-298

l*‘1om pet.-'oua.l i~xa.iitt’iatton, l‘:tlIl con-
vinced [fiat ditching and hecl,cring,i as prac-
tised in Holland, England, and Franr e.
almost entirely, and now succes.=fu'ly
adop'ed in Illinois, is cheaper than fencing
by rails. A ' , .

The general complaint of c the earth
cruinliltng by frost, is prevented by sowing
blue grass seed on ‘the sides. lVl1lll')t-.‘ll‘._‘
trees rnight be raised on the slope of the
ditch, with great profit. Indeed, such is
the rapid growth of the mulberry in these
rich prairie lands, that the purchase of this
land at . $1 25 an acre, and planted with

these trees alone, would in a few years be
highly valuable Such is the extent of the
prairie, thatwood land will always be val-
uable for timber. The wood land is also
rich, and fine for cultivation ; and if trees
under certain diameter are cut, a fine graz

ing farm may be easily made, and the good
timbers preserved. Similar pastures are
found in Kentucky; these yield $3 profit
per acre, annually. It may be asked, how
cannon residents best. cultivate their lands?
I would remark, that it . is custornary to
rent land (once broke and fenced) for one
third of the crops delivered in the crib or

AMERICAN RAILROAD JOURNAL, ‘AND

tivatii.-nil Iairis.\ er, if the land is renied for
live yi-»_ars, the profits accruing duriiig,this'
period, will repay the capital advanced in
the commcnceinent, with twent,y.five per
cent. interest per anniim, and leave the
fin-m worth $20 per acreat the expiration
of the lease. Probably the profit will be
much greater. ’
Yours, respectfully,
H. L. E1.Lswon'rH.

 

. LAFAYETTE, Nov. 1836.
Dear Sir--In consequence of the nume-
rous inquiries by yourself, and others, rela-
tive to the improvement of wild lands, and

ham, At this rent the tenant finds all.

I would advise to employ smart enter-

prising young men from the New-England
States, to take the farm ‘on shares. 1f the
landlord should find a house, team, cart,
and plough, and add some stock, he might
then require one half the profits of the same.
I would advise to allow, for fencing or
ditching,—a certain sum, and stipulate that
the capital invested should be returned be-
fore profits were divided. A farmer could
in this way earn for himself from $700 to
$1,000 per annum, on a lease for five. years.
.. The second year a rrioiving machine
might be furnished, if one hundred acres
were seeded down to tame grass. Mast
for swine is found in great abundance, and
the number of hogs could be easily increas-
ed to one thousand, by adding to the num-
ber of breeding sows.

Corn is easily raised, that it is found ad
vantageous to turn the hogs into a field of
this grain, without gathering it. It has
long’ been the practice in the'State of New-
Yorli, to raise oats and peas together, and
turn in the swine to harvest the same when
ripe. Experiments this summer in Con-

'necticut, show a great profit in raising
spring wheat and oats together, and feed.
ing 01lHl’1e‘Sa.lLl18i.0 hogs. I have omitted
to say, that good lrituminous coal is found
in :he valley of the Vi/abash. The veins
are from five to ten feet thick, and a large
wagon load will supply one fire for a year.

Salt also is manufactured in large quanti. ‘

ties, and superior in quality to the Kenha.
wa salt.

 Farmers in Illinoisand Indiana are now
successfully enclosing their lands -byditch.
ing, which has cost from fifty to seventy.
five cents per rod. _ ~ 

, ,The-laws of the States of Indiana and
Illinois, compel the owners of lands adjoin-
ing topay one half of fencing, whenever

-t'ih,ey.’make use of, or derive any benefits .

fromgthe, fences of their neighbor. This
-11%-S~Set1s.the»expense of fencing one half.
Ifit_b8as,ked,,_1,vhat are the profits of cpl."

.4

especially prairies ; the cost ofciiltivation;
the quantity of crops ; the market for the
same, and the.profits that may be expected,
I have concluded to write you a general
letter, to be used as might be thoiight pro-
per. My knowledgeis founded upon experi-
ence, having just. cotnpleted a farm of eight
hundred acres on theivvild prairies.

The expense of breaking up the sod, is
$2 25. This is a fixed price, and certain
calculations may be made on it, wherever
the land may be located. But. a difference
will exist in the cost of fencing, according
to the distance the rails are carted. For
the farm I have just fenced, the rails were
hauled four miles. 1 This distance will
form the basis of my calctilations. It is
apparent that the cost of fencing will
depend materially on the size and form ot
the area to be enclosed. An, area of
three hundred and twenty acres will cos!
much more than half of the amount re-
quired to fence six hundred and forty acres.
The four sides of a halfsection are three

miles ; the two longest sides heiiig one mili-
each, and thetwo shortestahalf mile each.
The four sides of awhole section, six hun-
dred and forty acres, are four miles, requir-
ing only one yuarter more fence for double the
quantity ofland

Twenty rails are allowed to a rod ; this
makes a “ Virgitiia,” or worm fence, eight
rails hi,o_"h-—the eighth rail_(called a rider)
being elevated twelve or eigliteen inches
from the seventh rail, and resting on
crotches, (eight feet long,) crossing at each
corner of the “worm.” Rails of ordinary
size, laid in this manner, make a durable
and tight fence, over and through which no
cattle or’ stock can pass. ‘ _
First Eslitnnte for intpraving six./ttm'd7"ed

and forty flares.

Eour miles, or 1,280 rods, 20

rails to the rod, gives 25,600

rails.

Add for enclosures, cribs, Szc.
1,400 rails; total of rails is“
27,000, which, at $3 50 per

thousand, gives $945 00
For one log house and well, an
. laying up fence. ,‘ 200' 00
For breaking‘ up six hundred 1
acres, “(allowing remainiti_g_
forty for bad ,sp_ot_s, enclo-
sures, &c.,) at $2 25, 1,350 00
Allow for contingencies, 30 00
$2,525 00

Making not quite $4 per acre, ,_

costs, including buildings,&c.
. Q

Second Estimate, for t/tree /zutidt-ed" and
twenty flares.‘

iThree miles, or .960 rods, at 20
rails per rod, gives 19,200
rai‘s. ‘ .

Add for enclosur:es,"ci-ibs, 8zc.
1,300 ; ‘total of. rails, 21,500,

 

 

Making near, $5 per acre.

cents peracre, owing to slight fluctuations
in price oi"laboi'ers.. One hundred acres
will cost about $6 50_.per'_ acre, satne_biiild-
ings, Ste. ; and eightyiacreswillcost about
$8 30 per acre, same buildings, &c.

I have found no"cli_fficulty in renting one
hundred acres ofland. fencert‘, at $2 50 per
acre. The tenant made a-handsonre siirn
by the lease. It is common to hire land

give one third ofthe crop delivered in the
..rib or barn- ’ A

dred acres, 40' bu_sl'icls of corn is ‘a small
crop ; 75 to 80 bushels a good one; one
hundred acres, at 40 bushels, will yield
4,000,_0ne third of which is, 1,333 bushels,

is a fair’ crop ; O,l'Iie“'”fllilirCl,"":li{) ’Bii”érié1s,’iis«
equal, at pretsent ‘prices, t_o$12,“50—'-deduct
expenses, it will be $6 per acre ; one half,
of the grass crop would be a fair, proportion:
for the landlord, equal to one too, which

will be worth on the land 3188, and cle.duct_‘

$1 for pressing, will leave $7 pr fit per

acre, wh.ch will be doubled by‘ cari'yi.ig to"

New-Orleans. 4

Many farmers raise a, sod crop. by drop-
ping corn in the furrows when ploughing is
done; sometiztzes this, succeeds w ll, but
there is too much u‘ncet'tainty.,about. it to
make definite calculations. As a geineral
remark, I wouldcbserve, that the first two

crops Will pay for the ilarid, at government,’

prices, fence the_ same and ploiiglr it,'and ‘
on 320 acres, biiilda house worth $260.‘?
The land will sell readily at $3 0 per acre‘,-i
if improved. Yours, respetitliilly, ,'
E. A._ELL’swoR'rH. L
To HON. H.‘L. EIJLSWORTH, A A _ i
W as/nfnglon Ctly,. D. C’.
.Dcmm'_llc, Nov. 12,- 1836. ,_
Dr:-An SrR—- V . ., " , , ,,
Your favor of Augu‘st‘30th, was ldiily
receiv.d; and in answer to your inqitiries,

I can say, that :' ‘ .
1% .‘‘'D0és’y«>ur j..prj¢rit:ie. land hear good

wheat 2”" None can hardly be,'better.: ’ 
‘.2. “ How is the best'way’to'.inipi-eve’
pr:tirie“land’!’? _"B_v ploughing it ‘inf°thel'
motiths or‘ May,’June,*and July, withi-at
plough peculiar -to this country, ,wli'it;h, cutsil

asfurrow two feet: wide, and commonly thr*e'o'_

at $35,r_rives  -. , $752 50,
For well, laying up fence and , 0
one house,‘i _ , 1'75 00
For breaking three’ hundred s " '
acres, (allowing remaining
twenty for enclosures, &c., at
$2 25, gives ' ,_ , 6'76 00
Add for contingencies, 25 00
$1,628 50‘

The above calculations may vary a few;

that is fenced or has been broken up, and"
You will perceive the.p_t‘ofit,ion'one,hu,n-i
which, at 25 cents, is $3 33 per a-'~rc.—-'

When the canal to,Lake Erie is made,‘ the ,
price will be»do_ub‘le; 30 bushels of _whe-at", ,