FARMING IN NEW ENGLAND. 263 
aeres are sown with oats. Average yield of each, fifty to sixty bushels; afterthe corn 
is harvested the land is plowed and sown with grass-seeds. The oat-ground isaanured, 
plowed and sown with grass-seeds. Several acres are also planted with potatoes, 
beans, root crops, &c. 
There are kept upon the farm four large oxen, six cows, two horses, and twenty or 
more cattle of various ages; most of the corn and oats are fed to the farm stock. 
Materials are carted into the barn-yard and cellars for composting with green manure. 
Mr. Walker also uses the hair, lime, fleshings, &c., from a large tannery near his fare. 
These materials are composted with large quantities of mnek, and make valuable 
mauure for his corn crops. He also purchases $200 worth of stable and some commer- 
cial manures. By these means, he is annually increasing the fertility of his lands, 
notwithstanding the large quantities of bay sold. . 
He keeps six cows, the milk-of which is sold at the house, put up in cans, The ave- 
rage sales of milk amount to $75 per month. The twelve acres of land seeded down 
in the fall yield a fair crop in August, similar in quality to second-crop bay. ‘This is 
found to be a prime feed for the cows during the winter, producing a large Gow of milk, 
Mr. Walker keeps an exact account of the expenses of the farm and of its income, 
whieh at the end of every mouth is carried from the day-book to the ledger, and in 
this way he is able, at the close of each year, to ascertain the profit and toss of bis 
farming operations. The profits over the entire cost of carrying on the farm are quite 
satisfactory. 
It may be said that the farms I have described are made up of the alluvial soils 
bordering the Merrimack River, free from rocks, and easily worked, when contrasted 
with the soils of the hill-farms; but thousands upon thousands of the farmers upon 
our hill-farms anuually find there is “money in their business.” 
Had a judicious course of cultivation been pursued on a large portion of the now 
abandoned farm, they would have been to-day paying investments. 
The selling of hay and grain from the farms, close feeding of the mowing fields every 
autumn, and reckless waste of the manurial resources of the farms, together with the 
‘natural restlessuess and love of change that seem to belong especially to Americans, 
are, I believe, the principal canses of the decrease in the rural population in so many 
of the farming districts of New England. 
Mr. S. Kilbreth, of Manchester, Maine, who was awarded the first 
premium for wheat by the Kennebee Agricultural Society, makes the 
following statement concerning it, which shows that wheat can be pro- 
duced at a profit under good culture: o 
The land on which my wheat grew was a deep, gravelly loam, planted the previous 
year, part to corn and part to potatoes. Upon the part planted to potatoes, after har- 
vesting, I spread six cart-loads of barn manure. Upon the part planted to corn, I pat 
one shovelfal of compost manure in each hill of corn; plowed and pulverized the ground 
in the fall; plowed again in the spring, and harrowed before sowing. Sowed the 5th of 
May two bushels of Java wheat, harrowed once, and spread upon the piece one hundred 
bushels of leached ashes; then harrowed again and rolled it. Harvested about the 
10th of August; threshed the first week in September 224 bushels of wheat. 
Dr. ; 
SCO OG WIRNUEO ods es acer Jacece cles etka lee Bete ies a iiasha eae Riese ay $12 00 
Wor bunimGr cached agiteer 020 kes eon eed blo dee eee ace i5 00 
Plowing. land 52. 223 25 2.. Deo ais den 2 waa dlelns Ae de pesos Ce een 4 00 
TEE VNC emer e an Ae a Ne oy caret, See SOP ee Sg. 4 00 
SE ee See iy Me 8 Sane St Pe Pete ce bet eer ce tiicor 2 00 
Biaeverting ......--:-..... a7 oe Sa UL lein.c c= 2 aes aoe ghee Saeed 3 4 00 
NITE 2) 5 Oe eae os x va nln ce wap n.g os os cena as eee 4 00 
Applying ashes, &c...........-.-- BONG 5 8 1 glo. oh si SS ean he nae 5 00 
es ke ee a Be Ne se OP ae 
Cr. 
224 bushels wheat, at $2 50 per bushel......-. a a TS oS Ie pies $56 25 
Ti toniot straw -2..-.2...--- Lt eee Ze | a ee YS ar 8 00 
Dianure and debies left.on hand _... .60..0 seve nasa sdngyneaee sense = ati gabe 10 60 
\ AROS S-)r ae cb dad Biden ns dav bl Mo pee eee Weis ania wee Nueieeene 
é h! fm me 
CH alia Se ee « ib alate eee Te eo ke i 
LS Oe 7) ER, EC CLIN 0: eM RR AB 
Pre Goo eee cea cal wo aR RRO od Se IRs 2 wi bi ttle gle 
