eectsusuranies,

AW 2A Emre as eAue an.
a iacoblanamentarecee

ee QOALIT LS.

OF THE

“WILD LANDS”

OF

LONG ISLAND

EXAMINED, AND

DETAILED EVIDENCES GIVEN

; e OF THEIR

eee ls 'U EH;

TOGETHER WITH A REASONABLE CONJECTURE WHY THEY HAVE
NOT BEEN IMPROVED.

|
: With a comparative view of their Productiveness when contrasted with :
the Improved Lands located on the North and South of the Island.

BY THOMAS SCHNEBLY,
BROOKLYN, L. IL.

IN Wee YORK:
Printed at the “ Sun” Book and Job Printing Office, 128 Fulton street.

[FROM THE UNION ARK. |

Pee Qu ALLEY

OF THE

“WILD LANDS”

OF

LONG ISLAND

EXAMINED, AND
DETAILED EVIDENCES GIVEN

OF THEIR

Wa i Cie.

TOGETHER WITH A REASONABLA CONJECTURE WHY THEY HAVE
* NOT BEEN IMPROVED.

With a comparative view of their Productiveness when contrasted with
the Improved Lands located on the North and South of the Island.

BY THOMAS SCHNEBLY,
BROOKLYN, L. L

NEW YORK:
Printed at the “ Sun” Book and Job Printing Office, 128 Fulton street.

1860.

THE

WILD LANDS OF LONG ISLAND,

THEIR VALUS, &e.

RAN en nn enn neers ees eee ee _—_eeeeeeeeeeet

Havine made repeated visits to “ Long Island,” both
on the Northern and Southern border, and also through
its “Centre,” (or that portion generally designated
the “ Wild Wood Lands,” through which the Long Isl-
and Rail Road passes,) from the superficial observa-
tions afforded me, in connection with the prevailing
opinions entertained by residents, I gleaned, in my
transient visits, an opinion decidedly impressed, with
what “every body” seemed to admit, that “ihe Lands
contiguous to the waters were all that was available
on the Island for agricultural purposes.”

In arecent visit, however, my explorations and exam-
inations have been more extensive and thorough, and
consequently more satisfactory and reliable ; I have
possessed myself with important “ facts,” which have
materially changed my “views,” and will go far to de-
monstrate the opinion expressed years since by dis-
tinguished scientific gentlemen, that “ Long Island” is
destined to be the “Garden Spot” of the State of
New York.

According to the acknowledged and received opin-

4 The Wild Lands of Long Island.

ions of the old settlers of this territory, Long Island
was originally inhabited by Indians, who ceded or
solid their lands to the British Government in Colonial
times, which was afterwards granted by “ Patent” to
different families, for services rendered, or on paying a
small amount as an equivolent. The Patents convey-
ing tracts of land from one mile to ten miles square.

The Island being thus mapped out by Patents, own-
ed by different parties, whose possessions stretched
from the waters on the North and South sides to the
middle and wood lands in the centre, each owner be-
coming “ the Lord of his Manor.”

It seems all that the original proprietors cared for,
was a beautiful country residence, signalized by a pic-
turesque and romantic “ water site,” which very likely
was at first only inhabited through the Summer sea-
son, or improved according to circumstances; that is,
as much land as would subserve for domestic purposes
was only cultivated, thus confining their “farming
operations” to afew acres; whilst the great body of
their lands, grown up with “ heavy timber” and under-
growth almost impenetrable, and reaching for miles
to the middle of the Island, were left uncultivated and
unimproved in its native luxuriance for the “wild
deer” to roam in, or the feathered songsters to mate
and propagate and raise their young. As the “ water
sites” of the Island became more densely inhabited, en-
terprising residents parceled off tracts or lots of one
thousand acres, more or less, of “ wood land,” and be-
ginning at one end or side, would yearly cut thousands
of “cord wood” for market, and by the time they
reached the outer boundary or extreme side of said
lots, that portion which they had commenced cutting
on would reproduce another growth of smaller wood

The Wild Lands of Long Island. o

ready for the axe. It is acknowledged by hundreds
that in fifteen years the forest trees, after being cut,
will, from their stumps and roots, re-produce a growth
of wood sufficiently large to be cut again.

The inhabitants, thus farming their “ manors,” rais-
ing only enough of produce for their own use, and
cutting timber from the “forests or wild lands,” set-
tled down into the conviction that they had clear land
enough to work for home consumption, which was all
that was worth cultivating, while the wood land from
which they cut their wood was not fit for agricultural
purposes, and consequently considered only capable
of re-producing wood.

I believe this is the main reason why the lands on
the middle of the Island, got into such bad repute, and
thereby received the cognomea of “ wild lands.” This
delusion may have continued until now, had not the
Long Island Rail Road penetrated these forests and
opened up to men of science and enterprise a tract of
country, before little known or appreciatec for its in-
trinsic value, both as to its geological structure or
its agricultural or horticultural advantages.

The conviction that now arrests you, may be, that
the proprietors of the Long Island Rail Road must
have anticipated a large trade along their route. For
the travel from and to Brooklyn, namely Greeuport,
when the road was first constructed, would hardly
have compensated for their outlay ; however, looking
to the future, they have abided their time, and now
they are beginning to reap the advantages resulting
therefrom.

The Long Island Rail Road passes through the mid-
dle of these lands, and furnishes a quick and easy ac-
cess to the cities of New York and Brooklyn, contain-

6 The Wild Lands of Long Island.

ing a million of population, and thus brings the mar-
kets within easy and quick reach, transferring ferti-
lizers from the cities, and taking in the varied pro-
ducts of farm and gardens, beside the reclaiming of
those lands, which until then lay entirely wild and un-
productive. At any rate, if the Rail Road Company do
not reap the advantages contemplated by building
their road, the citizens of Brooklyn and New York
should ever accord to them the meed of praise for
opening to them an avenue of trade, which now yearly
supplhes a large portion of their marketing and provi-
sions.

I will now entertain the proposition, generally, that
all the territory of Long Island is susceptible of a
high state of cultivation, and is as productive as any
lands in the state of New York. Gen. John A. Dix,
who at present presides in the Post Office of New
York City, in his address before the New York Agri-
cultural Society, October 7th, 1859, thus adverts to
Long Island: “It stretches out from New York Har-
bor 130 miles into the Atlanfic Ocean. <A most ex-
traordinary delusion has prevailed in regard to the
productiveness of the central portion, and yet the sur-
face soil of this whole region, with some inconsidera-
ble exceptions, consists of a rich loam, from twenty to
thirty inches in depth, easily cultivated and made
highly productive, without immoderate manuring.
Some of the best farms in the southern part of the
State have during the last five years, been made in
this condemned region, and it is shown by agricultural
survey of the State, that the Island produces fourteen
bushels of wheat to the acre, considerable beyond the
average of the State, and very little less than that of
the western district. Ina very few places the gravel

The Wild Lands of Long Island. 7

with which the surtace soil is underlaid, crops cut,
but these localities are believed not to exceed two
per cent. of the whole Island. Of all the districts of
the State this has the finest summer climate, and the
winters are mittigated and made temperate by the
surrounding waters; close observations and successful
experiment have dissipated misapprehensions in re-
gard to its fertility. They have shown that its soil is
warm, genial, and productive, and there is little hazard
in predicting that it will at no distant time become
the garden of the city of New York. As Gen. Dix re-
marks, “the soil is warm, genial, and productive,” and
which, in fact, overlays the whole Island, varying in
depth from one to five feet, and has this peculiar fea-
ture, asa general rule, all over the Island. First there
is the surface soil a foot or more deep, then sand and
gravel intermixed with clay underneath. The soil is
deepest on the centre, and grows thinner as you ap-
proach the water, which is the opposite of the receiv-
ed opinion that formerly prevailed and erroneously de-
signated the middle, “ wild or plain lands,” because
it was supposed the soil was not deep enough there
to bear culture, and therefore as above detail was
literally abandoned. A singular phenomena occurs in
the undulatings of the lands, that is, the soil is less
fertile in depressions and always more alluvial and pro-
ductive on the elevated surfaces. Silex is the pre-
vailing ingredient in some sections, while a clayey
loam prevails in other districts. On the north side, in
the vicinity of Smithstown, pure sand is found, and al-
so in Happaugh’s Valley, but both localities are in a
high state of cultivation. Since science has analyzed
soils and disclosed their component parts, we at once
understand the composition of plants, their nature,

8 The Wild Lands of Long Island.

the food they best thrive upon, and the degree in
which they extract it from the soil. All soils, whatever
their depth or richness, by constant wear in producing
will eventually wear out, provided they are not restor-
ed, by the same amount of organic and inorganic matter
which have entered into the organization of the crops
removed. This is the universal law of compensation
in every department of physical life. Return to the
soil in manures and fertilizing substances, as much as
you take from it, or you diminish the ability of your
lands in producing, and sell their fertility in the crops
you take off; this has been the experience of some
few settlers in the middle or wild lands of Long Island.
They haye cleared a portion of territory, and in a year
or two have worked their lands to death, simply be-
cause they took from the land all they could get, giv-
ing them no manures or fertilizers in return, as though
they expected to enhance the price of their horses by
making them labor without sufficient food to perpetu-
ate their health and strength.

The different “Townships” have had large “tracts”
of lands ceded to them, which still lay uncultivated
as a common or pasture ground for the “village cat-
tle.” I will allude to the one contiguous to Hemp-
stead, embracing a tract of some fifteen thousand
acres, without fencing, but clothed with a heavy crop
of grass. These upland meadows stretch from the
ridge to the ocean entirely free from bush or tree,
which is supposed to have been originally rooted and
burned out by fires, and are very similar in appearance
and product to what is denominated in New Jersey,
the “meadows,” which being covered by a vegetable
mould, accumulating for years, assumes the appearance
of “Turf,” and being set on fire, will burn until every

The Wild Lands of Long Island. 9

vestage of stumps, under-growth, and roots and vegeta-
ble matter is cleared away to the clay stratum beneath
and ina year or two thereafter grow up in meadow
grass, as luxuriant and beautiful as the eye can con-

‘template or gaze upon. Individuals, like “ Townships,”
who held lands by Patents, still possess them in their
descendants. There is the “ Nichols Patent, at West
Islip, containing originally ten miles square, granted
by the Colonial Governor Sir John Donagon, which, in
fact, is owned by the descendants of the Nichols fam-
ily still residing in that Township.

There is also the Willets, also Mr. J. M. Thompson,
Mr. Mowbray, and Mr. Gibbens’ Patent of twenty-five
thousand acres, and others, land holders, who origin-
ally cared not to cultivate the whole of their lands,
nor desired any body else to improve them, and conse-
quently shut out all investigation, and while they lived
amidst gorgeous scenery, a genial climate, and ona
productive soil, were satisfied with cultivating a few
acres to supply their wants, leaving the balance of
their territory to unproductiveness, which in time, for
that reason, became known asthe Wild or Wood Lands
of Long Island.

Going south from Hempstead, all along the margin
of the Bay, you behold farms yielding heavy crops.
Mr. Richard Higbie of West Islip, has a farm of 100
acres, which his forefathers for one hundred and fifty
years, cultivated successively and successfully before
him. He has this season entertained at his house
over five hundred visitors, who resort to the Island
for health, enjoyment in hunting, fishing, and good
living. He raised all the vegetables, and more than
he could consume, together with heavy crops of corn,
rye, oats, wheat and grass besides.

10 The Wild Lands of Long Island.

A farm contiguous, owned by Mr. Udell, of five hun-
dred acres, is a beautiful location; lands rich and pro-
ductive; as is also the farm of three hundred acres
owned by Dr. Wagstaff, which a few years since he
purchased for sixty thousand dollars. 1 counted in a
line in one of his fields twenty-five stacks of grain,
averaging perhaps about one hundred bushels, the
product of last harvest. Further south, you come to
another “ model farm” of five hundred acres, owned by
Mr. Bergen. In his barn yard I counted over forty
stacks of grain. His house cost him twenty-two thou-
sand dollars; stabling, barns and fencing, ten thou-
sand more, while he estimates the whole at sixty
thousand dollars. He informed me that he laid out
yearly one thousand dollars for manures, and that the
product of his farm returned him ten thousand dollars
annually. Mr Bergen has north of his farm a large
tract of the “wild or plain lands,” and Mr. Udell ac-
companied me in his carriage to a farm in the wild
lands of five hundred acres, about one hundred acres
cleared, the balance in wood. This farm has been ~
cultivated for years. He pointed out one field, which
seven years since he covered with stable manure mix-
ed with bone dust, and each successive year he has
mowed a heavy crop of grass up to this season, when
it yielded two tons to the acre. A corn field on the
same farm looked as good and as luxuriant as any
farmer could desire ; and yet, he observed, “as I have
plenty of land without this to cultivate, I would, or
rather my son, who in fact it belongs to, would be
willing to sell it for eight thousand dollars.” “ What,”
said I, “the whole tract of four hundred acres, with
such evidences before yéu of what it can be made to
produce,” “ why,” said I, “the wood upon it,” which was

The Wild Lands of Long Island. 11

pretty heavy timber, “would absolutely sell for half
of the money.” “I know that” said Mr. Udell, “ but I
would let it go anyhow at that price, rather than be
bothered in attending to it, it is so far removed from
my house.’ It was a section of land of about three
miles long, a public road bounding the east side and
a stream of water bounding the west; the stream had
water power and sites sufficient for mill seats, or man-
ufacturing purposes. I have detailed the above facts
to show the quality of the lands by their productiveness, on
the south side of the Island, and as I have introduced the
reader to the “ wild or wood lands,” I will examine thetr
quality by the same rule, that is, their productiveness, which
will give a fair estimate of their value, susceptibility
for improvement and culture. However, before I be-
gin the contrast, I will state a conceded fact, that the
lands on the north side of the Island are as good if not
better, than the lands on the South or Bay side of the
Island.

Besides Mr. Udell’s farm, already cited, there is in
the neighborhood of Deer Park Station, several farms,
one of which I will allude to, belonging to Mr. Wilson,
right in the “Wild Lands.” It is as beautiful a tract
of land as you could desire to look upon. He has
about one hundred and fifty acres cleared. Indeed, he
has just reclaimed another field of sixty acres, by the
following process: He first cut down the scrub oaks
and under-brush—which, when dry, is burned—then,
with his oxen and plough, he breaks it up; then ga-
thers rootsand fibres, cross-ploughs it, again gathers up
the roots, &c., and finishes it by a third cross plough-
ing, when the soil undergoing this pulverizing opera-
tion, becomes pliable, mellow, and ready for the seed.
His wheat, corn, rye, oats, and vegetables, will com-

12 The Wild Lands of Long Island.

pare with any of the crops raised either north or south
of him.

In the vicinity of Deer Park I had the curiosity of
enquiring as to the product of their Peach Orchards,
and was surprised at the various statements made by
resident farmers in relation to the quantities raised.
Messrs. Hawly, Smith, and Carman have an orchard of
thirty acres, which, up to the time I was there, had
produced one thousand baskets this season, which they
sent by rail road to market, receiving 2,00 net per
basket, clear of all expense of picking, Maar
and commission. They expected to mice another thou-
sand baskets still in the orchard. |

In consequence of the failure of the Peach crop in
New Jersey this year, the Peaches sent from Long isl-
and, no doubt, commanded a better price.

Other Peach orchards, owned by Mr. Henry Elatch-
ly, Mr. John Weeks, Mr. Jesse Conklin, Mr. Oliver
Sands, and others in that vicinity, daily sent by rail-
road to market from two to three hundred baskets, in
cars appropriated entirely for that purpose, shelved
off to hold and transmit the Peaches without damage.

Further east, on the line of the Rail Road, is Lake-
land Station. Considerable improvement has occurred;
the forest trees and scrub oaks—in fact the wild tyne
are opening up too to the enterprises ot those who
will reap a rich reward for their outlay and labor.

The subject of these lands and their successful cul-
ture, was several years since brought before the pub-
lic by Dr. E. F. Peck, who had-or then resided on the
Island, examined the soil carefully in these wilds, and
earnestly urged their settlement and cultivation; and
all the facts which we have seen and stated demon-
strate the truth of the opinions advocated and pub-

The Wild Lands of Long Island. «13

lished by Dr. Peck in'regard to the productive quality
_of these long neglected lands. 7

Mr. Young will show you a cranberry patch of one
fourth of an acre, on which the cranberries lay so
chick that they literally lay on top of each other all
over the patch, and will yield, as is supposed, one
pint to the square foot,

I visited a farm owned by Mr. Spence, whose land
lay a quarter of a mile south of Waverly Station, on
the Rail Road, and stretches in parallel lines three
miles south to within one mile and a half of Patch-
ogue. I think he has about five hundred acres,
(part of a tract of nine hundred and sixty cacres,)
through the middle of which he has opened an avenue
orgroad leading from ‘his house on the sou
within a quarter of a mile of the Rail Road Station—
The above lands and those contiguous, were ceded by
Patent to Mr. Winthrop, comprising an area of ten
miles square for hunting grounds.

Mr. Spence has cleared within the last three years
about twenty acres, and has raised corn at the rate of
seventy-five bushels to the acre; oats fifty bushels to
the acre; rye thirty bushels, and buckwheat twenty
bushels. He has an onion patch, containing one acre,
and it is the greatest curiosity I ever saw. They co-
ver the ground as thick as they can lay, and from
which I doubt not he will gather at least five hundred
bushels. I make this assertion for this reason, one of
his neighbors now has a patch of onions containing
two roods, which last year was planted in onions, and
brought eight bushels. He says his two roods or
patch is as good this year as it was last, and that Mr.
Spence’s acre is better than his planting of this or
last years’ crop; consequently, as there is one hun-

14 The Wild Lands of Long Island.

dred and sixty roods in an acre, by multiplying it by
four, it would give you the quantity or number of
bushels on the acre belonging to Mr. Spence. He has
@ carrot patch, which he expects to get at the rate of
a thousand bushels per acre; also a beet patch, which
will yield as much. We dug up a number of hills of
potatoes, when each hill turned out eight or ten large
beautiful potatoes; and in answer to my question,
“How many bushels do you expect from this acre”
Mr. Spence replied, “about two hundred and fifty
bushels,” which I thought was a fair estimate. Peas,
beans, tomatoes, and melons, grow in any quantity
and luxuriance, and of the best and largest size. I
never saw a finer buckwheat field, which was the first
crop put in the ground after breaking it up, with but
one bag of Guano to the acre.

This Spring he planted a cranberry patch of an acre’
which had not only taken root, and began to spread
and cover the ground, but was producing the berry in
all their perfection, and will partially compensate him
by yielding berries this present season.

The fact is thus demonstrated that the cranberry
will grow and produce on high ground or uplands
without the necessary inundations subject to low
marshy grounds, which was always thought essential
to their luxuriant growth and production. Mr. Spence
says he expects, when his cranberry patch is tully set
and in full bearing, he will be able to gather yearly at
least, if not more than one hundred bushels from
the acre, which, averaging four dollars per bushel
net, will be worth four hundred dollars; and, as it
will not wear out, and requires no further attention af-
ter the first years’ culture, what could be more profit-
able, or return a greater compensation to the Long

The Wild Lands of Long Island. 15

Island Farmer than to put down two or three acres of
cranberries, particularly when their market value is
so high, and they could sell at the same rate thou-
sands of bushels for exportation.

Mr. Spence was clearing some ten acres while I was
with him—the work does not seem to be laborious.
They have something like a hoe, sharp at the edge
like an axe, with which they cut the scrub oaks and
pine and under-growth down, and let it lay until it
dries, then set fire, when a blaze sweeps over the
whole surface, consuming all that is laying upon it;
next he ploughs it up with a team of oxen, which se-
parates the matted roots, leaving only the larger
stumps; he then gathers up the loosened roots, &c.
burns them, and then cross-ploughs it again, burning
the loose matter brought up to the surface; one more
cross-ploughing prepares it for sewing or planting his
crop; all after ploughings is easily pertormed.

He and his overseer estimated the whole cost in
my presence, for breaking up the land, per acre, and
putting it in condition to be seeded down, and on a
liberal computation made it reach ten dollars. [I
think this was an over estimate.

His well is thirty feet deep, the water is as soft and
delicious as any water I ever tasted. The same may
be said of the water all over the Island.

In my examination, and in the facts I have detailed,
it is manifest that the “ wild or wood lands” are just
as susceptible of improvement, and their cultivation
will yield as abundant crops, as any other portion of
the Island; and it is a wonder to me that they have
not long since been bought up and secured, at the
nominal prices they now sell at, by thousands who de-
sire a home, and who, did they now locate on the Isl-

16 The Wild Lands of Long Island.

and, would in five years be independent, or at the end
of that term sell their lands for ten times as much as
they cost them. Long Island will be, ere long, thickly
populated, and realize the opinion of those who long
since believed it would eventually become the garden
spot of New York State.

Lands thus lying contiguous to the markets, afford-
ed by the cities of Brooklyn and New York, and which
actual culture demonstrate, are as productive as any
other territory within the bounding of the State, hav-
ing the advantage of Rail Road communication, both
regular, expeditious. and cheap; and when those lands
are selling from ten to thirty dollars an acre, accord-
ing to location, there is not only an opportunity for
capitalists to invest, but this is the propitious time
for those to buy who can only afford to secure a few
acres, upon easy and accommodating terms, when a
year’s delay may so enhance the value of the “Long
Island Lands” as to effectually debar persons in mode-
rate circumstances, from acquiring a desirable and
comfortable home for themselves and families, on a
territory where the climate is as delightful as the
most healthy in the United States.

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