<al)c jTavmcvVi i!lontl)ln llisitov. 



185 



"I'l'O- 



pi-eseiit our heliel' that no inan of the country, 

 with ihe (Piilhiy entirely fli'i'ived IVoiii the iiii|irove- 

 nients be^»Llliiig otlier iniprovenieMls, can present 

 n paiallel. 



Mr. Mill has added to his linin liy jiiiichase 

 until he has iiiaile it ihe larjjest in liie towtr ol' 

 West Can]l)iitli;e : the iin|(roved part coiisi>ls of 

 over one hundred and filly acres. To his (arm 

 he has added pasture filly miles distant on the 

 i\e\v Hanipshire hills near the line olftrasun and 

 New Ipswich, 250 acres, where he summers his 

 stock kept upon the ahimdance ot' hay produceil 

 from the homestead. 



Of his outlands near the shore of Fresh pond 

 he purchased a li!w years since a lot of sonie ten 

 acres for $180. TIm^ Fitchhiu-fr lailroad passed 

 through it, and paid for the damage of that part 

 some few Imndreils : he afterwards sold less 

 than lialf of the remainder lor $750, leaving him 

 what at the present price of eullivation would 

 he worth $1000. The purchase was for a Inick 

 pstahlishrnent— llie ground lieing underlaid wiih 

 clay. Four tiujes the amount of his laic sale 

 would not now re-purchase the same laud. 



As if nature had laiil out every thing willi a 

 view to the new improvements of the age, a 

 mound or liill, partly of gravel, p.irily of sand 

 ;ni<l of a material lor eeouornical uses worth a 

 dollar a load in the ground, rises like an island 

 in a pond in the midst of the region of swamp 

 Uiuck — ready to pi-iforui its pint whenever cul- 

 tivation shall call lor Ihe change which sm'li uia- 

 Icrial produces upon soil surrounding it o( 

 siie IciHleiicics. 



In the enthusiasm of his profession, Air. liill 

 is contiiiually working improvements in his 

 .swamp lamls: he commences hydig:;iug out the 

 roots to a depth helow wlier(! the [)longii can ev- 

 er touch. 'J'o ihe hands employed in clearing 

 the wood taken from lieneath the surfiice. pri'- 

 served hy its constant saturation, hundreds of 

 years after the trees which grew over it were 

 dead, is often suflicient to pay lijr the lahor. 



The alewivo fishery on "the stp-eam wliicli 

 unites tlie several ponds to the oci'au hasalwajs 

 heeii followed to some e.xlent. The last season 

 in tlie spa<:e of ahout duee miles on this stream, 

 at six or seven lish stands, alewives which sold 

 for some ,$8000 were taken with nel.<. Foi- the 

 greatest p;ut of the; «ay between the lower and 

 upper ponds, Ihe sireaiij tin-ough which idl the 

 iish pass is .llr. Ildl's. iMr. Ab,\er Pierce, the 

 contractor for the Boston ofial, liowever, piueha- 

 sed a lot a lew years since of the swamp wiili 

 the view of reclainnng it partly hy the working 

 of hogs. The hogs disliirhed and riled the 

 stream so much that the fish did not pass to ihe 

 upper ponds for one season. To remedy this in- 

 jury Mr. Hill cut a dilch some fifleen or Iwcniy 

 rods over, throwing up an eudjankmenl on one 

 side and raising the (iiundalion lor a ihy road on 

 the other through uhich the alewives in Iheir 

 season have ingress ,-.n<l egre.--s to ihe jponds in 

 immeuse slioa!.". 



The ciuiing of this dilch was llie ro(U!d;iii(Mi 

 of nuother improvement on which Mr. liill Ijas 

 rerenily engaged peismudly. The lii-sl dilidi was 

 thesidedfan ohioug sijiiare enclosiu;; lueniv 

 acres of ihe lowest swamp near i-'resh pmjd. 

 The water has heen completely dvked on! hy a 

 ditch and endiankmeiit surrounding ihe whole. 

 'I'he laud was cleared liesh meadow with ihe wild 

 gras.s. It had liieome completidy dry previous 

 to the fall rains; and with a single yoke of he:m- 

 tifnlly docile oxen, chained to an improved 

 plough wiih the coulter and shire sharpened 

 like a knife, Mr. Dill had alone plouirjied several 

 acres in the eniire length of the rdilong square. 

 The ground Iiniird over was an original pealv soil 



as black as llie ehi ey back— the fmrowswere 



all completely overl.aid, shulliiig each into ihe 

 other wiih Ihe straituessof the aVroiv. The ini- 

 provenu'iit was to be ccnnplelcd by ihe a[)plie;i- 

 tiou of stimidating manure all made solid bv ibe 

 use (d' ihe rolh^r. 



iMi-. Abner Pierce's i;reat Pingerv adjoins the 

 |H-eniises of Mr. Hill near to Fresh ponil. Seven 

 teams d.-iily come out of P.oslon vvilh fidl loads 

 of the offid gathered from the kitchens of Ihe 

 cily. These learns are in the emplovnient (d' ilie 

 city government; and for ihe material hrou^'hl 

 n|>on ibe ground, Mr. Pierce pays ihe city .S5000 

 annually. Mr. P. purcha.se5, gVows and fnteus 

 annually ahout 2000 hogs; and he generally has 

 oil band 1300 lo 1500 at a time. The too: 



Ihe hogs is the oftal: this is tipped out of ihe 

 uaj;ons, and after the hogs have ealen all they 



will lake, two cords per day of Ihe sirongesi 

 material for uiannie are hdt upon the platform. 

 Air. Hill with two others contracts hir this ofial, 

 which in the same volume bas pi(d}ably three 

 limes the streuglh of ihe best stable manure. 

 The matter of clearing the plalfoi ins must he 

 attended lo as often as three times a week. Mi-. 

 Hill performs his share by laying in side ways, 

 convenient of access, piles of the swamp peal 

 muck, opens Ihe pile in the centre ami dis(d!arges 

 the successive loads of refuse ofi'al, in the pro- 

 porlion of, say four or five loads of nmck to one 

 of the stronger vegetable inalerial which is not 

 less efTeclive from ils strength ihaii ashes or per- 

 ha))S lime in curing the aeidily of ihe swamp 

 inalerial. 



Mr. II. uses large quaulilies of manure on his 

 grounds which in his way is ahvays prepared and 

 ready for .•ipplicalion : we believe il is quile com- 

 mon for the llirmers in his ueigbborhood to .ap- 

 ply stimnlant manure at various times during Ihe 

 suuuuer, especially where more liiini one kind 

 ol vegetable and more than one crop are to bi; 

 raised in the same season. 



Mr. Pierce's hogs are performing an excellent 

 service both to himself and lo ins iuimediate 

 neighborhood. The etFecls of iheir labors aic 

 felt to the distance of a mile around them. II' 

 Mr. P. wishes himself to bi-ing up the culiivaiion 

 of any spot of his own ground, he lays around 

 ihe lot a temporary fence and turns in' bis hogs. 

 In (|uite a short time they root over acres, and 

 introduce ammonia sunicient to be felt for at 

 least five years in crrqis of laud which were ex- 

 ceedingly sleiile. We say in October Ihe root- 

 ing process goin^ on upon a lot of the old light 

 [dains lauds Ibrmerly ihoiight to be worn oul. 

 In a few da^s an army of Isvelve hundred bo^rs 

 had rooted over the surlaceand lurned the whole 

 gromul black'. 



These observations have been dictaled from a 

 rapid visit, in company with a friemi of iMr. Hill, 

 wiih not :m hour's delay, in the month of Octo- 

 ber. 



Improved Stock. 



In the selection of ••mimals fov hreedinir, not 

 more is due to ihe particular bluod of the breed 

 than to a judicious choice of ihe parlicidar ani- 

 mal. Cilile, horses and hogs of the breeds com- 

 mon in ihe conuiry have been found equ;d lo 

 ihe choice breeders imported from ahro;id. — 

 Those who rely wholly on the breed, who pay 

 enormous prices (or inqiorled animals wiih (idl 

 (idlh in a pedigree of pine blood, have heen 

 known to degenerate Iheir slock, and make bad 

 worse. Those who breed animals fi-om a selei;- 

 liou of anim.'ds wiih ibe hot points and who 

 carelully muiuie and feed tliem, crossing them 

 oi-casionally wiih other animals— wiih'" heller 

 points in uhich these may Ik- deficient, with 

 smdi carelul in:magemenl, will gain a race of 

 animals as good as llic vt:ry liesl." \Ve think we 

 have never seen so fine a breed of swine any 

 where, as Ib.il of ibe Worcester ins^^ni' lliispiiaf: 

 llie same li-eilijig \\ ■{', ci'it,,inly make bogs frmu 

 len lo iweniy |.er cnn. iicvier ihan ihe iisiud 

 common breeds, 'i'he increased weight comes 

 as well from ibeipiiet dispo^ilicui, as iioui llie lon- 

 ger bodies and improved propoiiions of bone 

 and limb. In one (d' ibe liospiial pigs at si\ 

 weeks (dd the addiiioual price of one dollar will 

 be a profiiable investment: Or. Woodward fur- 

 nishes the Hospital pigs (Ijr bis neighbors at the 

 addiliou.-d price of miiy half a dollar. 



Frcmi Ihe excellent aihlress of Joikn \V. Pr.oc- 

 TOR, I'Isq. before the Essex Coiinly A;;rienliiiral 

 Sociely at ils last anniversary, we make an ex- 

 lixcl relating to ihe seu-ction imd breeding of 

 callle. Mr. Proctor has for many years Ix'eii a 

 member and olficer of ihat Socirn": good sense 

 and cousl.-int oliservalion have marhr him capa- 

 lile III give Ibe best advice : what be recommends 

 founded on a long experience, iua\ be sal 

 sued.— E(/. Visitor. 



"Th(^ improveuient of llie animals with which 

 our (jirms are sloidied, is a primary ohje<-i of al- 

 lenliou al our callle shoi\s. To this a lari.'e pro- 

 porlioii of the houtities of the sociely are appro- 

 priaierl. From the farmer's sloids, iliwcily or in- 

 directly, is derived a large poriion o(' his income. 

 It iberefore is lo him a mailer of first iniporlance, 

 ofl that he have correct ideas on this subject. .Much 



idy pi 



lias lieeii written in relation to it, and, wiihoiit 

 (huihl, opinions have ofien been modilied by in- 

 leresliMl consideralions ; but still we do not find 

 any essential improvement among the animals on 

 our (iirms generally. Now and then we see a 

 fir-w that have been reared with care and atten- 

 tion, but the great mass of our animals may be 

 said lo come l'(U-ward in ihe nciliiinl uny. 



Publict spirileil citizens, wiih abumhiut means 

 at command, have introduced choice speciiiieiis 

 id' the improved breed from Europe. In so 

 doing they have done a commendable service, hy 

 showing what may he accomplished hy perse- 

 verance ill ihe application of scieniific princi- 

 ple.«. For tlicse efforts to diffuse inliirmatiou, 

 they merit the thanks of ibose w bo are less (ii- 

 vored wiih ihe means of making such experi- 

 lueiils. Of the superiority of these animals in 

 many respects, and particularly in their size, and 

 early matnrily of growili, there can be no donht. 

 The tesiimouy on these points is loo full to be 

 questioned. And of their having been made 

 such by care in the selections and crosin;;s. there 

 can be as little doubt. Nature does not refuse to 

 he assisted in Ihe perfeciion of her works. By 

 the application of the indusiry and skill of man, 

 may all the productions id' nature, wbelher ani- 

 mal or vegetable, be essentially modilied and im- 

 proved. 



The piniil to which I parlicubirlv ask your at- 

 tention is, whether it is betler Cur our farmers to 

 endeavor to stock iheir (arms wiih what are 

 commonly known as the improved breed of ani- 

 mals from England, such as the Durham short 

 horn, and others ; or w betlier iheir alleniimi had 

 heller be direcled mainly lo improving what are 

 called, our native breed of animals? True it is, 

 that these came originally from that country 

 which is the luoiher of us" all, (and were there 

 known as the Devon breeil, 1 hidieve,) but thev 

 have heen so long sealed and have become so ac- 

 climated, Ibat their peculiarilies are as distinct, 

 as are those of ibe people. 



In instituting ibis inquiry I have no parlicular 

 theory to support, or party "lo serve. Aly only idi- 

 jecl is to elicit the Irnlli ;"aud Ibis I must do by 

 comparing the (acts slaled by ihose who luive 

 observed with discrimiiialiou iuid impariialily. 



First, as to icor/.-iHg- o,re7i .- is there any reason 

 lo believe that belter animals for these pnrpo.sos 

 can he found, ihaii are Ibose of our iraiive breed? 

 I have never seen any oxen siipe ior lor labor lo 

 ihe best specimens of those raised in the coniilv 

 of VVorcesler. I speak of ibis connly with em"- 

 pbasi.-i, because iinndi more aiieniion i.> there 

 paid to the rearing' and training of these animals 

 than in Essex. Their steers (pariicidarlv in the 

 town ol'Sntlon,)are made lo know and t,"d<e iheir 

 places wiih as nimdi r<'gularily as bins .n school. 

 iMaiiy fine specimens of aiiiu,;ds well liained 

 have been exhibited from Andover, Haxerhill 

 and other towns: and wiibont doubt, such can 

 be found in almost every town in this ;uid other 

 counties; hut in none in siiidi perfeclioi an I 

 almuilance as in some of the Kiwns about Wor- 

 ci'sier. 



ill proof of the opininn expressed of ibe sn- 

 periorily of our c.ilile for labor, mas I iioi rrler 

 lo Ihe numerous te.iius that have lomi eicd in 

 our plongbiug-ui.alchcs in years pasi, 'y.;r\ in;.' 

 from thirlij Uififlij in a year?" When ba>i it Inq)^ 

 peiied that oni; of our lirst premiums — 1 m.-iy 

 .dmost say any of our |irenjinms— have been oli- 

 iaineil by oxen, other than our own native bieed ? 

 Orwbcii has it been known in this couuiry or 

 elsewhere, that premiums for besi working oxen 

 have been awarded t(j others, when onr own 

 were admilled as ciim()elilor.>? — 1 am not aware 

 ihal this point has ever been coiisiilered in mak- 

 ing these awards. This does not in any manner 

 wi aken Ihe force of ihe argument. The inler- 

 ence I ihink is, lhal had they been actually su- 

 perior, some of those sbrewcl pi.actical men" who 

 liiive couieiided for premiums, and who know 

 how to manage these ibings lo ihe liesi advanl- 

 age, would li.ive been likidy to b.ive discovered 

 il. I think also, liiey would ere ibis have heen 



'e generally used. I iherelbre, ihiiik lhal thiur 



superiority is not proved hy iheir iivds. On 

 ihe conlrary, that our nalive breed are decidedly 

 preferable for lahor to any others iliat I ha\"e 

 seen. 



How is it in reg.-ird lo mihh cows, for dairy 

 pnrpo.ses? — an nuimal whiidi when vitwril in 

 all her rul ilioiis is not sucoiid in importanre i.i 



