533 



FARMERS' R E G i S T E R . 



[?Jo. 9 



west; before you sacrifice your farms and bid 

 adieu tothciiiGlitutioncand Ii'ills of New England, 

 make an effort and bring them into subjection: it 

 will prove an antidote to liic western fever, or we 

 are much mistaken. 



We noticed a fine field of wheat of S acre?, 

 which the laborers were gathering into the grana- 

 ry. It appeared well filled out: the produce esti- 

 mated at 20 bushels per acre: it was of the varie- 

 ty called the RIack Sea, which we find succeeds 

 best in the vicinity of JJoston and most generally 

 cultivated. We were inibrrned that about 30 acres 

 were under the plough tlie present season. Be- 

 sides Indian corn, potatoes and English grain, 

 Mr. Phinney cultivates the root crop extensively. 

 His ruta bagas, mangel wurtzels, sugar beets and 

 carrots looked very promising, and will afford an 

 abundance of food for his numerous family of 

 swine, and other stock. 



In draining his low lands, Mr Phirmey first cuts 

 off all springs from the surrounding hill by a deep 

 cut at the margin or outer edge of the piece, which 

 IS converted into a blind ditch: from this most im- 

 portant cut, the drains are made to the centre 

 ditch. Where there is an abundance of stones 

 as in this case, all the drains may be filled and 

 covered over, so tliat the operations of the plough 

 &c., may not be impeded. We were shown one 

 piece over which it was dangerous lor his cattle 

 to pass, and in which they sometimes got mired, 

 before hecommenced Ihc draining process; here his 

 first essay on draining had been made, in which, 

 though inexperience, he cut only the centre and 

 cross drains; but wilh nil he did, it would produce 

 nothing but skunk's cabbage, hellebore, brakes, 

 &c.; and it seemed that all his labor had been lost, 

 until lie learned the importance of the ditch around 

 the margin, which produced the desired effect, and 

 novT it ranks among his most productive grass lots, 

 and a loaded team may be driven without diiiiculty 

 over it. 



We were pleased wilh his system of disging 

 peat, of which he has an ample supply. Where 

 peat is generally dug, the grounds are left in ihe 

 roughest state, and present an unpleasant and 

 unsightly appearance, and remain an unproduc- 

 tive waste: hut it is his rule to have the top spit, a 

 depth of ten inches or a fool, (the jiorlion unfit 

 f r the fire,) thrown over and levelled as the work 

 of digging proceeds: in this way it soon becomes 

 covered with grass, which answers very well for 

 stock hay. 



One peculiar feature of this fiirm is Ihe mas- 

 ive stone walls by which it is enclosed and divi- 

 ded. It would seem a Herculean task to build 

 the wall that has been put up under the care of 

 the intelligent proprietor. In the measurement 

 of the length of wall upon the farm, we may 

 safely say there are miles of it, — we know not how 

 much there may be on this subject we are not in- 

 formed; — one piece of considerable lengt h is 10 or 1 1 

 f«et thick, seven fl^et high, and covered with grapes 

 which have been set out on the south side of it; 

 a fine native variety, found on the place. The 

 vines were loaded with fruit, and brmg by the 

 quantity from 8 to 10 cents prr pound: we should 

 judge there might be a ton of them. All the other 

 walls are double, from 5 to 10 feet thick and 5 to 

 a feet high, and must have consumed an enor- 

 mous quantity of stone. We noticed grapes upon 

 many other portions of walk 



The orchard on thif^ farm is equal if not eupe- 

 rior to any we have seen. It cnniains from 400 to 

 500 trees, princi|vally Raid wins, Russets, and Rhode 

 Island Greenings. It produced a very abundant 

 crop laat year, but this year there is scarcely an 

 apple upon it. It was planted some where about 

 14 or 15 years since. The soil is generally a light 

 rich loam, upon a gravelly, and in some places a 

 rocky foundation. The trees were taken liom the 

 nursery inautunui, and placed in trenches until Ihe 

 following spring. They were planted near the 

 furlacc, and in many instances, upon the surface, 

 without digging any holes, and the dirt placed up- 

 on the roots. Tlie orchard is situated on aside 

 hill, having a eoutli and south-east exposure. 

 Many of the trees were severely injured by the 

 hard winters of 1835 and '30, which caused the 

 destruction of some of them, 'i'heir places have 

 since been supplied with young trees. The mice 

 injured some of the trees a number of years since, 

 bv gnawing the bark so that in some cases the 

 trees were completely girdled, and to all appear- 

 ance lost. An ingenious method was devised to 

 save them. Having prepared some large scions, 

 five or six of them were inserted in each tree be- 

 low the wounds in the bark, and then connected 

 with bark above by the conmion operation of side 

 grafting : in this way the sap was conducted fi'om 

 tlic roots to the lop and the trees saved. We 

 saw some of the trees I bus operated upon : the 

 scions had increased to Ihe diameter ol'3or Jinches, 

 and had nearly come in contact wilh each other : 

 we should doubt, however, whether the trees' 

 would be long lived, as the old wood must be un- 

 sound, and an early decay must be the conse- 

 quence. The trees appeared now as vigorous 

 as any of their neighbors. The orchard has 

 never been laid down to grass, but kept in constant 

 cultivation. The trees are finely shaped, having 

 been pruned with a skilllil hand, and just high 

 enough from the ground to work under without 

 inconvenience: the trees are about two rods a- 

 part : in some places they nearly cover the ground. 

 We do not remember how many barrels were ga- 

 thered for the market last year, but the (|uantity 

 was great. Resides this orchard, there is anolher 

 that has been set out only 2 or 3 years, of 2 or 300 

 trees, all of which are sweet apples, designed ex- 

 pressively lor liie swine. All the refuse apples 

 are fed to Ihe hogs, and considered much more 

 valuable for that use than for cider. 



The farm is ahundantly stocked wilh pears, 

 plums, peaches, grapes, &c. There are more 

 than 2000 fruit trees of various sorts upon the 

 place, and all have been reared and pruned by the 

 hand of the pro|)rietor himself. 



One of the most pleasant sights is a trellis, 30 

 rods in length, covered wilh the Isabella grape, 

 from which was gathered last year two tons oi' 

 grapes, which found a ready sale in Roston mar- 

 ket at 10 to 12 cents per pound. The crop was 

 said not to be so heavy this year, but to us it ap- 

 peared very great. There is also a small house 

 where the more delicious foreign gropes are 

 grown. 



The plums had suffered severely from the cur- 

 culio, and most of the trees had lost iheir Iruit. 

 There is a disease upon the currant liusli, which 

 we have noticed in many other places as well as 

 on this. The bush loses ils leaves [trcmaturely, 

 and the fruit becomes withered and worlhiess. 



