114 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



market, and a sound one, half a dollar — when a gentleman at a 

 select party will pass round a plate of pears, and whisper to a 

 friend, that, though he is almost ashamed of it, yet he really gave 

 five dollars apiece for them., (a well authenticated fact of last 

 winter's occurrence,) then it is worth while to cultivate fruit for 

 the profit of it. The French nation will be able to furnish new 

 names for a considerable time to come, and it will be necessary; 

 for such names as Duchess de Angouleme, tlie Grey Doyenne, 

 and Beure Gris D'Hiver Nouveau, have already become prosaic. 

 This is about one-half, and the self-sealing cans, or other modes 

 of keeping fruit for a year or two, account for the balance, and a 

 good natured public foot the bills. All success to the growers of 

 choice fruit, and mercy on the purse of the consumers when 

 they need it ! 



The second fai-m visited was -Mr. B.'s, of course. His expe- 

 rience in the use of manures will be detailed in another part of 

 this report. Of his style of farming generally, it is impossible 

 to speak in terms too high. My stay at his place, though on a 

 rainy day, would furnish materials for an entire report. I can- 

 not find time, hoAvever, even to allude to all I saw. As this 

 has not generally proved a good year for squashes, it may be 

 well to say that Mr. B.'s crop is worth more than last year's, 

 when he had twelve tons to the acre. He generally ploughs in 

 a dressing of green barn manure, and harrows if on the sod. 

 The hills are eight feet apart each way. Five seeds are planted 

 in each hill, and three are left to grow. The ground is stirred 

 five or six times with a horse hoe or cultivator, and hand-hoed 

 three times. Two or three shovelfuls of night soil and meadow 

 mild, well mixed, arc put in each hill. The holes are made a 

 foot and a half in diameter, and of the same depth. " The 

 worm at the root," says Mr. B., " affects none but a crop too 

 sparingly manured." One other fact in favor of high manuring 

 was learned at Mr. B.'s, viz. : when he took the farm twenty- 

 three years ago, it was overrun with white weed ; bvit good 

 culture and heavy manuring exterminated the whole, the grass 

 became so vigorous as to bind it out and keep it out. Mr. B. has 

 always raised fine crops of winter rye ; twenty-five to thirty-five 

 bushels per acre is a common crop, and the straw is worth about 

 as much as English hay. It grows to the height of six or seven 

 feet, and is mowed close instead of being reaped or cradled. 



