840 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAY 3, 18 !8. 



We Niilijoiii Mr Clminl)OilKiii's accoiiiil nC liis 

 farm, wliiih lie chooses to denoininnte the "Tein- 

 pcnince Farm," becaiis; no ardent S|iirits have 

 been used on the place since 1827 ; anil he thinks 

 it the '• only farn) in the world " managed at that 

 time on total abstinence principles. We are happy 

 that he is not in this respect a solitary exception 

 at the present lime. Those who use ardent spir- 

 its at all now, let ns thank Heaven, constitnte the 

 exception to the general rule. We have likewise 

 the pride and pleasure to tell l.ini that he was not 

 alone in this iihstinenee in the year 1827; for we 

 certaiidy know one farmer who has probably hired 

 twice or three times the labor that Mr O. has em- 

 ployed, and this for thirly-one years ; and never 

 used any or suffered any to be used on his prem. 

 ises. 



Mr Chamberlain assume.s that a farm, which 

 will ordinarily pay 4 per cent, upon its capital or 

 value, oui.'ht to satisfy Ihe owner. We cannot 

 have a doubt that much better than ibis can be 

 done ; and We believo that Mr C. himself does 

 much better than this ; but hej-e an in other cases 

 5VS have to lament the want bT some exact re- 

 turns. 



Mr C's account of his dairy-room and ice cellar 

 will be read with interest. We are not now pre- 

 pared to say it is the best mode ; but we think a 

 farmer may be satisfied with that, which fully 

 answers his jiurposes; as this appears to do in Mr 

 C's cases. 



Mr C. advertises this good farm for sale ; and 

 he speaks in another place of the extraordinary 

 advajitajje of having a good dairy woman in a 

 wife ; and he speaks in a manner which shows 

 that he is relatingin a modest form his own happy 

 ex])erieiicc. We should like to know iit this case 

 whether the dairy woman goe» with the farm or 

 iiot. 



We hope he will pardon our Sbrldgment ofhis 

 communication, which the state of our columi.'s 

 rendered necessary. 



For the N. E. Fanner. 



"THE OLD TEMPERANCE F.MIM," AGAIN. 



Mr Editor: — My farm is in the easterly pari 

 of Westborough, on the Worcester turnpike, by 

 which it is divided into about equal parts. It 

 contains 213 acres, nearly in the form of a square. 

 The jiastiirage is divideil, and consists often sep- 

 arate lots, amply supplieil with never failing 

 springs. The ten lots may, by removing bars, be 

 made two, and on either side o( the road. A vvtdl 

 in my kitchen, affords water of the best quality, 

 and enough for 1000 head of cattle in the severest 

 droughts. From this, water is conveyed to a iroiigh 

 in my barn-yard. 1 have 230 apple trees, grafted 

 with the choicest vaiietics, from which, in 1835, 

 I gathered 40 barrels of winter apples. The trees 

 have all been grafted since 1825, and are young 

 and thrifty. 



My farm being high ground is less liable to 

 iroBtB than low lands. The corn season, or the 



time between spring and aiilumnal frosts, is fre- 

 quently five or six weeks longer than it is three 

 quarters of a mile south of me. My lather, in 

 1816, raised good corn, of Ihe common size, on a 

 fieid nf)t the most favorably situated. In 1836 

 and '37, (very iinfavoralde seasons,) I planted the 

 largest kind of corn, it ripened so as to answer for 

 seed and for breail, but was not, as the smaller 

 kind would have been, perfectly sound. I have, 

 with ordinary culture, raised Iroiii forty to seventy- 

 five bushels per acre. 



No soil in this vicinity produces better wheat, 

 and potatoes are produced in p-rfectioii. In 1824, 

 I planted three quarters of an acre with potatoes 

 in the usual way. I ploughed the ground twice, 

 put on seventeen loads of green manure, and har- 

 rowed it in, furrowed it at about three feet distance 

 both ways very shallow. 1 planted seventeen 

 bushels; the seed was large and not cut. I hoe(' 

 twice and made the hills as small as I cou!d and 

 keep down the weeds. "The vines covered the 

 ground so as to prevent the growth of weeds after 

 the latter hoeing. From half an acre I got 300 

 bushels of |]Otati>es ; ihe other quarter did not 

 yield as well. 1 find from experience, that the 

 most profitable crop is grass. 



My barn is 125 by 38 feet, with an open s|iace 

 or Hoor Ihroiigh it lengthwise, and 39 stalls on the 

 south side for cows which, when fitted with good 

 ones, presents a gratifying sight to a good farmer. 

 Cows taken from ordinary farms to such a farm 

 wil soon improve fr<un 10 to 20 per cent. 



My bouse is connected with the barn, by a 

 building c<uisisliiig of a wagon-house, chaise- 

 house, granary, meal chamber, cheese room, and 

 kitchen. The house is 28 by 38 feet, two stories, 

 wiih a cellar under ihe whole, and the kiicheii 

 paved with stone and brick, and the walls so tight 

 as to keep out rat or mouse. The milk cellar 

 is on the north side, 24 feet by 6, partitioned from 

 the other by a brick wall. There are five shelves 

 on eilher side for setting the milk, and above these 

 on both sides, a shelf for ice. The ice shelves 

 make an inclined jilane, with a descent to the 

 wall, so that, us the ice melts, the water runs 

 down upon the wall and equalises the temperature 

 tliroii:.'h the cellar. In very warm we.-ither, we 

 place a thermometer in the cellar, and put in ice 

 till it produces the right temperature, which is 

 about 60 degrees Fareuheit. 'J'he water is dis- 

 c.hargeil by a drain. 



The ice cel'ar is on the north side of the milk 

 i-ellar, 10 feet square and 12 feet deep. I put in 

 a frame and boarded it tight on both sides of the 

 timber, so that what I put in to fill up the space 

 should be kept perfectly dry ; as any thing dry is a 

 better non-conductor of heal, than if wet. My 

 intention was to have filled with pulverised char- 

 coal. Not, however, having enough of that, I 

 supplied the deficiency wild sawdust and tan, 

 making use of these where there was least expo- 

 sure to heat. The top of the frame is about four 

 feet above the surface of the ground. To secure 

 ibis part, I made a wall round three sides and 

 fitted in three feet of gravel. [Sleepers were laid 

 at the bottom and beneath was filled with tan. — 

 The floor was made tiglit so as to carry off the 

 water, as the ice melted, into the milk cellar, 

 where it is conveyed round in troughs, producing 

 a iiood effect, and is discharged by the drain. 



The result of my ex[)criinent, has been per- 



fectly satisfactory. The last winter I procured 



I iny supply of ice from an artificial pond made by 



flowing a small stream within a few rods of my 

 house. When the ice was of a suitable thickness 

 I let off the water and could then manage it with 

 more convenience. 



1 consider, that in consequence of the conve' 

 nient location of my p.nstnres, mowing and tillage 

 and the facilities for doing business about inj^ 

 house and barn, that the expense of labor is pro 

 portionably twenty per cent, less than is reqiiiret 

 to manage some farms less advantageously silua 

 ted. My wife says she has worked ns hard ti 

 take care of a dairy of eight cows as she doesnov 

 to lake care of a dairy ot thirty-five. Men do thi 

 milking, cbiiriiing and much of th"! heavy work 

 but much labor is saved by method and accom 

 modation-i. A thing very material, if not th' 

 most material to a farmer, especially if In 

 have a large dairy, is a wife, who knows how bes 

 to manage it, and does herself so manage it, whi 

 risetli while it is yet night and giveth meat to he 

 household. She is a help-meet indeed. 



In the statement published in the New Englan' 

 Farmer in 1833, I made the aggregate sales, fror 

 my farm for the year ending in Marclij of bef 

 and pork, and from my dairy, $2394,45. I fatte 

 nineteen hogs, twelve of which weighed over 600 

 lbs. averaging more than 50l lbs. For Ihe llire 

 succeeding years I have no data from which 

 can make an accurate statement of sales. Ii 

 1837, the gross sales from the dairy were $1282 

 for beef 878,37 ; for pork 8631,86— total 2795,2; 

 For 1838, say ending March 31, for beef, $157 

 pork, 814,12; dairy, $1267,65 ; for winter applet ' 

 $150,00 ; for potatoes, $150 ; total, $2438,77. O 

 the 21st Noveniiier, 1837, purposing to sell in 

 farm, I sold the most of my stock at aiictio i 

 for $1209,75. Ths hay and othjr fodder in 

 my bain, at the same time, estimated at th 

 current prices, was worth at least $150C, male 

 ing in all $5148,52. These statistics show some 

 thing of the business and products of the farn 

 but do not furnish the means by which to ascei 

 tain the net profit. When I have fatted cattle 

 I have sometimes paid for pasturage elsewhere 

 and what I have paid for grain, taxes, labor, am 

 the cost of stock, &c. should be deducted to de 

 termine the result. Still, alter making the neceai 

 sary and proper deductions, 1 think a balance wil 

 remain something above the interest on $18,000 ii 

 four per cent, which is said to be as much profifl 

 or as high an interest as farms generally pay.— i 

 Good, and what are usually considered dear farrai 

 at their esti.iiated value, generally pay, compari^ 

 lively, more profit than poor, cheap ones. 



I oiiiiited to state, in the proper place, that a| 

 my land is very favm-able to the growth ot frui 

 trees, I have paid much attention to this branct 

 of husbandry, and made considerable use ol ap( 

 pies in fatting hogs. I have, also, some venerai 

 hie rock maple trees in view of my house, aD 

 indication of good land and enabling me to indulge 

 in the wholesome luxury of sugar and molasses, 

 I may, hereafter, offer you so:ne statements op 

 the iniinagernent of a dairy, fatting hogs, and othei 

 matters belonging to the Imsiness of a farmer, i» 

 relation to which 1 have had considerable experi' 

 ence and made some experiments. 



SAMUEL CHAMBERLAIN. 



It is stated by a French writer upon Floricufc 

 tore, that the sum spent weekly in Paris, durin| 

 the winter months, in nosegays, flowers for ballj 

 and dresses, exceeds 50,000 francs. 



