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pre-eminence by generous and successful efforts, in breaking down the civil and religious bondage of former ages. Her patriots, her scholars, and her statesmen have adorned her history, and offer models for the imitation of others. We are the powerful descendants of England, desiring perpetual friendship, and the uninterrupted interchange of kind offices, and reciprocal benefits. We have demonstrated, in circumstances the most critical, constant and persevering evidence of this disposition. We still desire the impartial adjustment of our mutual intercourse, and the establishment of some equitable regulations, by which our personal and maritime rights may be secure from arbitrary violation. A settlement that, instead of endless collision and dispute, may be productive of concord, good humour and friendship: and it depends on her whether such is to be the relation between us."

LETTER VII.

Houses, Barns, Mills, Fences.

THE first thing which is done by a settler in the woods, is to put up a log house. For this purpose he cuts down trees of a suitable size, and of a length în proportion to the dimensions he intends his house to be. His neighbours assemble and raise it for

him, by laying the logs in a square form with the ends notched so as to interlock with one another; by which means the whole are secured and bound together. The spaces for the doors and windows are then cut through, and the interstices of the logs filled with earth or moss; the boards are laid for the floor, and the chimney built. A house of this kind is made at a very trifling expense. When time and circumstances admit, a better one is erected with framed timber, covered neatly with boards planed and painted. Window-glass is made in a neighbouring county, and costs here about fourteen dollars per hundred square feet.

Barns are usually made of framed timber, and the sides covered with rough boards. A good barn of this kind, fifty feet long by forty wide, and finished with stables, can be built, including the cost of the materials, for two hundred and fifty dollars. The expense of the house will depend on its size, and the work employed on it. The materials cost less than the labour.

Grist mills usually cost from one to two thousand dollars. The stones used are of the kind called pudding stone, which is much inferior to the French burr, or the common English mill stones.

Saw mills, which are extremely important in all settlements, cost from three to six hundred dollars. They are set in motion by water, and use a single which cuts from one to two thousand feet of

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boards in a day.

Pine boards sell at the mill for, from six to ten dollars a thousand square feet; boards made of the hemlock spruce, about one fifth less, cherry boards nearly equal to mahogany, sell for fifteen dollars per thousand feet.

All buildings here are covered with shingles. These are made of the white pine, and are laid on the roof so as to lap over each other, like tiles. A thousand of them, which cover somewhat less than two hundred square feet, sell for two dollars. They form a roof which is very close and impenetrable to rain, but is much exposed to fire. They may, in some degree, be preserved from that element by thick coats of a composition, which is sometimes applied to them.

Fences are usually made, when the land is just cleared, with logs of about twelve feet long, placed in a zig zag manner, with their ends resting on each other, to the height of five feet. This forms a sufficient fence for a few years, and, at the same time, saves the trouble of burning the logs used for this purpose: but it has a very rude appearance. Those settlers who are somewhat neater in their clearings, split the logs into rails, and lay them up in the same manner as the other, with stakes set at the angles, on which a heavy rail rests to bind the fence together. Even this kind of fence has a very slovenly appearance, and occupies much ground: A better kind is called post and rail, and is made in the same manner as in our country. All these fences have a

very bad effect, in comparison with walls or hedges. But they are quickly made, and if at any time it should be desirable to alter the shape or extent of the field, they can be easily removed. There are materials however, in sufficient abundance, to make the most beautiful hedges. When I cast my eyes on the bushes of the hemlock spruce, it immediately struck me, that they would be the very thing for hedges.

On this subject an American writer makes the following observations: "While my attention was "turned to live fences on a great scale for our fields, "it occurred to me that I had some of the best spe"cimens of hedges in my garden. These have been

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planted at least sixty years; I have some planted “about six years, they are composed of the hem"lock spruce of our forests. The old hedges are "now as vigorous as they could have been in the "first years of their being set out. They are close,

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strong, and impervious; and never like the cedar, "die at bottom. They have out grown the dimen"sions in which I formerly wished to confine them; being about six feet in thickness, and five feet in height. These hedges bear plashing, cutting, and clipping, without injury; and nothing of the kind can be neater than their appearance, when newly clipped. They retain their verdure through the "winter, far beyond most of the resinous tribe; none whereof are subject to be eaten by mice or "other vermin, or browsed by cattle, as the deci

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"duous trees or shrubs. They were planted in a "single row; the stalks about a foot from each "other. They permit wearing or training in any way; being hardy, pliant and tough. They can "be raised with little trouble from the cones. I never saw any other ever green hedge equal to “one of hemlock spruce; when in blossom, it is the "handsomest of all its tribe, the limbs are horizontal; layers will strike out and fill the bottom."*

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The white thorn is a native of this country, and easily procured. Mr. Cobbett speaks of some white thorn brought from England, which he saw growing near Philadelphia, and observes, that they clearly proved that the white thorn would, with less care, make as good hedges as they do at Farnham, in Surry.

LETTER VIII.

Cattle, Grain, &c.

SUSQUEHANNA County, is peculiarly well adapted to the raising and fattening of cattle. The grass which is sown, grows abundantly; but the settlers are not careful to procure the best kinds.

See a letter from the HoN. RICHARD PETERS in the Transactions of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society.

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