106 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



which is devoted to making butter. It will be recollected that 

 the premiums oifered for this article by our society, have many 

 times gone to his dairy. 



A point connected with Mr. Sewall's management of pastures, 

 deserves mention. A field near the barn is set chiefly to red- 

 top, and what is known as Kentucky blue-grass — Poa Pratensis. 

 (The latter is one of several species, to which the term June- 

 grass is applied in this section.) The grass grows very rapidly 

 the fore part of the season, if the weather is moist, and unless 

 the pasture is stocked to its utmost capacity, patches of grass 

 will be left. The cattle will not feed down the grass thus left, 

 unless impelled by severe hunger. Thus whatever grows here 

 during the season is lost. Not only this, but the growth of 

 succeeding seasons is generally rejected by the cattle, on account 

 of its being mixed with the " old fog," which makes it unpalat- 

 able. Mr. Sewall mows these rejected spots of grass, which, 

 well-cured, makes good hay. Tiie after-growth, being fresh 

 and sweet, the cattle keep it smoothly fed down. Tlie hay 

 costs nothing but the cutting and curing, while more feed is 

 obtained than if the hay had not been cut. 



Mr. A. B. Balch, on whom we called for a few minutes, 

 showed us a handsome and productive apple orchard, and a 

 neat and well-kept kitchen garden — the bountiful crops of 

 vegetables attesting the advantages of the clean and perfect 

 culture bestowed. 



A call was also made at the farm of Joseph Bailey, of North 

 Wrentham. It consists of 120 acres. It has for several years 

 been quite noted for the production of apples. The orcharding 

 covers forty acres. One orchard of seven acres produced iu 

 1862, one thousand barrels of merchantable apples. Mr. B. 

 sold the same year, 1,700 bushels of cider apples, delivered at 

 East Med way, for ten cents a bushel, -and made besides, 100 

 barrels of cider. Mr. B.'s cider is of superior quality, and 

 readily sells at a good price. His orchards are kept in fine 

 order — though but little manure is applied to them — and the 

 profits are satisfactory. In one orchard, where the trees are 

 large, sheep are pastured. They keep down the sprouts, keep 

 the ground clear of all wild vegetation, and in Mr. B.'s opinion 

 promote the productiveness of the trees. The ground is high, 

 stony and moist. Some of that on which the oldest trees stand, 



