252 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FEB. 14, 1P3-. 



REPORT 



Of the Trustees of the Massachusetts Socielij for 

 promoting .Agriculture, on Farms — Jan. 1838. 

 The Massiichiisetis Society for promoting Agri- 

 cultiire liave for sevi^al years past, offered liberal 

 premiums for the two best cultivated farms. These 

 offers have been made upon conditions, with which 

 the enlightened cultivators of the soil could easily 

 eotniily. Rut they regret exceedingly, that, among 

 the many respectable and intelligent farmers thro'- 

 ont our Commonwealth, these offers of reward 

 .should have excited so little coinjietition. To 

 what cause shall we attribute this omission among 

 our farmers to avail themselv s of the Society's 

 bounty. Not certainly to an indifference to the 

 great and all important subject of Agricnitnre, 

 nor to a want of intelligence sufTicieut to enable 

 them to cmnniunicate all that the Trustees require. 

 Is it not in some measure owing to a mistaken 

 notion among our yeomanry, that the public do 

 not rightly a|)preciate the iTiotives of claimants for 

 premiums.^ That it is the Society'.s bounty, rather 

 than a desire to communicate valuable informa- 

 tion, and the important results of practical skill, 

 that induces them to make the claim ? May we 

 n(5t also look to another cause as strongly opera- 

 ting upon the minds of many of our unassuming 

 farmers, we mean a reluctance at placing them- 

 selves before the public, as models for others 

 while there exists an a|iprehension, that their 

 claims are inferior to those of many others, who 

 do not apply .' Whatever may be the raufe of 

 this reluctance to comply with the Society's pro- 

 posals, its existence is certain, and operates to de- 

 ]irive the public of much valuable information, 

 which the Trustees hoped in this way to elicit ; a 

 mode which they believe well calculated to excite 

 an honorable competition among that highly re- 

 spectable, and most useful class of our fellow cit- 

 izens, the yeomamy of our state. That a spirited 

 emulation, and a praiseworthy rivalry exists aino-.ig 



bined on the same farm ; and they are happy to Value of produce used or on hand, 

 say, that they are all cre.litable examples of pi of- Co.st of labor, 

 itable, productive, and improving agriculture.— 

 The Trustees reatet, that it was not in their power 

 personally to inspect the farms, that have been 

 offered for premium : but from the testimonials 

 produced they have been led to place implicit re- 

 liance upon the slatemenls made by the respective 

 applicants themselves; and they have taken pams 

 to avail themselves of otb.er and satisfactory sour- 

 ces of information. 



The farm of Joshua R. Lawton, for the de- 

 scription of which, the Committee is indebted to 



■Mr Colman, lies to the west of the village of Great 

 Harrington ; is situated mainly on a beautiful swell 

 of land ; and at the same time embraces several 

 acres of low meadow, or alluvial land near the 



954 2 

 378 5 

 Incidental Expenses, 70 S 



In these expenses are not included his famil 

 expenses, and it does not appear whether his ow 

 labor is charged or not. At the same time H 

 pork now fatting, which is expected to be s<dd1 

 January, and to bring $600 is not enumerated. ■ 

 will be found, on an estimate of these produc 

 at current prices, the balance in favor of the far 

 is very large, presenting as fair a return for caj 

 tal employed as any investments usual among l 

 and superior to most stocks, especially when tl 

 certainty of the return, and the security of the! 

 vestment are considered. 



The second farm presented to the notice oft 

 Trustees, is that of Joseph Howe, of Metliui 



our farmers, no one, who witnesses their enter- 

 prise, and persevering induslry, will question for 

 a moment; but what we lament to see is, this un- 

 vfillin.''oe.ss to communicate to their fellow-labor- 

 e>^ irir iC""''^ °f '"^"••'^ labors and experience. 



That our conjectures on iujs subject are not 

 wholly witliont foundation, is manifest from the 

 ciicuiiistance, that three farms only have been of- 

 fered for premiums, and but one of these in season 

 to be entitled, by the rules of the Society, to a 

 premium ; the other two which v/ere made at the 

 suggestion of the higbly respectable gentleman, 

 who is appointed to make an agricultural survey 

 of the state, came too lute. 



Farmin" in RlassHcluisetts must be necessarily 

 of a mixed character. Properly speaking we 

 have no great staple ; our wool and our dairy 

 farms approach nearer to an exclusive character, 

 than any others ; but few of these are to be found 

 where the whole farm is devoted to a single ob- 

 ject. Our condition, tho condition of our fami- 

 lies, the face of our country, and the nature of our 

 soils, the habits of our people, and the state of our 

 markets do not admit of this, or rather do not in- 

 duce to it. From this circumstance the success- 

 fill management of our farms requires the more 

 labor ami skill. 



In the farms offered to their consideration for 

 premium, the husbandry is of this mixed charac- 

 ter, exhibiting all those varieties of product and 

 management, which may be successfully com- 



35 at 

 11 



5 ; 



57- 



banks of Green River. The house, barn, and ex- t;„„nty of Essex. This farm contains 108 acr 



has a loamy soil, in some degree rocky and bet 

 calculated for grass than grain, has several ac 

 of low, wet land, which has been drained, aud 

 carting upon it loam and gravel, he has changed i 

 character of its produce from a coarse, and aim 

 worthless grass, to a rich and abundant yield 

 English hay. The whole of his mowing land! 

 appears from his statement, and the Commit 

 believe it not to be overstated, yield over two ti 

 to the acre. The fences and buildings on the fa 

 we are informed from unquestionable author 

 are i:i fine order, his barn and manure yard of 

 best construction, and the husbandry neat 

 careful. The fact that the produce of his fie 

 under his management, has doubled within a. 

 years, and this without any considerable expel 

 ture for manure or labor, furnishes ample 

 honorable testimony of the agricultural skill: 

 industry of its enterprising owner. , 



His farm is thus divided : 

 Mowing land, 

 Sowe<l " 

 Planted " 

 Pasturage" 



Crops. 

 Hay 70 to 79 tons on 35 acres. 

 Oats 3.50 bush. 30 bushels to the acre 

 Corn 195 " 54 " 



Potatoes 700 " 332 " " 

 Winter apples, 175 bushels. 

 Butter, 615 lbs. 



Cheese, 400 " 



Mr Howe's own account of his farm 

 management of it, though in some particu 

 ficient, is published herewith, and recoinmei 

 to the notice of our farmers. 



The next farm off^ered for Premium is th 

 William Buckminster of Framingham in liic 

 of Middlesex. His farm contains 150 acr 

 which 20 acres are low meadow overflowed 

 spring, and never ploughed, 30 acres in p 

 not suited for tillage, 30 acres in wood, g 

 tillage and 20 acres of interval and orchard 

 His cro|)S raised this year are 

 Spring rye, one acre, 10 b( 



Spring wheat, " 22 



Buck wheat, " 30 



Hay (upland) 40 ta 



Tiirni|iS, 100 bushels among his corn. 

 Milk sold 60 dollars worth. 



He plants usually 2 acres of corn, sup 

 yield 45 bushels to the acre, and one acre 

 toes, yield not stated. Three years ago h 

 56 bushels of corn to the acre, by nicasill 



tensive sheds are of wood, and the yard as wen j 

 adapted as any yard, which has not a cellar, or 

 covered manure-house, for the saving and making 

 of compost. The Piggery is of an unusual and 

 excellent construction, combining aloft for Corn, 

 a cellar for vegetables, and a large steaming ap- 

 paratus for cooking food for the swine. The fen- 

 ces on the farm are mostly of stone, built about 2 

 1-2 feet high, with cross stakes, and two rails on 

 the top of die wall, aud the enclosures are in gen- 

 eral square, and free from weeds and bushes. Rlr 

 Lawton is likewise with great care draining his 

 low lauds by covered drains, and is determined to 

 render every part of his farm, which is capable of 

 cultivation, productive. The soil is strongly mixed 

 with lime stone, and i.« very sensitive to plaster. 

 The greater part of it is of a rich loam, under 

 high cultivation, and highly productive in grass 

 and grain. We should like to have been informed 

 of Mr L's. method of constructing covered drains. 

 Are they filled with stones, and covereil with 

 earth? If so, we apprehend he will soon find them 

 choked, and of liltle use. If made of the draining 

 tiles imported inlo this country from the English 

 potteries, at a very cheap rate, and extensively, 

 and very successful used by Judge Buel of Alba- 

 ny, and by others in New York, he will, we have 

 no doubt, derive very beneficial results. 



of his products the 



We shall draw out a sketch 

 present year, and leave them to speak for them 

 selves. To this re|iort we shall also subjoin liis 

 own account in full. 



The extent of his farm is 207 acres, 35 of which 

 are iu wood — 85 in pasture. 

 His live stock consists of 



Horses 4, Oxen 2,' Cows '8, Sheep 3C7, Swme 

 50, young neat Stock 9. 



His crop are as follows : 

 English Hay. tons 87, averaging per acre ll ton. 

 Wheat, bush. 137, " " " 15 bush. 



Indian Corn " 457, " " " 38 " 



Oats, " 480, " " " 41 " 



Pease and oats " 14, " " " 35 ' 



Potatoes, " 907, •' " " 226 " 



Ruta I5aga, " 1223, bad a crop last year ot 605 

 bushels on 90 rods. 



art 



ilarj 



