November 16th.Got to Rose Hill in the evening.Next morning walked round the whole of the cleared and cultivated land,with the Rev.Mr.Johnson,who is the best farmer in the country.Edward Dod,one of the governor's household,who conducts everything here in the agricultural line,accompanied us part of the way,and afforded all the information he could.
He estimates the quantity of cleared and cultivated land at 200acres.
Of these fifty-five are in wheat,barley,and a little oats,thirty in maize,and the remainder is either just cleared of wood,or is occupied by buildings,gardens,etc.Four enclosures of twenty acres each,are planned for the reception of cattle,which may arrive in the colony,and two of these are already fenced in.In the centre of them is to be erected a house,for a person who will be fixed upon to take care of the cattle.All these enclosures are supplied with water;and only a part of the trees which grew in them being cut down,gives to them a very park-like and beautiful appearance.
Our survey commenced on the north side of the river.Dod says he expects this year's crop of wheat and barley from the fifty-five acres to yield full 400bushels.Appearances hitherto hardly indicate so much.He says he finds the beginning of May the best time to sow barley,but that it may continue to be sown until August.That sown in May is reaped in December;
that of August in January.He sowed his wheat,part in June and part in July.
He thinks June the best time,and says that he invariably finds that which is deepest sown,grows strongest and best,even as deep as three inches he has put it in,and found it to answer.The wheat sown in June is now turning yellow;that of July is more backward.He has used only the broad-cast husbandry,and sowed two bushels per acre.The plough has never yet been tried here;all the ground is hoed,and (as Dod confesses)very incompetently turned up.Each convict labourer was obliged to hoe sixteen rods a day,so that in some places the earth was but just scratched over.The ground was left open for some months,to receive benefit from the sun and air;
and on that newly cleared the trees were burnt,and the ashes dug in.
I do not find that a succession of crops has yet been attempted;
surely it would help to meliorate and improve the soil.Dod recommends strongly the culture of potatoes,on a large scale,and says that were they planted even as late as January they would answer,but this I doubt.
He is more than ever of opinion that without a large supply of cattle nothing can be done.They have not at this time either horse,cow,or sheep here.
I asked him how the stock they had was coming on.The fowls he said multiplied exceedingly,but the hogs neither thrived or increased in number,for want of food.He pointed out to us his best wheat,which looks tolerable,and may perhaps yield 13or 14bushels per acre.Next came the oats which are in ear,though not more than six inches high:they will not return as much seed as was sown.The barley,except one patch in a corner of a field,little better than the oats.Crossed the river and inspected the south side.
Found the little patch of wheat at the bottom of the crescent very bad.
Proceeded and examined the large field on the ascent to the westward:
here are about twenty-five acres of wheat,which from its appearance we guessed would produce perhaps seven bushels an acre.The next patch to this is in maize,which looks not unpromising;some of the stems are stout,and beginning to throw out large broad leaves,the surest sign of vigour.
The view from the top of the wheat field takes in,except a narrow slip,the whole of the cleared land at Rose Hill.From not having before seen an opening of such extent for the last three years,this struck us as grand and capacious.The beautiful diversity of the ground (gentle hill and dale)
would certainly be reckoned pretty in any country.Continued our walk,and crossed the old field,which is intended to form part of the main street of the projected town.The wheat in this field is rather better,but not much,than in the large field before mentioned.The next field is maize,inferior to what we have seen,but not despicable.An acre of maize,at the bottom of the marine garden,is equal in luxuriancy of promise to any I ever saw in any country.
[The best crop of barley ever produced in New South Wales,was sown by a private individual,in February 1790,and reaped in the following October.]
[As all the trees on our cleared ground were cut down,and not grubbed up,the roots and stumps remain,on which account a tenth part of surface in every acre must be deducted.This is slovenly husbandry;but in a country where immediate subsistence is wanted,it is perhaps necessary.None of these stumps,when I left Port Jackson,showed any symptoms of decay,though some of the trees had been cut down four years.To the different qualities of the wood of Norfolk Island and New South Wales,perhaps the difference of soil may in some measure be traced.That of Norfolk Island is light and porous:it rots and turns into mould in two years.Besides its hardness that of Port Jackson abounds with red corrosive gum,which contributes its share of mischief.]
The main street of the new town is already begun.It is to be a mile long,and of such breadth as will make Pall Mall and Portland Place "hide their diminished heads."It contains at present thirty-two houses completed,of twenty-four feet by twelve each,on a ground floor only,built of wattles plastered with clay,and thatched.Each house is divided into two rooms,in one of which is a fire place and a brick chimney.These houses are designed for men only;and ten is the number of inhabitants allotted to each;
but some of them now contain twelve or fourteen,for want of better accommodation.More are building.In a cross street stand nine houses for unmarried women;and exclusive of all these are several small huts where convict families of good character are allowed to reside.
