1889.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 191 



have come under my own limited observation have been fairly 

 successful, and furnish a perfect protection from drought. 

 Of course, few, comparatively, of our farms have the water 

 requisite for the purpose, but where it does exist irrigation 

 is as practicable and as little ruinous as hoeing corn or dig- 

 ging potatoes. In the Eastern world its success is as old at 

 least as history, and doubtless older. 



Hay Eaisixg as a Specialty. 



The high price and poor quality of hired labor, unaccom- 

 panied by a corresponding price of farm products, has raised 

 the inquiry, Can hay farming be prosecuted as a specialty 

 with profit? It may be said in reply, that it is not easy in 

 New England to so organize the labor on a farm as to confine 

 it to one crop. Still, it may be done, and a farmer possessed 

 of good grass lands, and so situated that he can buy manure 

 at reasonable rates, may find the business a satisfactory one. 



I have personally found that about five cords of the best 

 stable manure per acre, applied every five years to good grass 

 land, broken up and seeded that often, will secure an aver- 

 age yield of about two tons a year, or ten tons for that 

 period. 



I think that the outlay and returns will not greatly vary 

 from those of the following statement ; — 



Outlay. 



Breaking up one acre of sod ground, eight and a half inches 

 deep, with sulky plough, one man at $1.50 per day, and three 

 twelve-hundred-pound horses at $4.50 per day, two-thirds of 

 a day each, 



Harrowing twice, one man and two horses, three hours, . 



Five cords of manure, delivered on land, at $7.00 per cord. 



Spreading same ; one man, two horses and manure-spreader 

 one day, 



Ploughing in same ; one man and two horses half a day, . 



Harrowing ; one man and two horses three hours, 



Twelve quarts of grass seed, ...... 



Sowing ; one man, one horse and seed-sower one hour, 



Rolling ; one man, two horses and roller, one hour, . 



Use of farm implements, say, 



Cost of harvesting two tons of hay each year, for five years, at 

 fS.OOperton, 



Total cost of hay, exclusive of rent of land and taxes, 



$81 70 



