104 



M}t laxmtx's illontljli) Visitor. 



From the Farmers (Mass.) Advocate. 

 Editorial Rambles. 

 We now pass toBilleiica, vvlierethereisa very 

 commendable spirit of iiiiprovement among far- 

 mers, evidenced by neatly tilled fields, reclaimed 

 peat bogs, carefully cultivated orchards, and ele- 

 gant and commodious farm buildings. 



We were attracted to notice the farm of Mr. 

 Nathaniel Stearns in particular by a large new 

 barn which he has built, on a plan purely his 

 own, and of its kind, one of the best in the cotin- 

 y. Built 58 feet by 30, high posted, the floor 

 running through lengthwise, this barn will hold 

 from 75 to 100 tons of liay. On each side of the 

 floor are- neatly finished and perfect stalls for cat- 

 tle and horses; and a tool room, where we saw 

 what is absolutely neeepsary to a good farmer, a 

 large lool-cliest, well fm-iiisbed with saws, augers, 

 bits, planes, &d. &c. Over a part of the floor 

 was the grain loft, witli a double floor, perfectly 

 tight, and a pitching hold about the ce^itre. At 

 one end, a little more elevated than the grain loft, 

 was the threshing room, into which the grain is 

 hoisted through a window from the grain loft to 

 be threshed. This room is ventilated by a large 

 glass window in this end of the barn, whicii being 

 open, there is a free circulation of air through the 

 barn by the means of a window in the opposite 

 end. All the doors slid on rollers at the top run- 

 ning on railroad iron bars. Tliis Mr. Stearns 

 thinks very ini{ior{ant, aij Lliey are not slamming 

 about and liable to be injured by the winds : each 

 door and window biu one fastens on the inside by 

 an iron bar, so that access to the barn is through 

 i one door ftstened by a Jock and key ; anil after 

 the other doors and windoivs aie all bolted and 

 this door locked, the barn Ls secure against every 

 ■thing Uit yiolet»ce. Mr. Stearns preferred this 

 plan to that of setting bis barn on the side hill, 

 eahd pitiehing in hisiiay and grain near the roof, 

 -atMlithen. permitting them to fall down into the 

 1 bijysi whicli is thought to save much labbr. We 

 'i .were a little surprised not <o find under so per- 

 -fect a Ijain as tliis.a cellar; yet we soon found 

 -ibal;, Mr.: Steams was well aware of the great 

 Lvalue of liquid manures, and had provided; for 

 saving them, by so constructing (lis stable floors, 

 >jlhat he couid^at will fill up under them with such 

 lmaterials£tnr> compost and* absorbents as he 

 .pleased, ^h^ butt ends of the sliingles, on the 

 .upperedge^as'Mr. Stearns expressed it, were all 

 champered off, giving the water a more rapid and 

 .free escape from the roof. Thus, he remarked, 

 ■shingles would last mimy years longer, ■and the 

 roof lie less liable to leak. The extra,ao8tof:tbis 

 , was siiout SC.'i A shed, Li stoi-y high, pro«ect- 

 ■«d the yaird on the north. The estra costof the 

 half story, making an excellent giain and store 

 ■xoom, was but SI8. This is worthy the attention 

 of ali building cattle sheds ; for these half stories 

 iare very valuable, to fanners on many accounts 

 Oil the eastside of the yard, meeting the ,sbed, 

 was the hen-house aiul (liggery. The cost of this 

 •barn was SHOO, and it is worthy of a visit from 

 those v/ho. are about to build new barns — how?- 

 !Sver>\Vie believe a collar tinder tlia ivhole barn, 

 for*arious farm purposes, imuld have bcejt a gnat 

 improveme-nt. His farm contains 110 acres. He 

 now cuts from 85 to 30 tons of mnrketalile bay ; 

 and when his bogs are stocked dow^i, which lie is 

 now reclaimnig, the quantity will be doubled. 



His house is small, <is eucrj/ farnier's should be; 

 for great houses have already -eaten up ithe sub- 

 giance of, and i^uined too many farmers. ■ 'Small, : 

 neat and convenient, should bethettiotto of every! 

 farmer in building a fjirm house. His house' 

 does not make much show externally, but iiiter- 

 nally, from the Cellars to the very attic, jn all its 

 closets and sleeping rooms, it was a perfect model 

 of order and neatness ; and vre could but say to 

 ourself, if theie is any tbilig in the ', remark thai 

 daughters jo ihcu- doi^restic habits take after the 

 inother,soinecne woul^l certainly find jewels here. 

 We would go any time teu mjfeg. fur the pleas- 

 ure ©f seeing such a Beat and cocJ dairy roqni and 

 cellarasMi'H* Steams'. She i makes lier butter 

 by taking the ei»am ofT assoon as, it has all risen, 

 ehui'Ds i?, and ie6rks/dl iJte imUeitnilkmiihyhiuu], 

 riien put» it down in, -kiyerit.Tviib loaf siigui- and 

 salt itwerF/ensng,-arKi.keepa it «5*lude<l from the 

 aiirji Her staop made with , her diwn ih.tiui^t; v.as 

 oiceillefti— .t««T{i;h.j«olicd.nF if it had seen a gpod 

 ojany.Bceubbiitg^j Thls.sheot^Uedcold soap, and 

 istaite-i t 'ae.^lH'9\ard«-^it! lbs. i greusei iI.0 1 bs, pota«h, 

 4 pails strong lie, such rs will bpar up ^;n| pgg. 



and then fill up the barrel with weaker lie or last j 

 runnings. This permitted to stand, being now 

 and then stirred, will become good so;ip,iu hot or 

 cold weather, in a short time. This soap keeps 

 well, and will never become wormy. 



Order and system make business, in-doorsand 

 out, easy ; and with all her domestic care and 

 exactness, Mrs. Stearns had the freshness and 

 cheerfulness of health upon her countenance, and 

 evidently was ahappy lady. Let the do-nothings 

 of iier se.x, worn put with imaginary trouliles, 

 chafiid and fretted eternally by the wrnng-doings 

 of the world, learn, iu the example of Mrs. 

 Stearns, that the world goes right with the indus- 

 trious, whose afleclions, ihougSits and ambition 

 are set on permanent objects of real usefulness — 

 that the highest happiness, if sought, is not to be 

 found in the fleeting shadows, the vain ostenta- 

 tion, silly pride anil holluw-heartedness of mere 

 fashionable liie or the deceitfulness of riches. — 

 Well it is, and God has so ordained it, that the 

 worthless and useless things'of this life can ijei- 

 ther afford substantial health and happiness, per- 

 manent motives of pursuit, or attain the desired 

 good. Therefore, be thou man or woman, let the 

 end thou aimest at be just, and thy objects accom- 

 plished useful to thy.self, thy kindred, and thy 

 fellow men; and our word for it, in severe labor 

 and trial thou shalt find strength for thy work, 

 calmness and cheerfulness in the mid.st of disap- 

 pointments, self-reliance and well founded self- 

 approbation, as step(iing stones to higher eftbrts 

 and greater progress; and above all, in thy do- 

 ingo, the precious thought that thy God approveth 

 thee. 



He who reflects must be permitted to moralize 

 as be surveya life untler its difTerent phases, for 

 he, who knows the y.orld, reads individuals like 

 a book. To him the stcretsomees of human hap- 

 piness and misery are visible, and if he has a 

 heart he must speak. 



Mr. Stearns is reclaiming several acres of low 

 wet bog, principally by thorough draining and top 

 dressing of sand and loam. We think he will 

 soon abandon this method and resort to the plough 

 or bog hoe, and after this, if the land is enough 

 subdued, to top dress with a compost in vvliich 

 sand and grave! are the principal ingredients, and 

 then stack down to grass. 



Finally he is doing a great deal on his farm 

 and when his present plans ai« all executed, will 

 undoubtedly entitle himself to the favorable notice 

 of our Agricultural Society. |. , 



Mr. Thomas C. Foster, South Parish, Andfver, 

 hasasmsll farm, with excellent buildings and 

 great ..variety , qf fruit trees, situated pear the 

 depot, y.iiich he woidd sejl oi) reasonable terms. 

 He has found the cuitivution of the apple very 

 profitable, He has given his trees as much cnie 

 as his coin, and iiqiv regrets that ytius ago he 

 did. not traii.sphiut.mpr.e tree?,,f9,i- jio w ^ ,n^ h(; is 

 growing less ?ble to \yprk„Jifl',i9„,j-s^,eiyipfe,Jiargei 



returns fin" a Utile lulicir> ^, =■.■-,,'•.,! ' I 



, Any p?i!spn wjsjijng to buy a^iiijdl, neat farm, 

 can. apply at .tb'S qllicf. Also, ,i hirger,i)ne, witji 

 an elegant :gardcn well supplied with a great vari- 

 ety of IVuit trees, shrnblj.iiy, flo'.veif and buildings, 

 all in first rate style ;aul order. The ndvaiitagen 

 for ?diicaliug a faiviily of children here, eipial 

 those of any place in New England, besides socie- 

 ty here is goo4 with its usiial.attenflsuit privilpges. 

 Botb tiieg? (arjus lire p;ilj4,n|jtb|;(;,e.:tiy.ii(ijss .^V.^lk 



of til,e tl?110t,, :.".',, J •)|.i,a^,i,i I, .I-'^.Tlh ■Uj. !>.,.:' 



, Fftiv Ijuve passed from fjiebattle ground at .the 

 North b|',idge, in Old Concord, to the centre of the 

 to\v.n,,iiuJ;npit notice the conwnodiou.-i I'arni build- 

 ing of Jlr. Abel 1^. naywa,rd. This farm fonncr- 

 iy^balpjiged to H. Hayward. The present occu- 

 I«int, by a little altrntion to llie tnanufactiire of 

 compost, hap increased his hay crop, as ive arc 

 infbrf)ie.4l,iabout five f(i!d. Mr. H. hf^sa promis- 

 iifgyoung.prchunl, he has not Iclt it jo thrive by 

 neglect , as, was formefly the niiivcrsrd custcirii, but 

 wisely Hae^is ihegroiuid loose aboiit his trees, ina- 

 nures .?fld,.>vashes them. His eon lind .-i fuu- fli- 

 vpfjtp v^b.bits., ?ilr. H. tbuud ni.any of his ti.ec^ 

 gicdled,, though koHK Ways from the hoi|se, aiid at 

 lafit dftect^rt tltis',Ji;)ng-eai;ed gentry in the, very 

 a^t,and.,?,eltile4,fji;9 iiiatter pn tlie :-pot ^vitlj ;i 

 tloiible Jb9,rre!lefl,;;i!li., , ,,:, i,,', ,..,,.„ ,,. .,,- 

 Mi\Coll(urn IIqi)iJqcT>§,%'"'>}.!!?ls, -been, greatly- 

 iniproveil ^nd, thougti'yfiJvV year's afeb coiisldered 



very poqril^nd. is now fast qqimlliiigsnme of th4 



■ ^ . 



bey laritiifini'lhe town, and, wijj soon, if heperse^ thj^s'!»{)gt;^liestj>vj'e.(,l,„£>n l!i 

 veres, be worthy nS^tRtr's prethium; This farhl .(,.,„ ^o)",,^.!! Ii,ib qo. 



Ls .^iitnated in the East part of the town, on Vir 

 ginia road so called. 



His upland by dfcp manuring, clean and thor- 

 ough cultivation, his hay crops, liy top dressing, 

 are all much improved. He has made about one 

 mile heavy stone wall, and previously to doing 

 this, he wisely look into consideration the impor- 

 tant subject of laying out his fiirm into fields both 

 with reference to beauty and convenience. He 

 has many acres of peat or bog meadows, nearly 

 worthless when he came into the possession of 

 them. There he has commenced reclaiming in a 

 most exemplary manner; first by draining. To 

 acconi[ilish this he has dug, at the expen.se of a 

 shilling a rod, about IJ miles of as perfect ditch- 

 es a.s yve have seen. The smooth meadows he 

 then turned over flat witth a large plough, after 

 haying, and plants with potatoes the next spring, 

 manuring them well in the hill. Those that are 

 rough and rooty he turns over with bog hoes when 

 he has leisure or can hire the job done to advan- 

 tage. This costs him about $15 per acre. If the 

 turf ia very strong, lie .hauls it into heaps and 

 burns it and then spreads the ashes on the land. 

 The m_of;t Approved manner of ditching is to cut 

 ditches round llie bog to cut ofl" the springs and 

 let these empty into a central drain which carries 

 ofl^ the water, sloping the sides or banks of the 

 ditches back fi'om the bottom each way, so that 

 the water may run off the land into tiie drains, 

 and then one may rnow.do wn to the liottom of the 

 ditch. Thus the vegetable matter in the ditches 

 is easily cut and cleaned out and water prevented 

 tVom settling bacl> en to the bog, and drowning 

 out the gr.iss, in case of heavy rains and freshets. 

 He took up three acres of this bog last year and 

 received very encouraging crops. This year he 

 takes up five acres more, which will not be a large 

 job as his drains are all cut, and as most of it iua 

 dry time will plough well. 



He has 100 grafted apple trees, grown trees, 

 upon which he has put new tops. He adopts the 

 practice of Elias Phinney Esq., of Lexington, 

 Gov. Pierce and Charles Wellington, and other 

 celebrated cultivators of West Cambridge and 

 its vicinity, and the same as that recomended by 

 the State Society's Committee on Orchards to wit: 

 of taking off the tvkotelop and setting a great 

 many more scions than he will permit to grow 

 eventually. This he does to keep up an equal 

 flow of .sap throngli all parts of the tree, and to 

 force the growth of pcicns fast enongii to have 

 them heal over and unite with the stock before 

 the stock can have become injured by time or ex- 

 posure, for, if the scioi) covers the .sfock after ibii?, 

 the limb vvill become defective and ilshealth and 

 productiveness destroyed, by baving-otie fiet t^ff 

 the sap vessels entirely intcrriiptsid. .,...!,.t -n^ 



Mr. H. retired lioui business in Boston a few 

 years ago and i though not accustomed then to 

 labor, has become one of the inost able bodied 

 p.Bd laborious men in bis section of the town. : : 

 , Ladies!, Mrs. Hadlock tool; an interest in the 

 farm which amqunted altnost tv) enthusiasm and 

 she will pardon lis we trust when we say that we 

 strongly suspect her of being ambitious to pbtaia 

 a, premium on it. This was a pleasing ciicum- 

 slniice, fpr when the wife aiuI dausliiors fall back 

 and say thfij dialike fanning, llicy cant bear tli^ 

 dirty business, be assuretf it makes the father's 

 and husband's heart sad, lint where cheered wjih 

 cncouraging,r,::iiies-af wife ai.ddaug liters he aogs 

 cheerfully and jcpuragepusly to his yvork, the suit 

 sliinea'bright on every effort and he. can say with 

 Mi-. Hitdlot'k "he knows not \vhat -it isjto feel 

 tired." After a|l, there is a good deal^qf, U;tithiii 

 the remark of a thriiiy furmer of pl/l Coricord in 

 us on this subject, Speaking of lijs success.to 

 him, he said, " iVIr. Meiriam, I tell you there, is 

 more than one half in havins; a good LiouifnanW! 



On the farm of Mi-. Cyrus Stow gi:eat attention 

 is given to the cultivation of thy onion. W? 

 slioiild judge he ha.s aowii ihis y.e3i-.three acre.'?. 

 He considers thejii as profiiiibi^ i(is any crop, 

 tlioni]l! lie must riai.se, them a.t, far great.Qrt;x(iens3 

 than ihey dp in,r>anvers and vieinily where they 

 being niaiiurejd with seaiwecd iSjc, arg keplcl^ay 

 with far, (ess .labor, H* lm<! sp,vei;al| B.cj-es of very 

 riandsottie grass, on rephunieVl, bcgs^ fdidiwas. in 

 ,filne turning over a pieqe with bog-.hocs. , H? 

 jiaid Irivshmen bnardii^ thejiiselves ()vhQdo most 

 of this kind of work in lliis vicinity) 4 RhillitigsA 

 day iiii^ considered. that bogs would well pay for 



■ cm. Root cultur.ftilifls '^ 



. .;■*« .bn'jt- 



