ON FARMS. 121 



APPLETON MOORE'S STATEMENT. 



The farm examined by the committee, and which is offered 

 for premium, contains thirty-eight acres, mostly of what is 

 called plain land — either sandy or of a sandy loam, underlaid 

 with gravel. The remainder, (about nine acres,) is a gravelly 

 loam, underlaid with clay pan ; the whole, with the exception 

 of about six acres which is too steep for easy cultivation, and 

 which is set with fruit trees, is under cultivation with crops as 

 follows, viz : Corn, sixteen acres; potatoes, eight acres ; peas, 

 cabbages, turnips, parsnips, carrots, onions, &c., six acres; and 

 about two acres of corn sown broadcast, for fodder. 



The most important feature to which the attention of your 

 committee is called, is the previous condition of the land, the 

 whole of which four years since was a pasture, which rented 

 for the small sum of twelve dollars per annum, and which ex- 

 hibited the appearance of having once been tilled, with a suffi- 

 cient return of manure, until it would pay no longer for the 

 cultivation, and was suffered to run to waste, or to very poor 

 pasturage at best. Three years since the greater part of the 

 land was broken up, and the next season, without dressing, 

 planted with beans. One year ago it was planted with corn, 

 potatoes, &c., a part with a very limited proportion of dressing 

 and the other part without any, of the evil tendency of which 

 upon the soil, the committee is well aware. 



The past winter preparations were made to make returns to 

 the soil for what had been taken from it, by procuring at great 

 expense night soil and other fertilizers, and composting the 

 same so far as practicable, with meadow muck, of which there 

 is an inexhaustible supply within one fourth of a mile from the 

 barn. These composts, to the amount of about five hundred 

 ox cart loads, were used the past spring upon the land intend- 

 ed for cropping, and although the supply was very limited, it 

 was spread upon the surface and ploughed under to the depth 

 of five to seven inches, believing though the quantity of ma- 

 nure be small that it is better spread and ploughed under, than 

 to be put into the hill, thereby giving the young plants a rapid 

 and thrifty start at first, and then leaving them to starve and 

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