384 [Senate 



The productions of the farm are as follows, some of them estimated 

 by thrashing and others from appearance: 24 acres of wheat, esti- 

 mated at 350 bushels, being nearly 15 bushels per acre; 16 acres ;of 

 rye, estimated at 200 bushels, being 12^ bushels per acre; 38 acres 

 of oats and barley, estimated at 1600 bushels, being about 40 bush- 

 els per acre; 8 acres of flax, the seed 10 bushels per acre; 10 acres 

 of corn, estimated at 300 bushels, being 30 bushels per acre; 20 

 acres of buckwheat, estimated at 500 bushels, being 25 bushels per 

 acre; 6 acres of potatoes, estimated at 800 bushels, being about 133 

 bushels per acre; of hay, 25 tons, Mr. Fish says he sells no straw 

 from his farm, but uses all for fodder and manure. He plows from 

 four to five inches deep, and says he has drawn large quantities of 

 muck from his swamps on to his dry land, which has proved very 

 beneficial. No statement made of the stock kept on the farm. Cost 

 of cultivation, about $300. 



Your committee, after leaving the farm of Mr. Fish, passed up the 

 valley of the Hoosick river about eight miles, through a good farm- 

 ing country, and called at the residence of Gen. John J. Viele, who 

 submitted to our inspection his home farm, lying in the town of 

 Hoosick, on the south side of the Hoosick river, containing about 

 300 acres, 240 of which being under cultivation, the soil being a deep 

 sandy loam table land, with a portion of bottom land along the 

 Hoosick river. Mr. Viele called our attention to the general ap 

 pearance of his farm and crops, which was farmer-like and w-ell or- 

 dered. His crops on the ground, with the exception of corn and 

 grass, were superior, which Mr. Viele attributed to his deep plow- 

 ing, and mixing in part of the subsoil about once in four years, 

 thereby increasing its fertility, and enabling the soil, by its depth 

 ftnd strength, to resist the attacks of insects and drouth, those com- 

 mon enemies to successful husbandry. The unfavorable appearance 

 of his corn was caused by the backwardness of the season, and the 

 ravages of the weevil and grub-worm, to prevent which is a matter 

 of some difficulty. The best mode, in the experience of your com- 

 mittee, is to manure highly, and plant stubble land. The habit of 

 feeding meadows in the fall and spring with sheep, as stated by Mr, 

 Viele, was probably the cause of their light and backward appear- 

 ance, and deemed by your committee as of doubtful utility. Our 

 attention was called to Mr. Viele's clip of w^ool, which was very su- 

 perior, and which constitutes one of the staple products of the above 

 town. Mr. Viele has made substantial improvements in stone walls, 

 stump fences, and underdraining. This farm, as a whole, makes a 

 very good and practical farmer-like appearance, and its proprietor 

 has exhibited a degree of taste highly commendable, in transplant- 

 ing fruit and forest trees about his dwelling, and along the road 

 side. No statement of the productions of this farm has been re- 

 ceived by your committee. 



Your committee next called on Mr. John Evans, In the town of 

 Brunswick, about two miles east of the village of Lansingburgh, who 

 submitted his farm to our view, containing about 120 acres, (100 

 under cultivation,) of rolling land, the soil of gravelly loam, mixed 



