68 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



winter. But my practice till this autumn, has always been 

 to apply the manure in the fall to loamy soil. The past 

 season, I had an acre of land planted with potatoes; most of 

 this field was of a sandy texture. After the potatoes were dug 

 and the tops removed, I carted on to this acre twenty-two loads 

 of manure, spread, and then harrowed the ground with a 

 heavy harrow. Next spring I shall add more manure, and use 

 the cultivator and harrow only, so as not to disturb the invert- 

 ed sward, and plant with corn. There may be some loss of 

 the manure on this sandy soil by leaching ; but I do not think 

 it will be equal to the expense of having to remove the manure 

 next spring, as is usually practised by most farmers. If you 

 have sandy soils, upon which you wish to apply manures in 

 autumn, I think you would not suffer much loss in carting on 

 fine manure, (whether it is stubble ground, or inverted soil,) 

 and working it into the surface soil, by the harrow and 

 cultivator. Yours truly, 



Levi Bartlett. 



Fattening Cattle and Swine. 



In the absence of any statements of competitors for the 

 premiums offered on this subject, the chairman of the com- 

 mittee would communicate some facts within his experience, 

 relating to the management of cattle and swine. Our annual 

 custom at the Town Farm, in Danvers, has been, for a number 

 of years past, to keep four oxen for labor on the farm, for 

 which we find constant employment ; and we usually purchase 

 those in working condition, and of a large size. They are fed 

 with the products of the farm and Indian meal, giving them 

 from four to six quarts of meal per day ; generally the latter 

 quantity after the first three months. Their skins are kept 

 clean by the use, every day, of the card and brush. This I 

 think important, and should not be neglected. Their stalls 

 are plentifully littered with straw, or meadow hay, and 

 thus are kept dry and comfortable. They are, and should be, 

 driven carefully and treated kindly, and never subject to blows, 

 kicks, nor any harsh treatment whatever. Kindness and care 

 should ever be the motto of the teamster. 



With the amount of labor that they perform under such 



