SECRETARY'S REPORT. 305 



by judicious cultivation, will endeavor to adapt the soil more 

 fully and perfectly to the production of such crops as he finds 

 most suitable and profitable. 



Bordering the Connecticut on the west, are the towns of 

 Agawam, West Springfield and Holyoke. On the east, Chicopee, 

 Longmeadow, and the city of Springfield. Westfield may also 

 be considered a valley town, lying, as it does, upon both sides of 

 the river bearing the same name. 



The above named towns, considering soil and market facilities, 

 are, perhaps, the most highly favored, being composed, in part, 

 of the most beautiful and productive land to be desired ; while 

 another, if not the larger portion, presents the opposite extreme, 

 being a light, sandy soil. The agricultural products in these 

 towns are, in part, hay, corn, tobacco, rye, potatoes, cabbage, 

 onions, and other vegetables. Market gardening is carried on 

 to a considerable extent, particularly in "West Springfield, and 

 Chicopee, and with satisfactory results. Many farmers who give 

 no attention to general gardening, raise from one to three acres 

 of cabbage. This is readily disposed of to consumers in adjoin- 

 ing villages and cities, or purchased by middle men and shipped 

 to Boston, Worcester, New Haven, and other cities. This is con- 

 sidered a paying crop, the producer often receiving two hundred 

 dollars per acre for the crop before harvesting. 



Tobacco has become one of the staples of the Connecticut 

 Valley, being grown to greater or less extent in every town, and 

 probably with larger profits per acre than any other crop ; cer- 

 tainly with larger gross receipts, four to five hundred dollars 

 being no uncommon sum realized for the crop from one acre. I 

 think the average weight for this county is 1,600 pounds, yet 

 2,000 pounds and more are often obtained. 



Corn is one of our valuable and most reliable crops, the num- 

 ber of bushels per acre ranging from 20 to 90, with an average 

 of 40. 



The light, sandy land, which in Hampden County prevails, 

 (particularly upon the east side of the river, commencing from 

 one-half mile to one mile from the bank,) is devoted mainly to 

 the production of rye, an average crop of which is nine bushels 

 grown every third year. Some lands of this class have of late 

 been planted to corn ; and by the use of some special fertilizers 

 produce twenty to thirty bushels per acre. In regard to this 

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