■ i^maJJ g i ffcaa 



152 



^[)C Savmcxs ilUniil)ln l>isitov. 



of llie cities. The excellent roads about Boston, 

 anil iiiileed tlirou^lioiil New F,iif;l;iii(l, gciierallv 

 mark this section of tlic United Hiales as one ol 

 the |ieciiliariiie,s advantageous lo a workiirj; iico- 

 jde, a denoMiinatinn which ninety-nine in e\er> 

 inniilrcd oC ocu- tiirnieis liave the ri;;hl to chdni. 



Ol' tlje tine villas which we saw one year a!;o 

 was |ioii.ti (I out to ns that of John E. 'I'hayer, 

 Esi|., an old hoyhood acquaintance, altliuu^di con- 

 siderahly onr junior, who by shrewdness ami 

 good ealculaiiun and close altenlion to business, 

 in early manhood has ;rrown to set hinisell'ilown 

 already almost ainoni; the millionaires of the 

 capital. Siran>;e indeed it is, that men uho go 

 frotn the country where business is atid pursue it 

 with the wonted eiiterpri.-e iieculiar to the men 

 in the country, ainiost insensibly ijrow into indi- 

 vidual propel ty, iTjiial often lo the svholc town or 

 nei^dihoihood which they left. This fact shows 

 to the mere man of money, that most money may 

 be made where the most money Is. 



I!ut it was not our inieiiiiun when we bfii;'''!' 

 either to write an essay upon the beauties of the 

 villas surrounding and overlookini; IJostO'i, or lo 

 compliineni IMr. Thayer on his talent at mr)ney- 

 gathering: both of these matters speak belter ol' 

 themselves than we can speak of ihem. Aside 

 from the money, Air. Thayer claims notice lor a 

 tnatler interesting to all (iirmer.«, of whii b a few 

 days since we took down a memoiaiidum Iroiii 

 his own mouth, in the hasty hour of business at 

 his place of exchange where men and merchants 

 " inost do congregate." 



In the gioniids smrniindiiig IM r. Thayer's resi- 

 dence at Brookline, .some four miles from Static 

 street, was a meadow or swamp producing in 

 the least quantity such coarse hay as the horses 

 would turn up their noses at Ibrbeddiim in llieii 

 stables. JMakiiig some iiupiiries of bis liirmer 

 neighbors, after draining the giuiind by an open 

 ditch on cither side, I\lr. T. was informed that 

 these two acres might possibly he broken up by 

 a great [dough and llie gathering td' a large uain; 

 but that the expense of leclaiiiiiiig the land mu^l 

 be beyond its value: the breaking up of the 

 around alone would cost at least forty dollars. 

 The great team was put in, ami the hassocks and 

 liiird vegetable mid mineral holtoni broken in 

 upon to a considerable depth. Giving lime fiir 

 the decomposition of the vegetable mailers, after 



being cleared, twenty cords of nii re purchased 



at the stables in Roston at the cost of six dollars 

 per cord, were spread equally over the ground, 

 ploughed, harrowed and well mixed in with the 

 soil, ami grass-seed, principally herdsgiass or 

 timothy, sown over it. From this plat of mead- 

 ow, not iiinch if any exceeding luo acres, the 

 first crop of dry bay the present season, as 

 weighed, was 8 Ions 4C0 pounds, and the second 

 crop 3 tons 150 pounds, making in the «bole 

 eleven tons five bumbed and lil'ty pounds! 'J'his 

 hay at that place, of the very best kind and ipial- 

 ity, is of the average value of twenty dollars the 

 ton or one dollar per bundled, making iJie ciop 

 worth S22.').50. The manure at six dollars per 

 ton would be $V20, still leaving the value of 

 more than one hundred dollars. It should be re- 

 marked that the manure was brought on a year 

 ago, and that probably the after-gro« lli or leed 

 upon the ground would go far towards pajmcnl 

 fiir cutting and curing the bay, »hicli was all the 

 labor and expense ol' the present year. In the 

 hurry Mr. Thayer was not parlicidar lo state the 

 liist exjiensu ujioii the land — only to give as bis 

 opinion that the valqe of the present year's bay 

 crop had paid ihe whole exjiense ol reclaiming 

 the land, mamire and all. 



Ill answer lo the inipiiry for his opinion of the 

 nermaneiil value of this meadow froin its income, 

 Rlr. T. said he diil not know; but as an addilinn 

 to the iip/itwiitice of his grounds, a ihonsand dol- 

 lars an .'icri! would be no cmisiileration for it. 



The reclaiming of svvamps such as this of Mr. 

 Thayer, may be, and undoubtedly is, generally 

 Koiisidcred as expensive faiining: it is a inelhod 

 wliicL most of the latineic? in the country believe 

 tfiey cannot affurd ; but, idler all, is not some 

 such lueihod of ihorougb liirining — the improve- 

 lilUlit of land, not tur a t-ingic present crop, but 

 for a series of fiiiiue crops; — is not tlii.s, although 

 e.\peni.ive, ihe most economical .'^yslcm <d' 

 '"'■'"'"'e:-' . .,„.,n . 



Oj^ The largest crop of corn, wo think, ever 

 |>rodiK'crl in the coiaity of Mcnimack, wa.-* 



raised ibis year in Norilifield, near S.ii.dbornlon 

 Hiidge, by Hiui. ."Xsa P. Caie : slxijlive Miuare 

 roiU, being one ball' <in acre less fitleen hqtIa^e 

 rod.^, proiUicing one bunilieil anil ihirledi mi.'a.-- 

 nred roMiidiMl bii>licls ea^'s of ei;:hl-ro\\td sound 

 liiihan corn. The corn, when shelh d and shrniik, 

 from this kind ol compleli'ly tilled ears, will 

 amount to at least half ibu niiinliei', tiliy-six 

 and a half bushels, being at the rate ol one 

 Inindied and thniy-nine biisliels of shelled cum 

 lo the acre ! 



I'^or such an extraordinary crop it is meet and 

 proper that those farmers » ho consider ihe thing 

 impossible, should be informed bow the matter 

 was brought about. The same ground produced 

 corn in the season of 1813, and lijr it Air. Calc 

 llicn received the sv:cond I'reiiiium on corn from 

 ihe Merrimack County Agi icullural Society, The 

 lot on which this corn uas raised, is upon the 

 high hank of the VViiinipisseogee river near the 

 new seminary of the I'rotestant Alethoilist ICpis- 

 copal church in Nortblield : it is land natural to 

 a white oak ami pilch pine grow ih, u iihoul bard 

 pan, with sand predominating in the loam. The 

 ground was broken up from the sward ill the 

 spring of It'-}.'), and upon it were spread fimteen 

 loads of folly bushels each tannei.s' manure, 

 composed of fleshings and the droppings of a 

 horse and cow all made in one year: it w;is ilieii 

 planted with corn upon the furrow. Again in 

 the spring of the present season eleven and a 

 half lo.'ids of llie same kind of niaiiure were 

 spread i.pon the top of the ground and plotigbed 

 in : it was then cross-plnughed, but at siicdi depth 

 as not to disimb the underlaying manure. ']"w<i 

 and a nail' loads of manure made of sbeeps' 

 heads and other animal and vegelalile matters 

 cnniphn Iv dicompo-eil, were tlnn laid in the 

 hills which were at ilie di.-ntnif ol ihree feet and 

 a half one way liy ihrce Itei ihe other. To Ihis 

 was adili'd in eaeh hill about a table spoonlnl of 

 mixUire of ripial parks of lime, salt, ashes and 

 plaster, and all coveieil over with soil before the 

 corn was dio|iped. The average iinmher of 

 blades was Ibiir .-talks in the hill: Mr. C. thinks 

 from ihe coinpaii-on of product thai three blades 

 to ihe hill would have been more productive than 

 four. 'Ihe corn was hoed ibree times, and ibe 

 stalks Were lopped alter the corn had become 

 hard. 



We have a receid of one liiindred iiiid fmly 

 bushels of coi n said lo have been prodncid in 

 Hiirnsiead some iwmiy years ii;jo, and one or 

 more inslaiices ol coin fields upon the Wiiiiii- 

 pissioi;ee i.-lfinds in ihe Slnlo, beiv eeli I'JO and 

 l;JO bushels lo the acre ; but upon a lighl soil like 

 that upon w hicli i\lr. Cale has raiM il hi- tuo.-ne- 

 cissive crops Ol corn, we think, in ihis Slate the 

 priiilnciion has nivir been equ.ilhd. The crop 

 of liiilirin corn in ibe extreme nmlhern Slates is 

 one to which the soil is not so natural and easy 

 as ihe great coin-growing regions id' the .sonlh 

 and west. There corn is raised and grown as 

 .•Ml almosi sure crop, simply v.iih the operation 

 of the phiiigh and v>itboui manure: but in the 

 best of the siintbern corn land, sooner or hiler 

 it must wear out in the course ol lime — maiiures 

 (U' other ariilii'ial sliuinlant means mu>I he bn.'i 

 in aid of Ihe loi n-growei, or bis land liir llial crop 

 will in lime liiil liiin. Here in New lOngliind In- 

 dian coin can be raiM d to pndil onlt h\ en re lid ciil- 

 livallon, lull with manure and ibe plough m)I<-1_\, 

 but with careful hoeing alter the btsi pii.y.aialioii 

 of the ground. The very besl iind inosl nsel'id 

 preparation, according to the means ol llie culti- 

 vator, we believe lo be the most proliinble — ihi.i 

 method is generally to be preferred in the imlici- 

 palion of the fuliire criqis from the same land. 



Mr. ('ate, as a proles>ioiihl man, in bis own 

 native town, the son of a liirmer cleei ased wbotn 

 we recoiled as once a young man, is selling n 

 good example to other p: nliemen of ibe profes- 

 sions as well ns the farmers <>! his iieiLddioi hooil, 

 by bis alientiiui lo agriculture and boriicnllnre. 

 Me has p;ud siune allention to the planting of 

 trees for llie production of the various friiiis. In 

 these lie has succeeded beyond ex| cctiilion. Mr. 

 C:ile, we think, must have :icqiiired his taste for 

 agricidinral iniprovemeiit from the inasier at 

 Kraidtlin w itli whom he sludied, anil who, year 

 after year, conlinnes lo raise the largest crops 

 mill besl fruit from land which, imlil be pitched 

 down upon it, was almost universally considered 

 and Healed as loo (loor liir cullivaiieii. 



Mr. liiiHin Cale of Luudoii living on the 

 eiiiliu-iieu of Oak Hill overlooking llie 

 whole village ol Concuril, live iiiilee (lislaiit, 

 from ti\e liiisbels iif.-.iiwing, on linir acres of 

 land, raised ibis war b7 4 bll^bels ol Tea Wheal. 

 Ill- til hi ihis season hail noi ihe leasi appeaiance 

 <d Ihe weevil which has injuieil so manv otlu'r 

 fields. Mr. <;ale's firm is at a point ol elev.ilion 

 I'loiii six lo seven hundred leel above Ihe river 

 as it runs by this village. The potatoes which he 

 raises are excellent of their kind , iniicli belli r 

 than those u.Mially rai>eil upon the intervales: — 

 be has sent several hundred bushels by railroad 

 cars lo Bosloii. 



(U^ We chanced to meet in town a few days 

 ago two men of middle .ige seeming lo be iniicli 

 of llie same casl as many of the industrious for- 

 eigners laboring upon our railroads. 'I'beir lan- 

 guage was broad Scotch, and liny said they came 

 from liyeg;ite, Vcrmonl, and were on their way 

 lo iiosloii w illi two tons of linller which had been 

 pre-engaged to persons ihere wlio had ciin.e into 

 their neighborhood to contrail lor it at ihe price 

 of seventeen cenis a poiiinl. Knowing iroiii the 

 experience of man^ \ears that the neigliboi hood 

 towns of IJyegale and iiarnet iilw:.}.s piodiiced 

 no butter but the best, we ask id tbeiii lo spare a 

 liikiii at their coiiliail price, which vvasii cent or 

 two less than coinmon hulier bad sold lor w iiliin 

 a few days: they could spare none at any price, 

 as it was all enga^'ed. Yankee cm iosiiy piompl- 

 eil us lo inquire the names of the buiier piiidnc- 

 ers: lliey told us ibey were not of the obi, but 

 were new setileis in Ryegale, having been out 

 here only some eleven years. They came to ibis 

 localion, from Scollanil (lliey said) because their 

 ancestors had ai qu.iinlance who seliied here. 

 They were three brothers of the names of ^\ il- 

 li.'un, James and John Mel.ani. Their purchase 

 of land had cxicnded to live hundred acres, on 

 which ihey pnr.-ned the occupalioii of liuiiieis 

 jointly ill cominon fur ihe few lii.-«t years. Lat- 

 terly Ihey bad divided and made ihree tarins of 

 the live hiinihed acres. The amouiil ul butler 

 made by eai h lor sale the preseiil season was as 

 follows: W illiain wilheltveii cows made I'lfO 

 pounds — John, wiili eight cows, made 1*271 — ai d 

 Jmiic.s, with nine cows, made l'2'2U pounds. Ue- 

 .-iiles this at the two ends of ihe .-mnis.)!! ail ihe 

 cliee>e consumed by themselves and ihe hired 

 help upon llieir taniis ami ihe bnlier roii.-uiiied 

 by their households, all made lioiii the same 

 cows, .were not taken inlo the aicomii. The iljii- 

 rv was but one biancli.*' the liu>ini'.ss ol tlle^e 

 mdnstrions liuiner;-: liny rai-e and kti p lor 

 tinning oifcaltle and hoi.-i s, aid ol ionise mii-t 

 make extensive crops of bay lo li eil oiii in ihe 

 long winters, as well as grain lor llu- .-opply of 

 bread lor their I; iiulio .-u d leeil li.i lln i, calili. 



KaULY S.VOW. — The iwo geliihineli aliiive 

 informed us ihal on Snnil.iv lln- liloi Ocu.ber 

 snow fell ill Uyi liale lo li.e depib ol six inei.es: 

 in Si. Johiisbiii V fhigh-wiie li^ed lor enriying 

 the slai'e passengers. Uailii r .sume day.-' Ihaii 

 this Moosehillock iiiid ibe While .Molliilaiiis have 

 had lln ir cap;i d covering ol finovv.. J'lighis of 

 wild Liese lioni the lioilll indieale tbsl "cold 

 w inter i,- coining." 



For tlic l-ariiicr's Moi.tlily \ . -lor. 

 Growing Fine Wool. 

 iMesshs. l.nrroiis: — Owing lo iiicfiiise offoi- 

 ilgli and we.-lern ciinqu liiimi on coarse wool, I 

 am ol the opinion ibal il w ill eveiiluidly be for llie 

 inieresl ot the eastern wool-grower lo give 

 greater atlemion to the glowing «d' fine wool, 

 and at ihe same lime lo increase ihe vveigbi as 

 much as possible, liir il is ibe line and heavy llee- 

 ces that Mild the largest net inciwne. The. west 

 can giiiw a poiiiiil of wool cheaper llian vvu can, 

 but lliey caiiiiol produce so vidiiiible u tli i ce. Il 

 we are to have sheep, why not ImveiboBKOl n 

 .■:iH (i quality, since ibe cost of keeping is i.o more 

 while the a'nnu.d reluriisiiiH' much jireiiter. Why 

 noi make oiir,-clves ns acipiiiinleil w iib llie best 

 means of improving tbeiii and make ibo fleece 

 so valuable as lo be of prolil under all ibe llnciu- 

 aling condiiion of prices ? One greal obstacle in 

 the way <if growing of superior wool is llie want 

 of a just discrimination made for llie condiiion, 

 qnidiiy of Ibe wool, &c. Most of onr wool is 

 boiiglil bv agents lor ihe maiuifactiiring compa- 

 nies w lio";u e liiiiilird not to exceed n ccrtidn price 



