136 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



taining about six acres, including swamp land. This lot was 

 in rather bad condition, but has been improved in appearance 

 since it came into my possession, and has paid for the labor 

 bestowed upon it. The swamp land I have reclaimed was 'all 

 over to alders, high bogs, and covered with water, the brook 

 being permitted to run all over the lot. I dug a deep ditch on the 

 side of the swamp, which brouglit the brook from the lot in the 

 ditch. I cleared the swamp of the alders, and mowed the same 

 for litter ; but the greatest value of this lot, is the muck it con- 

 tains, whicli on a part of it is six feet deep. I mean to get out 

 fifty or one hundred loads a year for composting. I cultivate 

 the upland to corn, potatoes and oats. This year, one and a half 

 acres to potatoes, about one and a half acres to cabbages, cucum- 

 bers, &c. ; one acre to pease, beans, turnips. For potatoes, I 

 used guano and plaster in the hill ; for cabbages, manure in the 

 hill ; for pease, beans and turnips, guano and plaster were used 

 in the drills. I put on about one hundred loads of muck for 

 top-dressing. The soil on my farm is a clay loam. I have thus 

 briefly submitted these statements for your consideration. I 

 might say more, but^enough for the present. 



I shall now give you the produce of my farm and garden the 

 season past, to November 7, 1857. 



I have sold from my garden, vegetables, mostly in 



Chicopee, since July o, . . . . . $'312 12 

 Unsold at this time, 262 00 



Amount, 1871 12 



I do all my own marketing and collecting, keeping 

 account of every day's sale from the commencement. 



Expenses of the farm this year : — 



One man 7 months, at $15 per month, . $105 00 



One man 2 months, $18, . . . . 36 00 



By the day, &c., 15 00 



My own work, 250 00 



Horse and wagon, . . . . . 50 00 



Plaster and guano, . . . . . 30 00 



Garden seeds, <&c., . . . . . 15^ 00 



