66 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



tion, we think, is a fair one that it has been cultivated, and 

 cropped, too, to the apparent extent of its capabilities for all of 

 one hundred and thirty years, and yet is now far in advance of 

 itself at any former period. What a comment on those who, 

 after a few years of trial, sell out and " go West," or somewhere 

 to find unexhausted land ! 



But the committee feel that it would be invidious to draw 

 comparisons between the present and former years. Dr. 

 Loring has been in possession for five years. In that time, as 

 respects the single article of English hay, it can be said with 

 truth, that upon the land where the grand experiment of 

 under-draining has been made, the fifteen hundred pounds of 

 hay to the acre has become twelve thousand. It is not 

 pretended that all the crops have advanced in this proportion : 

 but as a whole the state of the farm is greatly improved. 



The owner is also the dweller upon the soil ; and although 

 much of the management is no doubt left to Mr. Ham, the 

 superintendent, yet the owner is familiar with all the details, 

 and may be said to direct almost all. Dr. Loring's extreme 

 and minute acquaintance with each animal of his extensive 

 stock, struck the committee with both delight and surprise. 



A full statement relating to the buildings and fences will 

 follow this report. We do not feel that we do justice to this 

 farm, nor that it is possible to do it after enjoying only two 

 visits to its hundreds of acres. It this moment occurs to us 

 that there is a fine field, of seven acres, by the side of the road 

 from the farm into the city proper, which was ploughed after 

 the hay crop was taken off, and which has since been manured 

 and laid dov/n again, with the new grass well under way for 

 the next year. 



But enough, we think, has been said to prove our point, 

 viz. : That soils may be improved ad libitum — by which is 

 meant, like the Pickman Farm thoy may become ligneous and 

 no longer herbaceous merely — that is, they may be growing 

 upon old growths, and not, as is too often the case, be merely 

 living- every spring, to be followed with dying- every ivinter. 

 It may be true that in some departments a chaiige of policy 

 in farming has been pursued ; as for example, less attention 

 may h«,vc been paid to fruit and more to hay ; less to 

 one kind of root and more to another ; but, as before 



