148 



NEW EIVGLAIND FARMER, 



Nov. 27, I «;;<*. 



From the V( 



I Gazelle. 



IDDLESEX SOCIETY OF HIJSIJ.VNDAIEN 

 A.M) .M.VNUFACTUREKS. 



Tht Commiltte on farms, Rcronr — 



Tliu BuliHcribor:*, in the neceawary ami regretleil 

 absence of tlie lit-v. geiitlciiinii willi wlioiii tliey 

 nero joined in coinniilteu on Enriii-s, ti|)oii ilie two 

 tirst doys of llie preseiil month, e.\uiniiied those of 

 Mr Fra.vcis Richardson ol" Billcrirn, of Mr 

 AfousTUs TuTTLi: of Coiicoiil, mill ol' Mr Na- 

 thaniel S. 1Jk.\.\et of I''riiuiiii(,'liHm. Tliese be- 

 ing tiio only pcraoiis claiming tiie Society's pre- 

 miums. 



Tlic Committee, as opportunity lias occurred, 

 have remiu-kfd the agricuhiire of the county. The 

 " bonnie acre.*, and weel slocked farln^s" show the 

 increasing attention to the leaiiiiig iiilcrest of our 

 county. Mr Richardson's furm of lorty acres, 

 lies ill that beautiful central village. His buildings, 

 including a ."oap boiling and tallow chandlery 

 works, are commodious. — The farm, a deep rocky 

 loam, extending back from the road, where it lies 

 narrow, between parallel lines, about half a mile 

 to the river ; which is the only water upon the 

 grounds. Until Mr Richardson punliaseil, this 

 territory had been under the old agricultural U^t- 

 imacy ; that is, a small part next the buildings had 

 engrossed the patronage, and was nearly run tlown ; 

 in the part adjoining, grass and brush were at a 

 atrifc fo\- the mastery ; the remainder, a remote 

 province, in a state of vigorous insurrection. The 

 present proprietor extended a lane from the road 

 to the river, dividing the farm into e<iiial portions; 

 again subdivided into lots of generally about four 

 acres. Upon these lines of division he built walls 

 with the stones cleared from the lots ; placed a 

 gate upon the lane at the road, and bars connect- 

 ing the lots with the lane. Thus the lane with 

 each lot in turn becomes a pasture with water. 

 The bushes were extirpated, and grounds subdued 

 by the customary methods. Mr Richardson 

 ploughs his grass grounds early in the autumn ; 

 plants two years in succession, spreads his manure 

 the second year bountifully, and top dresses once 

 ill two or three years. The local difficulties are 

 admirably remedied by this disposition of the lots; 

 and the several parts constitute a complete whole. 

 The Coniniitteo were happy to find that in this 

 ■union the old settlement had not been compelled 

 to contribute to the common cause without an ad- 

 eq'jate remuneration. 



Mr Bennet purchased in December, 1815, his 

 farm of one hundred and seventeen acres; soil of 

 the usual varieties. That having the strongest 

 ■oil, and now the most productive, was then a 

 waste extremely rocky, and run to bushes. The 

 buildings were worth nothing ; and an old field 

 iiiioiit them was all that was cultivated. — This 

 »vii8 the settlement of a most bcnevolcntcharacier; 

 with n disposition suitecl toother regions and other 

 days; fiir tlie.se bushes and for himself, he thought 

 the world sufficiently wide ; anil with a spirit too 

 little prevalent in our country, he had not a Irjart 

 to distio.'isess these natives of tlio soil. For llie 

 inkc of peace and fease he gave up territory after 

 lorritory, year by year his cattle driven homeward 

 and reiliici.'d in number ; still he felt secure in his 

 garrison. Hut who can with certainty, calculate 

 the chanitcsof fortune? Unfortunately, a narrow 

 lane led to bis house ; the wily enemy seized the 

 advantage, and under cover of the wulls sprang 

 up and discomforted the good man, who took to 

 hi* heels and ran. 



Mr Dennett broke ground in the hpriiig of IWlG, king olTlhe hay, Mr Tultle, with the plough 

 and year by year advanced bis parallels, until he and harrow, has taken up, and inimedinierv ulc 

 siilHlued the soil. At this time it is an extremely put down, wiib niunure, red-top, and henls nn 

 well arranged and highly cultivated farm. Jle lie is reclaiming the meadows for his farm ; it 

 suinlued the bushes up<m a swell of thirty-five ore flat swamps, yieldin); a scanty «iur ero»v 

 acre.s, a strong dee[> .soil and immensely rocky ; and > lie commenced by ditching; and at first Mirl« 

 put the stones into the best built balance wall, gravelled one lialf acn; : this he found very inu 



that the Committee remember to have ever seen, more expensive than the Ibllowing nieihud : lui 



These walls divide his fann into sixteen lots, of in September, he ploughs, (the cutter is found i 

 which he has <i plan and field book. I.'pon seve- ccssary,) then thoroughly rolls down the fiirro 

 ral of the lots, young apple trees, over six hundred, — bis roller nine feet by twenty inches, then 

 have been put out and grafted ; his method is, to llioroughly harrows ; now carts on gravel, loa 

 transplant, and next year to engraft. A peach or- and horse manure, proportioning the gravel a 

 chard is alsorapidly advancing ; these and the ap- loam with a view to the nature and state of t 

 pie trees are, mosllij, but recently from the nursery. ' meadow ; spreads and harrows again, s»ws reili 

 The garden contains grapes both of the foreign j and timothy, two pecks of the latter, luid a bo; 

 and native kinds. By tying the horns of the cattle i el of the former to the acre, then finishes with t 

 to the foot, the young orchards are grazed with ' roller — five acres thus reclaimed, produced i 

 safety, the trees being grafted high for the ])ur- ' summer two tons of mat kel hay to the acre. . 

 pose. The stock hay upon this farm is the pro- apple orchard of healthy trees, heads well form 

 duce of what was a swamp overrun with elders, the grafts of four years growth, yields some tr 

 blueberry, and white bush ; and reclaimed by the ' the present season. A peach orchard in train, bi 

 following method : — broad ditches were sunk by I set last August. 

 first taking off the moss by the knife and spade; Produce the |iresent season is two hundred a 

 then by the plough and oxen, to the depth of five fifty bushels of Indian Corn ; five hundred bush 

 feet or more, and the gravel spread over the lots of Potatoes ; and twenty-three tons of Engl 

 by means of the scraper. Thirteen cows have Hay. The average profits of the dairy, eight d 

 yielded this season over nine hundred weight of lars per week, — the weekly produce at this lii 



butter, and at this time sixty pounds a week. 



' forty pounds, from nine cows from lh« first of/ 



shire blood. The owner of this eslablishmcnl 1 

 done the work upon it this season with the aid 

 one lad of seventeen, and one other of nine ve 



The butter is iiut up for the market in a box ?""*'• s*""^*-' 'r'"" eleven ; Bull of quarter Dev 

 whose base is two feet square and usual height ; 

 pound lumps duly stamped are jjlaced in the box, 

 but one half the surfiice is in contact, leaving in- 

 ter.stices through the bottom. The advantages ! o*" "ge. ''V paying for labor in hay lime, thinx i 

 attending this manner are a facility of inspection '=""^- ^'^'^ Tuttle, too, has filled her de|artm. 

 and display. The buildings liav.e been all erected ""h «''e assistance of a little girl, and a Woi. 

 by the pre'sent proprietor'; are commodious, and : °" washing days. The man employed at hay 

 well adapted to the exigencies of the establish- j '•"1""^^ r"'" ! his employer assured him that 

 inent. The old well at the bottom of the swell, | '''^ growth of this production, his lands a(.pca 

 more than thirtv feet deep, and often dry, had been j ""' •" ''«= "' "" " '^" nd'-P"''' = •'"" I'c had kii.: 

 the only water.' House, barn, and ground.s, are | '"""y 1"^'"^"'"* "l'°" *"'''* ^""''"'' «» his, make 

 now supplied by an aijueduct from a well sunk I '•'''l«=''">«=""""=*' thoroughly, trying it in a gi 

 but ten feet about one-third up the swell. Pro- j ^""^'y "f "ays, aud yet they always fai f 

 (luce of the farm, Indian corn over two hundred i R"»licr than interrupt so successful a course 

 bushels; Potatoes two hundred bushels; market I '""''">"',''".^' »'"= ""»" sul'mitied. 

 Hay thirty tons. I ^'^ Tuttle had money to pay for his piinli. 



One hun.lred dollars has been paid for labor "nJ ""' "'""'""ar 'l'I- For his barn he ha.s | 

 this season ; Mr Bennett with the assistance of two I ^'S'" hundred dollars ; for a pasture in the com 

 hoys has performed the remaining work. The ""'ee hundred ; for manure the three first \e 

 Committee were assured that a field of about five I ^'x hundred dollars ; this last expense he cov - 

 acres, which they noticed to have been extremely I by journies with his team. Yet notwilhstai. 

 well ploughed grass land, had been turned by a | '''^sc and very many other disbursements, « : 

 boy with one yoke. " I'''* obvious must have been made, a jiidicn 



MrTuttle's farm of one hundred and fifty acres, persevering course of hardy industry, has led l 

 has the varieties of soil usually occurring; it had j """'"1 of results, which will very soon cover tl 

 been worn down; the house sadly out of repair, I '■''l'*^"s»'s, without any aid liwii adventi^ 

 barn worth nothing, stock reduced to three cows, I ^°"'''''-''' 



yoke of oxen and a horse ; there were three tons | '^'''^ f''>"'niiltee are of opinion, that Mr Ai- 

 of English hay, and forty bushels of grain raised "'» '^'""'«' '^ Pnl'tl*-'! '" l''" Socieiy's tirsi pre 

 in a season,; a"pple trees choked with wood, and '"" ' "'"' "'a' M"" N'"'">»";1 S. Bennett is ciiiii 

 few in number ; and fi;nees down ; in a word, so '» their second premium. 



late as 182-J, and for the sum of $1750, Mrl ^rn -^ "*^?'p **', > 



Tuttle purchased that scono of Atoicru ruin. The I ABNt.R Wtlx<hKl<.K 



' s .» I Q,„,orj_ Q^i 7^ 1829. 



Commilteo will now refresh the .Society wiili the 

 view |)rosenlcd to them last Thursday, llou.se 

 repaired, n barn 70 liy '10 feci, having a lloor way 

 length wise ibroiigh the ctiiitre, with a cellar 



LIVE OAK. 



This is one of lliu mn>i \aliiable |)roductinn 

 our territory. In hardness, .solidity, capacity 



resistance and diirabilily, it excels the best wl 

 oak. The teak wood of the East Indies, h.ns b 

 much vaunted for ils excellence in ship buildi 



ihronghoiit of large sione well built. A piggery 



with a boiler set in brick ; walls new biiill, and 



other fences repaired. The old fields renovnted 



by the usual course of liu.sbanilry, and in .some in- hut the live oak is preferred, and it has been s 



stances, where grass lands have liccome bound, that these were the only two kinds of timbci 



and a change of crop not desired, soon after ta- < i)i,< worlil fit tor building shipti of Har. So gn o 



