FARMS. lis 



Mr. Ephraira B. Thompson continues his annual report in 

 competition for the society's premium of seventy-five dollars, 

 payable in 18G3. The present year, Mr. Thompson's farm 

 shows many signs of improvement, particularly in tlie product 

 of iiay, which is double what it was in former years. 



Th ; committee visited, as usual, the farm of Mr. Orlando S. 

 Shaw, but did not find him at home. For some unexplained 

 reason, his annual statement has not been handed in. 



Charles Burton, Chairman. 



Statement of Ephraim B. Thompson. 



For several years previous to the time of our entry in 1859, 

 the society had oiffered premiums on farms, but there seemed 

 to be a reluctance to engage, and there were no entries made. 

 The society ought not, year after year, to lose the benefit of a 

 report, for after all we receive our best ideas and hints from 

 the experience of practical farmers. Tiiough I am far from 

 thinking my management the most judicious or the best, for 

 now in looking back I can see many omissions, I feel we have 

 much, very much, yet to learn in farming. 



But I must say, we have had the satisfaction of knowing, 

 instead of conjecturing, at the close of the year, how much a 

 ton of hay, a bushel of corn, or turnips, have cost. Also of 

 seeing two blades of grass growing, where there formerly was 

 but one, and land, as it was, not worth any thing, now yielding 

 a he ivy crop of hay of good quality. The old adage certainly 

 is true, " he that carts sand makes land." 



For several years past I have striven to increase my hay crop 

 for home consumption exclusively, believing that to be legiti- 

 mate farming, the sure way to renovate our exhausted and worn 

 out fields. The question is often asked, will it pay to reclaim 

 swamps, to take worthless land and convert it into meadow ? 



The following is an exact account of debt and credit, of a 

 lot containing one hundred and forty-three rods, which on the 

 valuation list formerly was rated unimprovable. In the autumn 

 of 18o'J it was under-drained so as to take off the spring water, 

 and converted into English meadow, at a cost of $80.79 ; I 

 think the items of expense were given in my statement of the 

 year 1859 : 



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