FARMS. 167 



to lop their wanton growth." He raises potatoes for the early- 

 market, and cabbages, carrots, beets, the best for the market, 

 the poorer qualities for his cows, about a dozen in number, that 

 are ke t for the sale of their milk. He has adopted the practice 

 of soiling them. In the warm weather he lets them run a few 

 hours in the pasture, then puts them in his barn and feeds them 

 with green fodder, such as early-cut rye, fodder corn, refuse 

 cabbages and leaves, beet- tops, &c, as they come to growth. 

 We noticed two acres of winter rye, sown for next spring's feed, 

 two acres of fodder corn, two acres of cabbages, the best for 

 market, the smaller heads and leaves for forage. By this method 

 of feeding, he makes large quantities of manure to fertilize his 

 fields, which he has cleared of stones at a considerable outlay. 

 He cultivates the strawberry and other small fruits, cuts about 

 thirty tons of hay yearly, raises his own wheat for flour and 

 often has many bushels for sale. 



Your committee called upon each of the competitors to make 

 a written statement of their farming operations somewhat in 

 detail. They have responded by submitting their statements to 

 us. Their statements do not show us exactly a cash balance 

 for their operations,which is a desideratum in farming accounts. 

 For example, Mr. Derby shows the number of tons of hay he 

 cuts, but the hay is consumed to make milk and butter. 



Cykus Kilburn, for the Committee. 



Statement of Alden Derby. 



My farm contains 107 acres. About 30 acres are in shape to 

 cultivate ; 20 acres pretty good pasture ; 30 acres poor, run-out 

 pasture producing but little feed, and 27 acres swamp, good for 

 nothing at present for farm purposes. When I commenced 

 here six years ago, I adopted " mixed " farming, with stock 

 and dairy taking lead. I was convinced that we could not 

 depend upon our old pastures, which had been cropped year 

 after year by milch cows, without having anything returned 

 to them, for a profitable supply of summer fodder for our 

 stock. Two systems presented themselves for consideration : 

 one, to plough, seed, mow two or three years, then pasture, 

 then plough again and go on as before. This would require 

 the farm to le fenced off into fields. The other was soiling, 

 by which I could save manure and dispense with cross fences. 



