•;• 



We have received during tlie month numerous 



fetters from corespondents, a portion of which 

 will lie found ill the columns of our present num- 

 ber. We regret that the absence of the Editor 

 precludes the comment which communications 

 for the Visitor generally receive. 



Reclaimed Bog Meadow. 



Exeter, JV. H.,Jan. 18, 1848. 

 Hon. Isaac Hill— Dear Sir; I send you the 

 names often new subscribers for the Visitor, and 

 payment of their subscription for the year 1S48. 

 It is disgraceful to Rockingham County tbttt 

 we have in it neither an agricultural society or 

 paper, and I hope we shall lie enabled to send 

 you a handsome addition to your list, to encour- 

 age the continuance of the Visitor. 1 shall re- 

 gard its discontinuance as a public misfortune, 

 and hope before long to see it twice a month, or 

 weekly. I have no doubt its circulation would 

 be much increased in this quarter, were it pub- 

 lished oftetier, at an increased price. 



In an article in your last December number, 

 which 1 wrote nearly a year ago, I gave you a 

 statement of my operations on my meadow in 

 this town. My predictions have been fully veri- 

 fied, in regard to its productiveness. I cut last 



8 tier on the whole field thirteen tons of hay, 



by estimation, and as I sold five tors of it by 

 weight, I xui able to judge accurately, I think, of 

 the. rest. 



I mowed over about six and a half acres of 

 land, but one acre of it was bound out and pro- 

 duced not more than half a ton. To that acre, 

 after haying, after sowing it with herdsgrass and 

 red-top, 1 applied a top-dressing of about seven 

 cords of compost, and then harrowed it. The 

 soil is a clay loam. I have not perfect feith that 

 the experiment will prove successful. 



1 practice and approve of top-dressing for wet 

 and heavy soils, but think it should he applied be- 

 fore the land is exhausted, while the grass roots 

 are strong and vigorous, and then I see no reason 

 why a full crop may not be obtained without 

 ploughing, for any number of years. 



Upon the acre of bog meadow mentioned in 

 my former letter, I cut as I anticipated a very 

 large crop of hay last summer. I did not weigh 

 the whole product, but one load, which came 

 from one quarter of an acre by measure, which 

 was not much above the average of the acre, 

 weighed 1570 lbs., which is at the rate of more 

 than three and a third tons to the acre. The hay 

 was of good quality, and sold at ten dollars per 

 ton, the highest market price. As you well 

 know, the stalks do not grow so large or hard 

 upon such soil, as where there is a large supply 

 of silex. It is more likely to lodge, hut is I think 

 more readily eaten by cattle than coarse hay from 

 higher land. Upon this quarter acre, nearly two 

 thirds of the crop grew on one half the tract, one 

 end being comparatively light. These facts show 

 the capacity for production of such lands, under 

 proper treatment. 1 am satisfied of what I never 

 before believed, that four tons of hay may be pro- 

 duced t'roin one acre of land at one cutting. It 

 would perhaps not be profitable, if practicable, 

 for farmers to cultivate their grass lands to that 

 extent ; but there is great error in mowing over 

 so much land as most of us do. 



The average crop of hay to the acre in this 

 county is probably less than one ton. Now none 

 of lis should be satisfied with less than two tons 

 to the acre, which I am inclined to think is as 

 profitable on common soils as a large crop. That 

 however must depend on the quality of the soil, 

 its adaptation to other crops, the facility of pro- 

 curing manure, and other considerations. 1 have 

 always had a passion for reclaiming wet mea- 

 dows, and still think them our most valuable 

 lands for grass. 



Led away, however, of late, by the editor of 

 the Visitor, and other respectable authorities, w ho 

 have sounded the praises of lighter soils, I have 

 recently purchased a tract of pine plain land, and 

 commenced experiments upon it. My only crop, 

 as yet, has been of blasted hopes and diseased 

 potatoes, I have winter rye now exposed to this 

 singularly variable winter, in which I shall noi 

 be disappointed, unless 1 should net a good crop ! 

 My present belief is that my seven acre field ol 



ty acres of light soil in the township. The crops 

 of corn here are however very fine on the plains, 

 and if ever I do raise any thing worth while on my 

 new purchase, I will make a handsome apology 

 to pine plains in general. 



Willi BlUch respect, 



HENRY F. FRENCH. 



Fish as Manure. 

 Say Brook, Conn., Dec. 27(A, 1847. 

 Dear Sir:— 1 have been a recipi nt of your 

 agricultural work for a number of years — as also 

 of one or two other publications of a similar 

 character, besides a daily paper — all of which 

 gives me as much reading matter as I can well 

 digest, and at the same time attend to a multi- 

 plicity of private affairs. 1 wish simply to state 

 to you, that 1 am pleased to receive the Visitor 

 in its regular course, as it makes me acquainted 

 with my brother farmers in your vicinity by a 

 sort of fraternal monthly visit from them. 1 will 

 farther observe that 1 have lost entirely the run 

 of my account with you, but believe I am de- 

 linquent one or two years, which ought not to 

 be the case — and in order to rectify all disorder 

 of the kind, enclosed, I hand you two dollars, for 

 which you will send me a receipt by mail, with 

 the account written up, that I may know when 

 the money will be exhausted by the continuance 

 of the paper. 



1 am living on the same spot of ground on 

 which my father's great-grand-father settled in 

 ItjIJO. He was one of Fenwick's men who lir.-t 

 took possession of the mouth of Connecticut 

 river, in 1G36\ My ancestors, as you may sup- 

 pose, were men of steady habits ; or they would 

 not have continued their species of lineal descent 

 so long on the same spot of earth. 1 am, how- 

 ever, the only one of the family living near the 

 ancient domicil, about seventy or eighty acres of 

 which I own, partly by inheritance, and partly 

 by purchase, and to which I have returned, after 

 spending most of my lile abroad, and am pur- 

 posing to make it my resting place for the re- 

 mainder of my days. Since settling myself in 

 the farming way (five years ago,) 1 have studied 

 much the relative value of manures — have tried 

 guano — nitrate of soda — hone dust — lime — pot- 

 ash — potuli ette — plaster of Paris — Bonimer's me- 

 thod and various other methods, both old and 

 new, and find them all insignificant in their re- 

 sults, compared to what 1 find thrown upon my 

 shores in abundance, viz., while fish — or as ihey 

 are variously called — Muilhaden, bony fish, 

 moss hunkers, and other local appellations. Our 

 standard pi ice for these fish at the fishing places 

 all along shore, is one dollar per thousand. 

 When they are scarce and the demand raises 

 them above this price, we call them dear; when 

 they are excessively plenty, the price frequently 

 falls to 75 cents or less per thousand — we then 

 call them cheap. There is no way that lliese 

 fish can he applied to our sea shore lands but 

 the application is attended with most marked re- 

 sults, provided they are not spread on too plenty, 

 or too uneven — in either of which cases, crops 

 of grain with the succeeding crops of grass may 

 be ruined, wholly or in part, by an over-growth. 

 Our most economical way of using the fish, if 

 the ground intended for cultivation be in readi- 

 ness, is to cart them from the fisheries directly 

 to the land and spread them even as possible, 

 not to exceed eight thousand to the acre for 

 grain alone, or ten thousand for potatoes and 

 grain succeeding them ; or ten to twelve thou- 

 sand for corn, to be succeeded by potatoes, and 

 a slight addition of from ihree to four thousand, 

 composted, for the succeeding crop of grain. 

 This latter course of cropping is the host way to 

 prepare the land for laying down to grass, at- 

 tended at the same lime by such dressing as our 

 yards afford — the joint effect of, say ten thou- 

 sand fish and twenty cart-loads of good manure 

 for curn the first year, succeeded by potatoes the 

 second year, and grain the third year, with five 

 thousand lish, composted, and spread on with 

 ihe planting of potatoes, and ihen a slight com- 

 posting fur the grain, say a few loads of well 

 rotted hog-pen manure (or I. one dust and ashes, 

 mixed for a few months previous,) iviih perhaps 

 u thousand or two of fish with common sod, 

 mixed with the hone and ashes, lo ihe acre. 

 This course of dressing will prepare our grounds 



of a much improved quality. So much is the 

 quality of hay improved by this mode of dress- 

 ing our grounds with the joint operation offish, 

 ami what can be husbanded from our farmyards 

 and hog pens. &c, that a regular trade has 

 Sprung up between ihe uea-shore region of this 

 ancient town and Providence, employing a num- 

 ber of vessels through the winter mouths, carry- 

 ing ihe article hence to that market, where it 

 competes fully in point of quality, with the 

 choicest loads m the hay market of that city, 

 from their adjacent fields. These fish, either 

 composted with common lurf or muck from the 

 swamps or pond-holes, or applied direct, are 

 valuable for any crop of roots, grain, or grass, 

 and in combination with ihe muck and tint fi'oin 

 other soils, and the produce of cow yards and 

 stables, furnish all the materials and elements 

 that are to be found in gypsum, lime, nitrate, 

 guano, pondrelle, &c. Sir., and their extensive use 

 is ihe reason why the separate use of those arti- 

 cles have so litlle effect in proportion lo their 

 cost. This, however, is only my opinion, lis f 

 , have never seem a dissertation on the siihjert of 

 lish manure, and should be glad to see ihe sub- 

 ject treated of by some one professing chemical 

 knowledge. 



You will see that I have enclosed you two cir- 

 culars. Will you please address them to any 

 gentleman by the name of 'Chapman in your 

 Slate with whom you may happen lo he ac- 

 quainted. A few descendants of our common 

 ancestor of 1636, whose first house 1 have the 

 honor of owning, where he huili it, and where 

 my grand-father re-built it 107 years ago, and 

 which 1 use as a farm-bowse at ihe present time, 

 have been laboring fur some time past to trace 

 the family in all its branches, ill all States and 

 Territories in the Union, and for that purpose 

 have addressed their circulars to every body they 

 can hear of by that name in the country. 

 Verv respectfully, your friend, 



GEO. H. CHAPMAN. 

 Euitor Monthly Visitor, Concord. 



Potato Rot and Remedy. 



Hubbardston, Mass., Dec. 27, 1847. 



Hox Isaac Hill— Dear Sir: Until lately, I 

 hail never met wilh jour Monthly Visitor—hut 

 had seen extracts from it which deeply interest- 

 ed me. Returning from a late excursion — on 

 opening the Northern Railroad to Lebanon, and 

 on which 1 came near being used up emirely — I 

 spent a few hours in your beautiful village of 

 Concord, where 1 had not been for 44 years, and 

 where I found great alterations and improve- 

 ments! While there wailing for ihe railroad train, 

 1 became a subscriber for your Visitor, and look 

 some hack numbers, with which I Nave been 

 well pleased. I think it is well calculated lo 

 promote a love of useful knowledge in families, 

 — anil having a number of nephews and nieces 

 anil friends— (no children of my own) who are 

 raising up young families — it occurred lo me, 

 lhal 1 could not, at so small expense, render so 

 great a service to them, as to distribute your 

 Monthly Visitor among lliem, as a New Tear's 

 offering, which will continue lo come lo them 

 every month in ihe year— and they always ex- 

 pect snnieihing from '-Old Uncle Elhan "'about 

 that time;— so I have herewith enclosed a V, 

 and request yon to send me as many Visitors us 

 it will amount lo for one year. 



I noticed your account of raising potatoes on 

 pine plains or tight soil sandy land, because 

 your method so exactly accord's with my own 

 views. (I know nottlina of the use of guano.) 

 This potato disease seems lo baffle the skill nt' 

 our most scientific men. They can heiiher ae- 

 count for it or point out a remedy. 1 have 

 watched it from ils firsl appearance — anil my 

 experience goes lo show ih.it small crops of verv 



good so I pohfWs may he raised on very light 



soiled or sandy laud, without much, or even any 

 manure, by ihe application of plaster, Or leached 

 or unleached ashes. In 1844. when ihe rot first 

 appealed here, I had fourteen acres as splendid 

 looking potatoes as I ever saw : Ihey were jiliilii- 

 oti moist rich ground, about t'Oih of June- 



low land is worth more for grass than any twen- 1 for seven successive crops of English grass, and 



ed 



ami highly manured— for it » a s not ihen known 

 that puiaioes could be loo highly maoiued. In 

 August, the ground was wholly and very evenly 

 covered wilh tops— and in hdier part' of I hilt 

 month, some hills were drawn, and a large croii, 



