ALTERNATION OF CROPS. 



159 



natural and permanent grass lands) ought now to be 

 considered as forming the basis of agriculture. These 

 furnish fodder, the fodder supports cattle, and the cattle 

 furnish manure, labor, and all the means necessary to a 

 thorough system of cultivation." 



In order to show the contrast which exists in the pro- 

 ducts of farms, under the new and old systems of hus- 

 bandry, we quote two cases of products under the new 

 system. In neither of these cases were the lands of 

 great natural fertility. The first farm is situated on a 

 sandy pine plain, which until lately was considered of 

 little value for husbandry. Forty years ago these lands 

 sold for three dollars an acre. They now sell at fifty to 

 one hundred dollars an acre. The other farm lies in the 

 neighborhood of Poughkeepsie, and, if we are correct 

 in our recollections, a part of it was in old field ^ or com- 



mons, jn 1801-2. 



Samuel T. Vary's farm lies on the Kinderhook plains. 

 There are 145 acres under cultivation. It was worked 

 m 1835 by Mr. Vary and his sons. His total expendi- 

 ture, that is, money laid out for his family and farm, 

 amounted to $385 75. After speaking of the depreda- 

 tions of the wire-worm, early and late frosts, and other 

 drawbacks with which farmers are ever ajfflicted, Mr. 

 Vary proceeds to give the following statement of the 



Products and Sales of the Farm in 



12 calves, 



196 lbs. butter, at 20 cents, . 



1542 " cheese, at 8 cents, 



30 lambs, at 155. 



850 bushels oats, at 52 cents, 



375 do. potatoes, at 25 cents 



20 tons hay, at $15 per ton, 



72 bushels onions, at 50 cents, 



500 do. corn, at 84 cents, 



220 do. wheat, at $1 50, 



4 cows, beef, 



2 oxen and 2 steers, do. 



7 shoats. 



1835. 



$37 89 



39 20 

 123 36 



56 25 

 442 00 



93 75 

 300 00 



36 00 

 420 00 

 330 00 



69 00 

 130 00 



17 00 



