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NEW ENGLAND FARIMER. 



March 



AGRICULTUBE IW MASSACHUSETTS. 

 T IS well for people in the 

 various pursuits of life, and 

 in all localities, to contrast 

 occasionally the present with 

 the past, and to inquire 

 whether they are making 

 progress, and if so, in what 

 respects, and to what causes 

 such progress is owing. .We 

 propose at this time to con- 

 sider the question. Has 

 there been any improvement 

 in agriculture in Massachu- 

 setts within the last twenty years ? 



Twenty years ago^ there were good farmers 

 in Massachusetts. Some attention was being 

 paid to draining. Some good stock had been 

 imported, and there were many good cattle, 

 especially Short-horns, in the State. The im- 

 portations of the Society for the Promotion of 

 Agriculture had scattered the progeny of this 

 stock into every part of the Commonwealth. 



A good deal of attention was paid to the 

 subject of ploughing. Fifty years ago, the 

 first ploughing match had been held by the 

 Massachusetts Society, at Brighton ; and from 

 that time much thought has been given to the 

 construction of ploughs. There were Instances 

 of high farming to be found within the State. 

 The market gardeners of Brighton, Roxbury 

 and Dorchester, composted large quantities of 

 manure. Mr. Quincy and others had com- 

 menced the practice of soiling cows. 



But these Improvements had not been gen- 

 erally adopted by the farmers. They were 

 moving in the old ruts that had been worn by 

 their fathers. The average crop of corn did 

 not exceed thirty bushels to the acre. The 

 grass crop did not exceed one ton. A large 

 part of the cattle consisted of the old unim- 

 proved stock. There were few barn cellars 

 and but little compost was made. Many of the 

 old ploughs were In use, and draining was but 

 little practiced. Most of the farm work was 

 done by oxen. Good horses were the excep- 

 tion, and not the rule. Summer seeding of 

 of grass land was almost unknown. But little 

 attention was paid to gardening among far- 

 mers, and their families were very scantily sup- 

 plied with the better kinds of fruits and vege- 

 tables. 



In almost all these respects there has been 

 a marked Improvement throughout the State. 



We have now a noble stock of cattle. Every- 

 where are found Durhams, Ayrshlres and Al- 

 derneys, or their grades. Poor and inferior 

 cows are considered a disgrace to every farm. 

 A better class of horses is found on the farms 

 and on the roads. Horses have very exten- 

 sively taken the place of oxen on the farms, 

 and universally on the roads. Better farm im- 

 plements, as ploughs, harrows, shovels, spades, 

 hoes, forks and rakes, are everywhere seen. 

 Better wagons, carts, and vehicles for riding 

 are universal, and a great amount of labor that 

 was forjnerly done by the hand is now done by 

 the horse. The mowing machine and horse 

 rake are in general use, and the horse pitch- 

 fork and tedder are being introduced upon the 

 large farms. Barn cellars are fast increasing 

 In number. The practice of composting barn 

 manure with muck or loam is generally adopt- 

 ed. The summer seeding to grass Is becoming 

 quite common. Draining is practiced to a 

 considerable extent. Fruit raising, especially 

 of pears and small fruits, has greatly increased, 

 and much more attention is paid to the kitchen 

 garden than formerly. 



Artificial manures are used to some extent 

 In addition to the greater quantity of manure 

 now made on the farm. More roots are raised 

 and fed to cows. Partial soiling Is practiced 

 to a great extent. More hay cutters are used, 

 and more attention is paid to the winter feed- 

 ing of stock, and as a consequence of this, 

 more manure is made, and of better quality. 

 The result of all this is that the quantity of 

 hay has greatly increased and Is of a much 

 better quality. We think that the quantity of 

 English hay has been doubled in the last 

 twenty years. It Is generally cut earlier and 

 cured better than even a few years ago. The 

 farmers are everywhere learning that the 

 more completely the hay retains the qual- 

 ity of grass, the better food it is for cattle. 

 The corn crop has Increased by from five to 

 ten bushels per acre. In no State in the 

 Union does corn yield more bushels to the 

 acre than in Massachusetts. The quantity 

 of milk has greatly Increased, and that much 

 more than in proportion to the Increase in the 

 number of cows ; showing that cows are better 

 and better kept. 



The farm-houses and barns are very much 

 Improved all over the State, and are much bet- 

 ter furnished than they were even twenty 

 years ago. Farmers and their families are 



