222 [Senate 



tion, cannot doubt that the estimate for iht farm^ and personal pro- 

 perty, is as high as it should be. 



DAIRY FARM. 



Statement of Alonzo L. Fish, of Herkimer county, in relation to 

 the general manegement of his dairy farm, which received the first 

 premium of the State Society. 



A report of the management of A. L. Fish's dairy farm, in 1844, 

 and result of three years operation. 



My farm contains one hundred acres of cleared land, which lies in 

 Litchfield, Herkimer county, on the upland, eight miles south of the 

 Mohawk, where it is subject to deep snows, bleak winds, large drifts, 

 and cold long winters, which not unfrequently protract foddering sea- 

 son for cows to seven months and a half. 



The soil is a yellow loam, mixed with clay and gravel ; and so 

 much inclined to pack as to make rather hard tilling. When a piece 

 of ground is to be seeded to grass, it is plowed in fall so that frost 

 may pulverize it. Manure is drawn on when convenient, in winter 

 or spring, on snow, that the soil may not be packed by travel of team, 

 and left in heaps to prevent its drying and evaporating till plowing 

 commences. It is then spread, and thoroughly mixed with the soil, 

 by plowing and dragging, as early in the spring as the season will 

 admit, so that the grass may get a deep root while the soil is light, 

 and grain and weeds get so large as to shade and keep it back. Spring 

 wheat or rye are sown to seed with it as they can be sown early, and 

 shade less than other grain. Eight quarts of timothy and two of clo- 

 ver, are mixed and sown per acre. Strict care is taken that the young 

 grass is not grazed the first season, as it would pack the soil and pull 

 up many of the young roots. 



It is a principle of Nature, fixed in the vegetable kingdom, that the 

 root of a plant will not grow and flourish without the aid of atmos- 

 pheric air, and leaves or top above ground to discharge their regular 

 functions. 



Hence my cows are not allowed to graze on my meadows, spring 

 nor fall, to strip the roots of their natural clothing and pack the soil, 

 to exclude the necessary circulation of air. Canada thistles, dock, 

 and all foul weeds are cut below the surface, so that there is no top to 

 aid the root to get out of its crippled condition ; the operation is re- 

 peated a few times, if necessary, and they are dead. 



Cows are kept from grazing pastures in spring for the same reason, 

 and the first growth of the top is preserved to strengthen and invigo- 

 rate the roots to get a firm, deep hold in the soil, while Nature is 

 making her main effort. One bushel of plaster is sown per acre, as 

 soon as the main bulk of snow is gone in April. 



When the ground is settled and grass grown so that cows can get 

 their fill without too much toil, they are allow'ed to graze an hour only 

 the first day ; the second day a little longer, and so on till they get 



