492 



F.— (p. 248.) 



ACCOUNT OF A FARBI, FROM 1811 TO 1836. 



By Benj. Goddard, BrookUne, Mass. 



The insertion of the two following letters requires no apology to the 

 reader. They are full of interest ; and their statements are entitled to 

 implicit confidence. 



Letter I. 



, Feb. 18, 1822. 



Mr. H. Colman, — 



Dear Sir, — I present you with an expose of my farming operations 

 for ten successive years, not because I have any thing extraordinary to 

 show, but because you have requested it. Had I begun solely with a 

 view to profit, I should have managed very differently in some things. 

 My object in choosing this pursuit was, to be retired from the perplexi- 

 ties of a commercial life ; not for money, or the ease of the body, but 

 of the mind ; in these respects 1 have not been disappointed. Consid- 

 ering the little similarity there is in conducting mercantile and agricul- 

 tural affairs, it may be expected that many errors and mistakes relating 

 to the profit of farming will at first accompany the progress of the busi- 

 ness. Notions adverse to profit are very apt to obtrude ; this I know 

 is true in my case. Included in the following calculations is considera- 

 ble labor for making roads and walks, for ornamental trees, &c., and 

 something in expensive fencing ; in fact, all I have expended for these 

 objects : besides, to avoid the necessity of too much personal applica- 

 tion, I have omitted the cultivation of vegetables for the market, having 

 always done as little as possible in that department, consistent with being 

 sure of a supply for family use. The surplus makes up the vegetable 

 column. 



My farm contains, according to a plan, 29 acres and 34 rods, about 4 

 acres of which may be considered as taken up in house and barn-yards, 

 roads, and unimprovable land, leaving for cuUurc and pasture 25 acres ; 

 and 5 acres of salt marsh ; also a wood lot, situated at about three 

 miles distance, which is used for a supply of fuel only ; and which af- 

 fords a sufficient quantity without lessening the quantity of wood ; there 



