FARMS. 173 



do well a few years in some instances, though not always, 

 and then submit to the general fate. We have had seedlings 

 which rotted worse than almost any. The early dug crops fared 

 the best, but the intense heat and heavy rains developed the 

 disease of the others to a lamentable extent. And in fields 

 where the rot was not excessive, the crop is small ; probably the 

 average is much under a hundred bushels per acre. 



This fact shows as great falling off in the yield as in the qual- 

 ity. By reference to the proceedings of the Agricultural Society 

 of Massachusetts, from thirty to forty years ago, it appears that 

 premium crops ranged from four hundred to six hundred and 

 fifty bushels per acre, while the average was about two hundred. 

 There has been a gradual tendency to degeneration in the prin- 

 cipal varieties for several years, that has discouraged farmers 

 and led them to apply their means to more productive crops. 

 The uncertainty of the yield deters them from making a large 

 outlay, while the consequent high price of good potatoes prevents 

 tliem from being used as food for stock. 



Within two or three years, the farmers in this county have 

 gone more largely than ever before into raising of horses and 

 cattle. In almost every town we find breeding mares and colts, 

 and calves from stock of the finest quality. High prices have 

 given a new impulse to this business, which promises to be prof- 

 itable on one condition, namely, that only the best breeds are 

 raised. By this we do not mean that the full-blooded foreign 

 breeds should be perpetuated exclusively, but that by their aid, 

 with the best specimens of our native cattle, a breed may be 

 formed that shall be expressly adapted to our climate, soil and 

 feed. 



The farmers hardly did themselves justice at our last fair. 

 Although there were many excellent cows and bulls present, yet 

 tlie exhibition fell far below what the county might, and ought 

 to do. We hope they will do better another year. 



In more than half of the towns in the county, there is not a 

 mowing machine, and there is a common prejudice against its 

 introduction, a fact by no means creditable to the intelligence 

 and enterprise of our people. In this respect, however, it meets 

 tlie usual fate of improvements. The same man who determined 

 not to use the roller, and horse-rake, and corn-sheller, and after- 

 wards used them, now condemns before hand the mowing ma- 



