Minutes of the Farmers Club of Pennsylvania (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1874 Excerpt: ... best seeds being used. Such lands are now annually producing large quantities of beef and mutton in place of being a blot on the fair face of the country; and have either been let-solely as grazing farms, for a term of years, or are let by public auction from year to year in the months of March or April, the tenants retaining possession until the following Martinmas. In this way, the farms are generally pretty well divided into parcels; the fields of a first-class character being usually taken by graziers, on which to fatten their cattle, and the second-class land often falling to the lot of some neighbouring farmer as a turn-out for his young stock, as occupiers of arable farms are able to keep more stock in winter than they can graze in summer. This practice has almost given the death-blow to the system of agistment which a few years ago was so universal. Farmers prefer to keep the cattle under their own personal inspection, because they can behave more liberally towards them than when they are put out to grass upon too-heavily stinted public agistments. With respect to the rent of land let annually, I may state that it varies very materially, according to situation, quality of land (whether well watered and sheltered), and demand in the locality; as it ranges all the way from 15s. or 20s. per acre for the poorest, to 5/. or 61. for the best quality. In the vicinity of towns as much as 11. to SI. is sometimes paid for what is understood as accommodation lands, but these cannot be taken into account when the question of value arises, as such parcels can scarcely pay their way; only, horsekeepers, butchers, and dairymen must have a little bit of land for a turn-out, let the rent be what it may. Within the past three years there has been marked competition ...