110 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Statement of Walter H. Fisher. 



Ill giving you a description of my farm, I cannot, as is often 

 the case in the advertisements of farms, represent it as being 

 " divided into mowing, tillage, pasturing, and woodland ; " but 

 I can truthfully say, that it has all been mowed by me, wood- 

 land excepted. It has never been my purpose to beautify one 

 part of my farm to the entire neglect of all the rest. But,- it 

 has been, and always will be my aim, to make it all produce 

 something beside bushes, weeds, and briars. There should be 

 no unsightly, unproductive acres, and need be none where all 

 are properly cared for. I cannot afford to raise weeds in my 

 cultivated fields, or a border of bushes beside my fences. I 

 think the farmer's home should present some attractions to him- 

 self and to the traveller. 



I will now give you an account of my labors and crops 

 during the past year. On account of the scarcity and high 

 price of labor, I did not deem it prudent to attempt more than 



1 could accomplish with the aid of my son, a lad fifteen years 

 old ; consequently my cultivation of crops this year has been 

 limited. 



My farm at this time is occupied as follows : — Of Indian corn, 



2 acres ; potatoes, 1'^ acres ; barley 2 acres ; English mowing, 

 10 acres ; swamp and swale, 2\ acres ; pasturing, 12 acres. 

 The pasture which I have been reclaiming for the past two years, 

 has been mowed this year — some of it twice. The balance of 

 my farm is woodland. 



The productions of my farm for the past season, stand as 

 follows : — English hay, 22 tons, as near as I can estimate ; 4 

 tons of the best swamp hay ; 1\ tons of barley straw, and one 

 ton of rye straw, also the fodder of two acres of corn. Of 

 grain, 22 bushels of rye, 27 bushels barley. Of fruits, I gen- 

 erally have enough for my own use. In a few years shall prob- 

 ably have some for the market, as I intend to give more of my 

 attention to that class of farm products. 



My present stock consists of one yoke of oxen, one horse, 

 four cows and one heifer, and I shall keep more when I get 

 ready to occupy my reclaimed pastures. Since the middle of 

 February I have fatted and sold two yoke of heavy cattle. Of 

 swine, I have five. 



