, after actual survey and examination; and while he can obtain such a return, he is well entitled to adhere to his own system.

Mr. Stimson has gained almost all the agricultural premiums in the county; for having the best managed farm; for having raised 104 bushels of maize on an acre; for having raised sixty-two bushels of barley on an acre; for having raised 357 bushels of potatoes on half

an acre; and for having raised five tons of timothy hay per acre.

of a

The field of maize on this farm, when well-hoed and cleaned by the plough, cannot fail in summer to give a very gay appearance to the field,—even superior to that of the best dressed green crops to which the eye British farmer is accustomed: but, at this season, the want of those green crops of turnips, mangel wurzel, ruta baga, &c., which, as well as potatoes, are only raised in small portions in the margins of the fields, creates a great blank. The maize is the great article used, not merely as the cleaning crop, but for feeding horses, cattle, and poultry, for which it is admirably adapted.

When we returned from the fields, we found a very nice dinner prepared for us, and a bottle of wine on the table. Mrs. Stimson had previously dined, but gave us the pleasure of her company; and was, I believe, not less inquisitive in putting questions to us respecting land-management in Scotland, than we respecting that in this neighbourhood.

We

On coming away, we found, that there was no bill to pay, for ourselves, Mr. Burtis, or horses. Mrs. Stimson could make no charge on strangers, who had paid them a visit, in order to see the farm; she only regretted that we could not stay some days with them. find all the farmers in this part of the country, whom we meet in our pretty extensive perambulations, communicative, and well-informed on the subject of their management, perfectly aware of the importance of

fallows and green crops; but generally of opinion, that they dare not attempt that system, on account of the high price of labour in this country in relation to the value of land, ne sumptus fructum superet, according to the sound advice of Varro. The price of labour, too, is the great obstacle to all sorts of ornamental improvement, such as the formation of gardens, and keeping them up. Making, therefore, the necessary allowance for change of circumstances and situation, there does not seem to be any ground for charging the American agriculturist with want of knowledge, or of activity and enterprise.

In originally dispossessing the forest, and clearing the ground, the American has great advantages over the European emigrant. He understands the use of the axe from his infancy, and much more rapidly brings the trees to the ground. His house and fences are far more economically erected. His employment in these operations is that to which he has been all his life accustomed. His health does not suffer, as a stranger's does, from the hardships to which he is in the meantime exposed, nor from the exhalations which always accompany the clearing of woodland, and which are so apt in this country to produce fever and ague. My present impression is, that it is far more advisable for an emigrant to pay a little for land lately cleared, though at a price exceeding the sum actually expended, than to risk his own health and that of his family; but let him be well advised, and not acquire land, already impoverished by cropping, and which has become foul, and lost