Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 11).djvu/152

 *tered and clovered three years successively, without either mowing or depasturing. The whole produce of the land was suffered to grow and rot, and at the end of the third year, it was ploughed and sown with wheat, and yielded thirty-five bushels per acre. This was a novelty in farming, and too expensive an experiment for farmers. Droves of cattle are bred in the southern and western back-*settlements, and sold to the graziers on the Potowmac at one dollar per head, and in a year after to the butcher at from 10 to 15 dollars, who in his turn makes 30 dollars, so {140} gaining 100 per cent on the cost. I cannot but doubt the correctness of this statement, although it seems to come from good authority. It appears improbable to an Englishman, who never sells a calf at a week old, under 4 dollars or 5 dollars. Webb and Simpson, both Englishmen, think that 10 bushels of wheat an acre, gives a living profit, and feel well assured that estates with, or near a market, are infinitely better than the western country, which they contend is without a market. "We saw," say they, "two men who had returned, preferring 100 acres of poor land, like ours, to 500 in the west, where there was no market, nor money to be had or made. Even in the east, where land is far off a market, or inconveniently situated, it is not worth half so much as it would otherwise be. The produce cannot be carried to market, when most wanted in the winter.

6th.—I reached and slept at Harper's Ferry,[31] where is Uncle Sam's grand central depôt of arms and ammunition. I visited the armoury, which is a magnificent establishment, replete with all that is necessary for the destruction of the human family. Here also is a manu-*