40 



Sl)c iar mcr'g iltontl)lij faisitor. 



We extract the following st.iteinents relative 

 to Preniiuiii Fnrins in Massachusetts, selecte<l 

 fioin a miniber of others, from the New England 

 Farmer. 



In the first case Mr. Morgan sliows that much, 

 very much may he done upon a poor run down 

 farm in a short space of time. The town where 

 he resides, itself a manulacturing town, is not far 

 from Springfield on Connecticut river; arid the 

 advantage of a near cash market enables him to 

 en^a-^e hired help with the assurance that he can 

 pay it fronj the proceeds of his larm. This gen- 

 tleman has in a short time brought out such a 

 production as we seldom find on a farm so far 

 in the interior. 



The second case is in the township of Adams, 

 Berkshire county, a town not very far from the 

 southwesterly corner of Vermont, and easterly 

 i ne of Renssalaer county. New York ; that town 

 is likewise an extensively manufacturing town. 

 fAs in the other case, so in thin, the practical 

 .ariner will be interested in the process by which 

 he farmer makes sure gains. 



From the JSew-Eiigland Farnier. 



Premium Farms. 



Stalemenis of the successful competilors for the Pre- 

 miums on Farms offered hj the Massachusetts So- 

 ciety for the Promotion of Agriculture. 



FRANKLIN MORGAN'S STATEMENT. 



Answer to questions put: 



1st. My farm contains J-15 acres. 



2d. The soil is loamy, excejit a small part, 

 which is light soil. 



3d. I plow 7 or 8 inches deep. 



4th. Effects of deep plowing.— On three 

 acres light thin soil, I have plowed deep, and 

 in 1841 turned in a crop of clover about the time 

 it commenced flowering. The same season 1 

 sowed it to buckwheat, and seeded it at the same 

 time with herds-grass, redtop and clover. This 

 season have cut at least 1 1-2 tons excellent hay 

 to the acre. 



5th. Best method of improving soils. — The 

 loamy soil is mostly put to mowing and pastur- 

 ing. When the land becomes bound down, I 

 Iiarrow with a heavy drag, about the 20th April, 

 and seed with the usual tpiantity of grass seed. 

 The result has been, in some instances, tour-fold 

 the quantity of grass. In addition to harrowing, 

 1 have usually plowed a strip of the lot, and 

 heaped it up with about 3 pecks of lime to the 

 cord. This compost is spread at the rate of about 

 12 loads to the acre. 



6th. 1 till 21 acres: 12 of oats, nianured with 

 15 load conjpost to the acre, and harrowed in 

 with the oats ; (3 acres to corn and 3 to potatoes. 



7th. The manure is applied in compost. 



8th. I spread on, and plow in, about 15 loads to 

 the acre, when I plant, and at planting time put 

 manure and plaster liberally in the hill. 



9th. Green-sward I plow flat, manure it on the 

 surface, harrow thoroughly and plant. 



10th. I mow of upland 25 acres. Eight acres 

 this season, averaged 3 tons per acre ; the re- 

 mainder, something over 2 tons per acres. Herds- 

 grass stood 4 1-2 feet high, and some measured 5 

 feet 3 inches. 



11th and 12tl). 1 do not irrigate. 



13. Thirty acres, lowland mowing. Quality, 

 herds-grass, clover and English (or fine grass.) 

 Average, 2 tons jier acre. Since 183"J, 1 have 

 very much improved this ground by ditching and 

 manuring, — more than double the quantity and 

 improved the quality. 



14th. In the fall of 1839, commenced with 3 

 acres low miry ground, so soft that oxen could 

 not get over. I first made a ditch around, and 

 then carted gravel. Employed three men and 

 two teams (one yoke oxen each) for three weeks. 

 It is now hard. Manured and plastered two 

 years past. Mowed last year for the first time. — 

 This season have cut Jgfio crops — herds-grass, 

 clover and English grass: should judge about 

 four tons to the acre, both crops included. 



15th. Had six acres in corn. First spread on 

 ten loads compost to the acre, and plowed it in ; 

 then spread the same quantity on the surface, 

 and harrowed thoroughly. Rolled the seed in 

 plaster, and planted three feet apart. 



16th. Potato land prepared as for corn. Cut 

 large potatoes, and plant as near even with the 

 surface as convenient, and haul earth ui>tothem. 



Planted Long-red or Merinos for stock, and 

 Carter potatoes (so called) for table use. 



17lh. No other vegetalsles. 



18th. Twelve acres of oats, wheat and rye 

 n)ixed, were sowed 20th September. Laud 

 planted to potatoes last year, and prepared as for 

 potatoes this season : plowed tsvice last spring: 

 sowed 3 bush, per acre ; 2 1-2 oats and 1-2 bush, 

 wheat and rye. Aveiage yield per acre, 40 

 Luish. 



19th. 12 acres laid down to grass 20th April. 

 12 lbs, clover and 1-2 bush, herds-grass sowed 

 with spring grain. 



20th. Means of manure making. — Last year 

 fatted 28 hogs. I furnished them with muck 

 from the banks of ditches, turf from the road- 

 side, weeds and every thing of the kind 1 could 

 collect. Fatted tjt5 wethers, which I sold lor 

 .$585. Also fatted 57 oxen and wintered 51 head 

 cows, steers, and young cattle, and one span of 

 horses. My entire stock was kept on cut feed. 

 The whole labor ])erformed by two men. I am 

 fully persuaded this process is a great saving of 

 fodder— 1 think at least 20 per cent. Carted from 

 my barn 767 loads manure last spring. 



'21st. Have now 103 head cattle: 24 horses fit- 

 ting lor market, and have 97 sheep. One barn 

 is 123 feet long by 36. One shed 48 feet by 20 ; 

 one 55 by 20; and one 36 by 19: all the sheds 

 are 16 ft. posts. They are all filled with hay: 

 have sold 7 tons besides, and stacked out .32 ox- 

 wagon loads. Oats all put in stables. Have a 

 cellar imder the whole barn: can drive in with 

 cart and oxen. Nearly all my manure is cover- 

 ed. 



22(1. Cows i>art native and l)art high bred Dur- 

 hanis. I njust give the IJurham cows very 

 much the preference for the dairy or for fatten- 

 ins;. They are quick to take on flesh as soon as 

 we leave off milking them. 



23d. When raising calves, I put two with one 

 cow, and let them run in the pasture. 



24th. Have only tnade butter and cheese for my 

 family's use ; and rented the remainder of my 

 cows for $20 each, and kee|i them through the 

 season. 



3oth. 1 have 97 sheep — mixture of Southdowns 

 and Bakewells: 30 fat wethers produced 174 lbs. 

 clean wool : ewes average about 4 lbs. each. In 

 winter, give them privilege of sheds, with plenty 

 of water in the yard. Feed them on cut feed 

 through the winter. Lambs dropped in Februa- 

 ry and March : — did not lose a single one. 



26tli. Kept 28 hogs. Average weight, 329 lbs. 

 Cross of Berkshire and Yorkshire. 



27th and 28th. Through the summer and fore 

 part of fall, fed them on raw jiotatoes and ap- 

 ples, with one bushel of corn once in two days, 

 buried in holes in the muck, for them to root 

 over. Carted from my hog-pen last spring, 443 

 loads manme. See answer to question 20, (or 

 materials for making manure. 



29th. Hired help. — F'our men employed for 

 nine months each, at $13 per month : and six in 

 addition through baying, at §1 per day. 



30th. Have about 100 apple trees. Part en- 

 grafted. Feed all, except choice fruit, to hogs. 



31st. Have no other fruit trees worth describ- 

 ing. 



32d. Have neither canker-woims nor borers. 



33d. Allow no anient spirits on the farm. 



This farm I pmchased in the fall of 18.39, for 

 §2140, with the crops included, which then 

 amoimted to only 35 brish. corn, 40 of oats, 120 

 of potatoes, and not exceeding 25 tons day. It 

 had been worn out and run down by bad n)an- 

 agement; fences and buildings decayed. Had 

 hut one small barn, which bad been suflicient to 

 receive the crops. I have used this season, six 

 tons plaster atjd ten casks lime. I have not less 

 than 150 tons hay and 20 of rowen — and could 

 have cut 50. FKANKLIN MORGAN. 



Palmer, 1842. 



CLF.MF.NT Harrison's statement. 



1st. My farm consists of 225 acres of improved 

 land. 



2d. The soil is sand, loam, gravel and clay. 



3d. I plow about .5 inches deep. 



4th. Deep ploughing makes a more dmable 

 soil. 



5th. To improve my land I plow in dung, and 

 seed down with a grain crop, without hoeing. 



6th. I till about 25 acres a year, and put 20 

 loads of dung to the acre. 



7th. My manure is applied in its green state. 



8th. I spread and harrow in my irjanure in all 

 cases, with an addition of dmig in the hill (when 

 planted with uorn or potatoes.) from my hog 

 vault. 



9th, I plant green-sward the first year, but seed 

 it down the second year, in all cases. 



lOih. 1 mow about 15 acres of upland ; the 

 average, one and a half tons to the acre : when 

 the land gives but one ton, I plow it immediate- 

 ly- 



11th. I irrigate five acres, but no longer than 

 the water runs roily: too much water makes sour 

 hay. 



12th. I mamue no land except on the furrow; 

 harrow it in while spreading, to keep it from 

 waste by the sun. 



13ih. I plow all my Ujowing land; if swampy 

 or wet, 1 drain it, and in a dry season of the year 

 plow in dung and seed it down ; and in lieu of 

 swamp grass get timothy and redtop, and this 

 year had a large crop, thick at the bottom, but not 

 so much seed. 



i4th. If the bog land cannot be drained, I 

 should recommend to cart on sand. 



15th. I planted four acres of corn this season. 

 I take my poorest dry nieadow, turn it over, cart 

 on about 20 loads of dung, harrow it in, furrow it 

 both ways three feet apart; put half a shovelfull 

 of dung from my hog vault in a hill; soak my 

 seed in saltpetre ; roll it in jilaster ; plant it care- 

 fully and hoe three times. The average yield is 

 fioiii 50 to 90 bushels to the acre; — last year, the 

 committee called it 95 to the acre. 



16tl]. 1 planted two acres of potatoes. I pre- 

 pare the ground as for corn; plant two by three 

 feet apart ; apply long manure in the hill, and 

 seed with my largest potatoes— (11 hills this year 

 made a busliel.) Plant four ditlerent kinds : for 

 feeding, the flesh-colored and old white. My ta- 

 ble ))otatoes do not yield so much. 



17tl]. Raised no other field vegetable this 

 year-. 



18th. I sowed 15 acres of oats, 16acresof bar- 

 ley, and 12 acres of rye. Last fall, all crops 

 were very stout — more than a common yield. I 

 recommend barley to seed after. In the spring, 

 I seeded down 25 acres to meadovv,witli one peck 

 of timothy seed to the acre ; if mixed with clo- 

 ver, a less quantity : this is a plenty, as you see 

 on my land I sow three bushels of oats or barley 

 per acre. 



19th. I sometimes sow wet land in August af- 

 ter mowing; dung it on the furrow; and after 

 sowing it, cover it with the litter from my thresh- 

 ing floor. Too riuicli grass seed can be sown on 

 an acre, as well as other seeds. 



20th. I make manure in a vault, in which I 

 keep six or eight hogs for that purpose; I cart in 

 earth, ashes, lime, all the filth of the house, and 

 all I can get from low places. 



21st. My stock consists of four oxen, five cows, 

 four two-year olds, fiim- yearlings, four calves — 

 all of the Durham and Devonshire breed — rim 

 into a cherry-red color. I keep one pair of horses 

 and 600 sheep. 1 have one barn 72 feet long by 

 38 wide — 32 feet posts, with basement story and 

 cellar; one barn 60 by 40 feet, ','3 feet posts, with 

 basement story ; one barn 40 by 34 feet, 21 feet 

 posts, with basement story ; also one more barn, 

 40 by 30 feet, 15 feet posts, with sheds attached 

 sufficient to house 300 sheep. My manure is 

 covered. 



22d. My cows are, as before mentioned, mixed 

 breeds. 



23d. My calves I take from the cow at six days 

 old, and bring them up by hand. 



24th. 1 make butter and cheese for my own 

 use. 



25th. The number of sheep I wish to keep is 

 500 — sometimes overrun and sometimes fall short 

 of this. My sheep are of mixed Merino and Sax- 

 ony breeds. I expose about 200 ewe.-<, from 

 which I raise 150 lambs upon an average : they 

 come in May. 1 feed my sheep in boxes in the 

 winter, under cover. They yield from 3 to 3 1-2 

 lbs. of wool to the head, and it takes about 1 cwt. 

 of hay to grow one pound o( wool. 



26th. I keep eight hogs and seven pigs: breed, 

 Berkshire mixed with China. Made 2700 pounds 

 of pork. 



27ih. Through the summer I feed with the 

 wash of the house and mow clover for them. I 

 also bury corn in the vault, with a view to make 

 them stir uj) my dung. I fat them by boiling po- 



