ALTERNATION OF CROPS. 159 



natural and permanent grass lands) ought now to be 

 considered as forming the basis of agricuhure. 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 Poughi^eepsie, and, if we are correct 

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

 mons, in 1801-2. 



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

 There are 145 acres under cultivation. It was worked 

 in 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 afflicted, Mr. 

 Vary proceeds to give the following statement of the 



Products and Sales of the Farm in 1835. 



12 calves, $37 89 



196 lbs. butter, at 20 cents, . . . 39 20 



1542 " cheese, at 8 cents, . . 123 36 



30 lambs, at 155. . . . .56 25 



850 bushels oats, at 52 cents, . . 442 00 



375 do. potatoes, at 25 cents, . 93 75 



20 tons hay, at $15 per ton, . . 300 00 



72 bushels onions, at 50 cents, . . 36 00 



500 do. corn, at 84 cents, . . 420 00 



220 do. wheat, at $1 50, . . 330 00 



4 cows, beef, . . . 69 00 



2 oxen and 2 steers, do. . . .130 00 



7 shoats, ... . . 17 00 



