No. 112.] 207 



State Lunatic Asylum, 

 Utica Feb. 7th 1853. 

 B. P. Johnson, Esq'r, 



Sec. of State Agricultural Society : 

 Dear Sir.— The farm belouging to this institution is as you may 

 be aware, situated on high ground iDclining to the north -, the soil 

 near the buildings is sandy loam, underlaid by quick sand ; the 

 buildings stand on piles. Immediately in the rear of the 

 buildings the land is nearly level, the quick sand near the sur- 

 face, in a part of which water springs up ; and from the whole 

 of which the surface water disappeared slowly ; standing in pools 

 at wliich the cattle found drink in the summer when the streams 

 were dry. and making a large portion of the plot of about fifteen 

 acres too wet for plow or meadow land. 



In the fall of 1851 we laid in these 15 acres ( 855 ) eight hun- 

 dred fifty-five rods of tile drain. The drains were dug three feet 

 deep at the head falling: to their termination in an open water 

 course, six inches wide at the bottom, in which is laid a board, 

 on the board the horse shoe ( ^ ) tile 3 inches in diameter, the 

 joinings cased with sod ; over these, pine shavings, and filled up 

 with earth. The tile cost us here $21 per thousand, the cost of 

 laying 62 cents per rod, equal to about 92 cents per rod. These 

 drains discharged copipusly during the past dry summer, keeping 

 the water plot entirely dry. The land which was before almost 

 usehss, was plowed to the depth of twenty inches with a sub- 

 siol plow; laid out and cultivated fur garden purposes, from 

 wliich we ol)tained crops. It being inconvenient to obtain manure 

 last S])ring none was used. 



Cress or pe])per grass, CO bunches, 



Paisley, 100 



Lettuce, 1,155 



Summer squasl?, 997 dozen, 



Winter do 175 



Melons, 320 



Cabbages, 8,172 



Celery, 3,500 



String Beans, 185 bushels. 



Green Beets, ^3 " 



