ESSEX SOCIETY. 35 



beef cattle, the looks of which satisfied the committee that the 

 feed was as mitritious as handsome. Mr. How composts most 

 of his manure, for which he uses, for highland, three parts 

 meadow mud, to one of manure, with leached ashes, gypsum, 

 and sometimes a little salt. For moist land, subsoil is used in- 

 stead of mud. He has experimented, to some extent, with 

 guano, crushed bones, and poudrette. He is of opinion that 

 any of these will benefit the first crop, but will show but little 

 or no eflfect afterwards, while his compost endures for a number 

 of years, with but little apparent failure. In the application of 

 manure, he, like others, finds much difficulty in arriving at cer- 

 tain conclusions, owing in part, to the uncertainty of the sea- 

 sons, whether wet or dry. For a corn, or potato crop, on dry 

 land, he favors the ploughing in of the manure, as the surest 

 manner of obtaining a full crop. But for grass and grain, which 

 usually arrive at maturity before drought pinches with sever- 

 ity, he prefers to have the manure near the surface. In the ap- 

 plication of his compost to grass land, he is of opinion that it 

 should be applied late in the autumn, to avoid the scorching rays 

 of the sun, before it is settled by the rains around the roots of 

 the grass. 



His cultivation is remarkably neat and clean. Scarcely a 

 weed, and not a bush, are to be found in his fields or pastures, 

 neither in the open field, or in ambush under the fences, which 

 are mostly of stone wall. The surface stones had also been re- 

 moved for fences and under drain, of which he has many. 



Mr. How has been in possession of his farm for about twenty 

 years. He is the third generation upon the same spot. His 

 land as a whole, is naturally of good quality, and by his skil- 

 ful management, he has brought it to that state that it will 

 continue to yield full crops with but little labor. In the hay- 

 ing field, we saw two lads at work, which, we were informed, 

 are Mr. How's only children, apparently fifteen and seventeen 

 years of age. From their intelligent look, animated and con- 

 tented appearance, the committee were of opinion that Mr. 

 How's farm might remain, as it now is, a model farm for the 

 next generation. 



DEAN ROBINSON, Chairman. 



