THE EXAMPLE FARM: 1 285 



ough drainage, every acre of the farm was subsoiled, and gradu- 

 ally the whole was limed, at the rate of one hundred and twenty 

 bushels an acre, and divided into ten-acre lots, without fences. 



Not the least unpractical labor or expense for show has been 

 made. The walls, gates, farm-house, stables and outbuildings, 

 are all of simple, even rude construction. As far as I could 

 judge, every arrangement and every practice upon the farm was 

 such as would commend itself to any farmer, and might be easily 

 followed by any one who could command the capital which a 

 similar extent of soil would seem to need for its profitable culti- 

 vation. Almost every inch of the surface outside the buildings 

 and the lane is tilled, there being no pasture. In the stables we 

 found a stock of mongrel cows, mostly of Hereford and Short- 

 horn blood, bought to be fattened. No stock is raised. Each 

 cow was in a separate loose box. They are fed at this season 

 with clover and trefoil, and supplied with a great profusion of 

 straw litter. The manure is allowed to accumulate under them 

 until it becomes inconvenient. The cows appeared to be in 

 healthy and thriving condition ; they were generally lying down 

 and quietly ruminating with an aspect of entire satisfaction. 

 The horse-stalls were of a form and size most common in our 

 cities; the horses rather lighter than the ordinary English 

 draught-horses. A steam-engine is employed for threshing, cut- 

 ting turnips, etc. All the crops but wheat, are fed upon the 

 farm, and all the straw is used as litter ; of course an immense 

 stock of manure is manufactured, and little or none needs to be 

 bought to sustain a high fertility and large crops of every kind. 



Under this system, Mr. Morton is able to grow wheat every 

 second year ; so that one-half the farm was covered with magnif- 

 icent crops of this grain, likely to yield full forty bushels an acre, 

 which would be worth at least $6,000. The wheat is all drilled, 

 and looked to me particularly clean and even. The alternate 



