APPLE ORCHARDS. 113 



ashes, lime, plaster, and such other fertilizers as I could afford 

 to buy, and sowed grass-seed in August or September, with the 

 best results. 



I have usually fenced and mowed it one or two years, and 

 then turned it to pasture, fencing off and ploughing more, to 

 be used in a similar manner. I have now about ten acres, from 

 "which, with comparatively small outlay, I have destroyed the 

 bushes, got one or two crops of hay, and my pasture is four 

 times as good as before. Where I have succeeded in getting 

 good surface drainage, I retain the cultivated grasses. Where 

 the water does not drain off freely, the wild, sour grasses come 

 in, in two or three years. 



When pastures have been used for a long time, mainly for 

 pasturing milch cows, they become somewhat exhausted of the 

 phosphate of lime a:nd magnesia, which form quite a percentage 

 of milk, and our cows are inclined to chew bones and other 

 substances in order to obtain a supply, frequently at the expense 

 of their flesh and to the injury of their teeth. I "would there- 

 fore recommend that, in improving old pastures, in addition to 

 draining and a supply of stable manure, leached ashes, lime or 

 other substances containing the phosphate, should be used. 



Spencer Leonard. 



APPLE ORCHARDS. 



WORCESTER NORTH. 



From the Report of the Committee. 

 Every farmer should pursue some special branch in agricul- 

 ture, best suited to his tastes and circumstances ; if it is con- 

 genial with his taste, and his farm be well adapted to stock 

 growing, that is the branch for him to pursue ; if his farm is 

 well adapted to growing vegetables, and his mind leads to that 

 branch of agriculture, it is for his interest to make it a source 

 of livelihood. Again, if he is interested in fruit growing, he 

 should enter into it with his whole heart and make it his lead- 

 ing pursuit. Simply because Mr. Reid, of Westford, or Captain 

 Pierce of Arlington, have acquired little fortunes in their or- 

 is* 



