198 



many of the districts; but of this hkewise no small part is sold 

 in the towns, at taverns, to stage and wagon establishments, and 

 not consumed upon the farms. In the immediate vicinity of 

 the capital, the cultivation would rather come under the desig- 

 nation of garden culture than of field culture. In some parts 

 of the county, this cultivation is carried to a high degree of im- 

 provement. A considerable portion of the rural population 

 are themselves marketers, sending directly to Boston or other 

 principal markets daily or weekly ; and through every part of 

 the county market-wagons pass at regular times, taking the 

 produce of the farmers in butter, eggs, poultry, veal, &c. and 

 selling it upon commission. 



In addition to this, a large number of farms are devoted to the 

 production of milk, which is sent to Boston daily, in some cases 

 a distance of twelve or fourteen miles ; and the small farmer, 

 the keeper of four or six cows, disposes of his milk to the large 

 dealer, who receives it on his route or to whom it is sent in or- 

 der to be taken to market. It is difficult to form an estimate of 

 the amount exported, or the cash received in this way and from 

 these innumerable and various sources of income ; but it must 

 be very large. Sales of fifteen hundred dollars' worth of tur- 

 nips from a single farm in one year ; from another, of more than 

 twelve hundred dollars' worth of winter apples ; from another, 

 three hundred dollars' worth of peaches ; and another, of near- 

 ly eight hundred dollars' worth of strawberries, and early pota- 

 toes to the amount of six hundred dollars from two acres, have 

 been reported to me under circumstances which do not allow me 

 to doubt the truth of these statements. 



VI. Crops and Products. — The crops cultivated in the 

 county are to a certain extent the same as in other parts of the 

 State : Indian corn, rye, oats, barley, wheat, potatoes, carrots, ru- 

 ta-baga, mangel-wurtzel, and common turnips. Every variety of 

 culinary vegetables which the climate allows is produced in all 

 parts of the county. Grass is raised to a great amount for mar- 

 ket ; and hops, heretofore much more than at present, have been 

 cultivated for exportation. With the exception of hops, apple?, 



