BARNSTABLE SOCIETY. 349 



Frederick W. Crocker^s Statement. 



My farm consists, as far as I can well judge, having never 

 measured it, of between twenty and thirty acres of cleared 

 land. My barn is thirty feet square, having been built long 

 before it came into my possession. It is is situated in such a po- 

 sition, that there cannot, much to my regret, be a suitable cel- 

 lar built beneath it. I usually keep one horse, sometimes two, 

 and two or three cows, and occasionally rear a favorite heifer. 

 I have usually one or two hogs. The manure that I have made 

 and applied mainly to the land that I offer for premium, was 

 composted of peat, sea drift, and stable offal, mixed nearly in 

 equal proportions. From the barn yard and hogpen I carted 

 out last spring, about two hundred horse cart loads, of which, 

 much the larger portion was spread upon land hitherto compar- 

 atively waste land, which is now presented to the considera- 

 tion of the society. From the residue of the land nothing more 

 has been taken than the usual average crop of hay, reserving 

 sufficient pasturage for my cattle. My land does not all lie in 

 one body, being separated by roads and the territory of other 

 persons, which will perhaps show why this particular portion 

 of it should have been so long in an unimproved state. 



The land more particularly offered for competition, contains 

 about fifteen acres, about one and a half acres of which had 

 been improved and partly planted with fruit trees ; the remain- 

 der was a poor, cold common, covered with moss and bushes, 

 and full of large rocks. The system adopted to improve this, 

 has been to clear off all the rocks, to the depth of about sixteen 

 inches, then manure on the sod, plough about eight inches 

 deep, and plant with corn. Second year to manure again, and 

 sow with turnips, beets, &c. ; and the third year to sow down 

 to clover and grass, with oats and rye. By this system of ma- 

 nuring and cleaning, for two years in succession, I consider 

 that I get the land in good heart and free from weeds and bri- 

 ers. The manure used has been principally a compost of one- 

 third part peat, one-third sea drift, and one-third from the sta- 

 ble and cow-house. The rocks as broken up, are drawn to a 

 place preparatory to building a boundary fence. My object has 



