4 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



generations of the same family. And it now offers to any one, 

 desiring to see and understand the most profitable management 

 of a farm, convincing proof of what can be accomplished by 

 intelligent, thorough and systematic husbandry. 



Mr. "Weld is exceedingly fortunate in having the services of 

 Mr. Mcserve, as overseer and director of the work upon this 

 farm. In the ability, good judgment and fidelity of that gentle- 

 man, all confidence may be placed ; and many farmers, who are 

 not able to avail themselves of the services of so competent and 

 reliable an assistant, may derive much instruction and benefit 

 from a personal observation of his method of conducting the 

 various operations on the farm of his employer. 



In conclusion, the Committee beg leave to suggest the utility 

 of distributing, at the annual meeting of the society, a brief 

 series of inquires, — embracing important points in agriculture, — 

 to which full and definite replies may be returned to the chair- 

 man, from each town in the county, before the preparation of 

 the next annual report. In this way much valuable information 

 may be obtained and diffused for the benefit of the whole society. 

 Respectfully submitted, for the Committee, 



Charles C. Sewall. 



NANTUCKET. 



Statement of James Thompson. 



The farm that I enter for premium contains about twenty-six 

 acres ; a large portion is what is called peat meadow, which is 

 •generally the best of mowing land, bearing a crop of excellent 

 grass, nearly three tons to the acre if fairly manured ; about 

 two acres are very poor sandy knolls ; thebalance is sandy and 

 clay loam and hard clay bottom, and all of the best tillage land, 

 if well manured and cultivated with crops of any sort that the 

 farmer desires to raise. 



When I bought the farm I found it somewhat neglected ; 

 rushes had come in, and the cattle had poached it in some por- 

 tions very much ; it had been pastured by sheep and cattle for 

 two years previous, and not much manure put on. I lightly 

 manured about two acres of the best grass meadow, from which, 

 and the balance of grass land, about eight acres in all, we cut 

 about sixteen tons of best English hay, although the season was 

 very dry. Three and one-quarter acres were cultivated ; the 



