1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



.53i 



(atlen hi? Iiogs, beeves and sheep, &c. I say I he 

 manure, if juthcioiisly made, and husbanded, and 

 applied, will more than pay him lor all costs in 

 feeding and iatlening. Fallow the land and then 

 carry out and spread the manure. 



If you receive this hasty effusion, I shall in my 

 next give an account of true nobility, and will 

 show that the reason agriculture has languished 

 in Europe and yet languishes in this republic, is, 

 that in neither country have the great ones set the 

 example. We all know what influence examples 

 in high places have. The patriarchs were the 

 only true nobles on earth. As to the nobility of 

 Europe, its origin is but of yesterday, say six or 

 seven hundred years ago. I intend to show that 

 in former days the truly great ones of the world 

 were not ashamed of husbandry. Cato the cen- 

 sor, David, Saul, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. He- 

 siod flourished about 876 years before Christ, and 

 and was the first poet who celebrated agriculture 

 in verse. In our times there are many who would 

 be ashamed to be found engaged in agricultural 

 pursuits. Not so in former daj's with the truly 

 great. The nobility of England within a lew 

 hundred years have done much for the cause of 

 agriculture, and it is in a great degree owing to 

 the efforts of the great landholders of that realm, 

 that England is at this day the iiiirest and most 

 fruitful land under the sun. W. X. Z. 



VISIT TO THE FARM OF EtlAS PHINNEY, ESQ., 

 LEXINGTON, MASS. 



From the New England Farmer. 



We have in the farm of this gentleman substan- 

 tial proof of the efficacy of "book farming." He 

 assured usj that his interest in agriculture was 

 first awakened by reading the N. E. Farmer. 

 Having received a classical education, he has, to 

 be sure, the advantage of our farmers in general, 

 for whom so little has been done by education, — 

 we were prepared, therefore, in viewing his premi- 

 ses, to witness something a little extra, from what 

 may be seen on well cultivated farms in genera! : 

 but we found that our expectations had not been 

 raised sufficiently high: we were in fact delighted 

 and astoiiislied to be made acquaintnd with the 

 wonderful improvements which have been elliecled 

 on this place since he began to cultivate it four- 

 teen or filteen years since. It was then a poor 

 worn out farm, covered with rocks, whortleberry 

 bushes, and scrub oaks; while the lowlands were 

 inaccessible quagmires and alder swamps, of the 

 most unpromising description — the whole farm, 

 consisting of 160 acres, not affording more than 8 

 or 10 tons of hay, and all other crops in the same 

 proportion ; the fences out of repair, the fruit of 

 an inferior qnaiity, fit only for cider; and every 

 thing upon the place at sixes and sevens, as the 

 saying is. It does not seem hardly possible that 

 so much could have been achieved in ?o short a 

 time. It shows what can be done by untiring dil- 

 igence directed by science. Ic is a complete tri- 

 umph of "book farming'' over the old course of 

 husbandry, handed down from father to son. Mr. 

 Phinney has had the boldness to strike out of the 

 old path, and in some iiisianccs pursue a course of 

 his own invention, lli^j iaiprovenients may be 

 Jivided as follows: 



1st. In planting upon the green eward without 

 disturbing the sod. 



2d. In clearing and draining his waste swamps 

 and quagmires, and converting them into the most 

 productive grass and cornfields. 



3d. In clearing his uplands of locke, and laying 

 them into walls of the most durable and massive 

 description — subduing the bushes in the unproduc- 

 tive pastures, and bringing them into fertile fields. 



4th. In his orchard of apple trees, which for 

 beauty, thrift, and produce can hardly be excelled. 



5th. In his choice collection of fruits of every 

 desirable variety. 



6th. In his improved breed of swine. 



7ih. His barns and accommodations for cattle, 

 swine, poultry, &c. 



To which may be added many other improve- 

 ments of minor importance, hut which add to 

 the interest, beauty, and profit of the place. 



The idea of planting upon the green sward 

 withiut disturbing the sod, has been ridiculed by 

 a writer in the N. E. Farmer, vol. 17, page 317 — 

 as being impracticable especially in the potato crop. 

 We saw an example of this operation, and one 

 too of a most perfect kind, which we should sup- 

 pose sufficient to convince the most sceptical. 

 ft was in a lot of three acres of potatoes. On the 

 20th of June there was a heavy crop of grass upon 

 the ground, in addition to which twenty loads of 

 compost to the acre was spread on, and at that 

 time turned over; after ploughing, it was rolled with 

 a heavy roller, (an implement by the way which 

 should be in the possession of every one who calls 

 himself a farmer.) The potatoes were planted 

 in drills — had been hoed but once; yet hardly a 

 weed was to be seen, nor a spear of grass daring 

 to show itself, and sufficient earth, about the plants, 

 with every prospect of an abundant harvest. la 

 the spring this ground will be in fine order to lay 

 down again to grass, and that too without distur- 

 bing the sod; or if advisable, planted with corn or 

 any other crop. 



Allowing the vegetable matter turned in equal 

 to 20 loads of compost per acre, we have with 

 that spread what is equivalent to 40 loads per acre. 

 No wonder then that by following this process con- 

 tinually, he should be able to cut liom 2J to 3| tons 

 of hay per acre, which he actually does from his 

 grasslands. He has another idea which we think 

 injportant for a good croji of grass; that is, to sow 

 an abundance ofseed. His rule is 20 lbs. o!'clover 

 seed per acre, together with a liberal allowance of 

 herds grass and red top to boot. This would as- 

 tonish most of our fiirmers, who can afford only 

 from 4 to 10 lbs. per acre. 



We saw a field of six acres of corn, from which 

 a crop of 80 bushels to the acre is estimated, and 

 provided we have warm weather sufficient to ri- 

 pen any corn, we should judge the estimate not too 

 high; the cold weather a few days past, is however 

 against the corn crop. The variety of corn planted 

 is called the Phinney — a fine long cared, twelve 

 rowed variety, and earlier than the Dutton corn, to 

 which ii has sonic resemblance. 



In another lot on his peat meadow, we saw a 

 smaller field, on which the corn was more luxuri- 

 ant and promising than on the one just named, 

 and if that produces 80 bushels, we should not be 

 surprised if this produced 100 bushels to the acre. 

 Think of this, you thai own unreclaimed peat mea- 

 dows, and arc longing for the fertile prairies of the 



