272 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Hingham, Hull and Scitiiate present some of the strongest 

 lands in the county, with the best of natural pasturage. 

 Although some portions are very rocky, such lands, generally 

 consisting of a close pan of gravel or hard loam, when once 

 subdued, furnish fine grass meadows and gardens, but are not 

 generally warm enough for the largest crops of corn raised in 

 this county. Land of like character is found upon the promon- 

 tory known as the " Nook," in Kingston, near Elder Brewster's 

 Spring, which is still pointed out to the traveller, and upon the 

 promontory known as Manomet, in the southerly part of Ply- 

 mouth. Cattle are well fatted by grazing on some of these 

 lands, in Kingston, Hull, Hingham, and, we believe, in Scituate, 

 from June to October. 



The best crops of corn are raised on lighter soils, and some of 

 the finest we have ever seen were raised upon loam covered by 

 beach sand by the action of the winds and waves, and manured 

 by kelp, or " sea refuse," in the hill. 



We are inclined to the opinion that the statements and sur- 

 veys of geologists as to soils and formations of the various 

 sections of our State, though in general correct, should be taken 

 with some grains of allowance. The geologist will tell you that 

 certain towns in the county are alluvial — all drift. How happens 

 it, then, that we have ridges of clay cropping out for a mile or 

 more all along the rear of the town of Plymouth ? Such is also 

 the case in other sections, which the world are instructed are 

 purely alluvial. The fact is, that the surveys of the geologist 

 are, perhaps necessarily, not sufficiently minute to ascertain the 

 exact condition of the whole surface of the country. 



Li one respect, the climate of this county is especially favor- 

 able to agriculture. In the southerly and easterly sections, near 

 the seaboard, we are exempt from early frosts perhaps two or 

 three weeks sooner than in the county of Worcester. This, 

 perhaps, is of no great importance, inasmuch as there is less sun 

 m the spring ; and the chilling winds and blasting storms from 

 the eastward are longer felt than in the more inland counties. 

 The grass starts in the spring whilst Worcester and Berkshire 

 are still covered with ice or snow, but by the middle of May 

 vegetation in the open air is more advanced in Worcester than 

 in the Old Colony. 



