258 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



FEB. 17, t-:41. 



the first harrowing. 'J'lie farm yard manure was 

 recTularly ilistnbnted on the ground and lightly 

 ploughed in as fast as spread ; having previously, 

 as well as every other part of the ground, receiv- 

 ed a good dressing of plaster of Paris. The bone 

 manure and compost were harrowed in with a heavy 

 two-horse harrow, and tnc ground so rested until 

 the appearance of rain, the 8th of August, when, 

 immediately preceding a shower, the seed were 

 sown and well harrowed in. The rain which tell 

 was not a soaking ..ne, but a transient summer 

 shower, much of which ran off, especially from that 

 portion of the ground to which the bone manure 

 had been applied; the part manured from the farm 

 yard presented a rati er more uneven surface, one 

 consequently more favorable for the reception and 

 retention of rain, which fact was well established 

 by an e.xamination of the ground the next morning, 

 ' when I found that the moisture had penetrated at 

 least two inches deeper in the one case than in 

 the other, and which circumstance gave to that 

 portion of the ground manured frbin the farm-yard 

 a very decided advantnge over the bone manure for 

 the first two weeks, or until ample rain supplied 

 suiScient moisture. The ground upon which this 

 experiment was made is high and dry, and was, at 

 the time, exceedin^ily poor stiff clay land, upon 

 which I had in vain, two years in succession, tried 

 to produce black-eyed peas. 



The growth of turnips on such parts of the 

 ground as had received not less than sixty bushels 

 of crushed bone, was tpu'e equal in the end end to 

 the best growth when the farm manure was used 

 at the rat~"e of 81 cartloads to the acre ; whilst the 

 growth on all smaller allowances of bone, was in 

 ferior,and most so where the least quantity was 

 used. But on that portion of the ground which 

 was dressed with the bont compost, as above stated, 

 the growtli throughout was decidedly superior to 

 any "other part, and the product, at maturity, was at 

 least one third more than was produced on an equal 

 quantity of the ground manured from the stables. 



Of the compost above described, I applied at the 

 rate of 100 bushels per acre, to a poor piece of 

 newly mowed meadow, (in 1838 ;) the succeeding 

 crop was more than doubled by the application ;— 

 the crop of the present year (1840) was still better 

 than the last, and from the after growth this year, I 

 have little doubt of further and progressive improve- 

 ment for several years to come, as the coarser parti- 

 cles of the bone are not yet entirely decomposed. 

 The conclusions, then, to which my mind is 

 brought by the foregoing experiments are, first, 

 that when applied at the rate of from 50 to 80 bush- 

 els per acre, on the exhausted lands of Virginia, 

 one bushel of crushed bone, is more than equal to 

 one cartload of (a.') bu.shels) of good farm yard ma- 

 nure, in its effect upon the firi-.t crop. Secondly, 

 thai the effect of bone manure is more durable 

 than that of any putrescent manure usually produc- 

 ed on a farm. Third, that when applied to land 

 which is in good heart, the effect is much more 

 powerful than it is on very pnor land. Fourth, 

 that when combined with manure and applied in 

 the form of compost, the effect, boih instant and re- 

 mote, far exceeds any other application of the com- 

 ponents when separated with which I nmnrquninted 

 or ever witnessed. And lastly, if stable manure 

 has to be purchased or even hauled more than half 

 a mile from your own stables, bone manure at M 

 cents per bushel, the price it cost mo delivered on 

 the farm, is the cheipest manure of the two. 



Yours, Thos. ApC. .loNES. 



REPORT ON FARMS. 



The Committee of the Massachusetts Society 

 for pionioling Agriculture— Messrs Welles, Pres- 

 cott, Phinney, Codman and Quincy— to whom were 

 submitted the claims and award of premiu.ns on 

 the best Farms, respectfully report. 

 1 The trustees have had a strong conviction, that 

 I in the use of their own funds, as well as those con- 

 ,fided to them for distribution, they could in no way 

 more beneficially contribute to the promotion of 

 i agriculture, than in liberal offers of premiums to 

 farmers for instances of the most productive and 

 best cultivated farms; '-regard being had, (as the 

 trustees have annually stated) to the quantity of 

 produce. Theninnner and expense of cultivation, 

 and the general appearance of the farm." 



The morn easily to facilitate this, the trustees 

 have annually proposed and published a si^ries of 

 well devised questions for consideration and reply, 

 to which the attention of our industrious and intel- 

 ligent farmers has been earnestly solicited. 



^They, therefore, in conformity with this impres- 

 sion, and with a hope of awakening the farmers of 

 Massachusetts to a better sense of the importance 

 of good cultivation, and at the same time of excit- 

 ing an honorable competition in an exhibition of 

 the best cultiuated farms, appropriated six hundred 

 dollars of their funds and the funds entrusted to 

 them for this important object, in manner as fol- 

 lows :— For the best farm, $^00 ; for the next best, 

 .$175; for the next best, 150 ; and for the next 

 best, ,f 75. 



The trustees have accordingly for several years 

 past, appointed a committee for the purpose of ex- 

 amining the several applications which might be 

 made, either by themselves or well selected agents, 

 in relation to the aforesaid premiums, as respects 

 the several objects proposed. 



It has been a subject of regret heretofore, that 

 the applications were so few. They have, however, 

 successively increased and are now extended to elev- 

 en in number, all containing accounts of many useful 

 improvements and judicious experiments, under a 

 conduct and management, indicating an iiicieasing 

 industry, skill, and temperance in our agricultural 

 community, inducing a wish with the committee, 

 that they had more to distribute, where the efforts 

 had been so praiseworthy. 



It must be most gratifying to tiiose who look fa- 

 vorably to this primeval employment of man, on 

 which all others so much depend, to see the means 

 of support, comfort, and happiness so diffused and 

 enlarged. And those who are disposed to view it 

 but superficially, cannot be insensible to the beau- 

 ties which are spread over the face of nature by an 

 improved taste and culture of our mother earth. 



The communications of the several persons to 

 whom the premiums have been awarded, will be 

 published at length. 



It is to be further noted that several of the ap- 

 plicants are in the full tide of early and succesoful 

 experiment, and may, by perseverance hereafter, 

 I well merit distinguished notice. 

 I After a careful examination and due inquiry in 

 [relation to the several applications for premiums, 

 'which have been referred to the committee, they 

 ask leave to report as follows : 



That the first premium of $200 be paid to Abel 

 Moore, of Concord. 



As his communic?tion is full, and will be here- 

 with before the public, evincing a most extraordi- 

 nary instance of increased production, by a judi- 



cious course of management, few remarks of the 

 committee will be necessary, further than to ex- 

 plain wherein this, as an example, may ho safely 

 followed by other farmers, and to suggest some ob- 

 servations for Mr Moore's consideration, as well as 

 that of our other agricultural friends. 



The process of restoring to the upland what a long 

 course of heedless culture has taken from it, is well 

 oiven. The use made of peat or accumulated 

 matter from the low ground — its exposure to the 

 influence of the atmosphere — its mixture with ani- 

 mal manure— and its application as a compost on 

 the cultivated field, are well set forth. 



It is to be considered that in this undertaking 

 the sand or gravel were on the spot and benefi- 

 cially removed. But care should be exercised to 

 avoid covering; too deep the long accumulated mat- 

 ter ill the low grounds, or a valuable source of en- 

 richment to our fields might be lost. 



It may be further suggested for consideration, 

 whether" the leaving the low land for so long a 

 period as twelve years, without occasional top 

 dressings, might not occasion a failure of the more 

 valuable cultivated grasses. 



The committee ask leave further to report that 

 the second premium of $175 be awarded and paid 

 to Paoli Lathrop, of ^South Hadley. 



The management of Mr Lathrop is generally 

 highly praiseworthy, and his success in the re- 

 claiming of ills low mi.'adow land, is quite decisive 

 of the benefit of that practice. 



His efforts in the introduction and dissemination 

 of the Durham short horned slock, have been well 

 exercised, and his observations thereon may be pe- 

 rused by our farmers. 



The use of plaster on u iland and fields of grain, 

 has been practised, and is well spoken of in this 

 communication. It is doubtless productive of great 

 benefit on a light soil in the interior of the state ; 

 but on a wet soil, or near the tide waters, by fre- 

 quent experiments ol several members of the soci- 

 ety, it has failed of any manifest utility. 



U is referred to Mr Lathrop's consideration, 

 whether he has not fallen short in the use of only 

 one peck of herd's grass with clover to the acre. It 

 is in use by many, to apply double that quantity. 



The South Down sheep are spoken favorably of 

 both for their fleeces, and the value of their carcas- 

 ses. 



In the appropriation of the third premium, the 

 committee were somewhat at a loss from the merit 

 and utility of two several applications. They 

 found it, therefore, most consistent with their 

 sense of duty, lo divide the said premium of $150 

 in manner as follows: to Mr Winche--ter $75, to 

 Mr Salisbury $75. 



We think Mr Winchester is a skilfull and jiuli- 

 cious farmer, and his report may be read lo advan- 

 tage. In the production of one hundred bushels of 

 corn, which was certified by the selectmen in one 

 instance, a great crop was obtained. 



When Mr Winchester mentio:is the production 

 of more than four tons to the acre, he does not say 

 whether it was the result of one or more crops. In 

 a case heretofore published in the Agricultural 

 Journal, where four tons to an acre was raised at a 

 siiiTle crop, it was of herds grass only, well set, and 

 hviTh'et three inches to five feet six inches in 

 heii'ht, and considered extraordinary. The pro- 

 duc°tion of four tons to the acre is rarely effected 

 Mr Winchester uses plaster to advantage. It is 

 again suggested for consideration, whether th€ 

 taking, as in this case, a crop for seven years with- 



