96 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



For ten years, at least, previous to Mr. Johnson's owning the 

 farm, as is well known to the chairman of your committee, the 

 land on the easterly side of the road, being all then in grass, 

 had the following treatment: During that time the owners 

 gave it two or three bountiful top-dressings of guano and 

 plaster, (without the application of any other manure,) which 

 produced very large crops of grass. The grass was sold every 

 year, and carried off the premises. Many who thonght the 

 guano and plaster only a stimulant, prophesied tliat such treat- 

 ment would eventually exhaust the land, and it would become 

 worthless ; but the fact, under Mr. Johnson's treatment, by 

 ploughing and cultivating, has proved the reverse, and that the 

 land was not impoverished. You have the statement of Mr. 

 Johnson ; one fact, however, we think should be stated some- 

 where — that he has no help except what he hires, so tliat the 

 present season he could not have had many leisure hours. 



Thomas Billings, Chairman. 



Statement of Martin, Johnson. 



The farm of thirty-eight acres that I entered for premium, I 

 bought in the fall of 1856, without buildings or fence on it, as 

 part of your committee know. Since then I have put up the 

 buildings. The next season I think I cut about six tons of 

 hay, built two hundred fifty rods of wall, and dug one hundred 

 thirty rods of under-drain, ploughed and re-seeded all of the 

 land that had previously been cultivated, and set about three 

 hundred fruit trees, consisting of pear, apple and peach, in 

 about equal proportion, and set about thirty-five grape-vines. 

 The present season I have kept on the farm one horse, one pair 

 of oxen, four cows, also one one-year-old colt and tiirce young 

 cattle which were summered off the farm. 



I make the expenses of the farm as follows : — 



Paid for labor, 



for ashes, ...... 



for super-phosphate, .... 



for taxes, ...... 



for interest of farm, .... 



$3i2 52 



