FARMS. 79 



The buildings arc of a very substantial cliaracter, the house 

 being of brick and the barn of stone. The barn, though not 

 constructed for the purposes for which it is used, and not con- 

 venient for an ordinary farm, is tolerably well adapted to the 

 wants of this farm ; and the other buildings, together with the 

 extensive range of hot-beds, arc well i)lanncd and situated. 



Taking into view the fact that the land was worn out by neg- 

 lect and constant robbery for a series of years, and that it has 

 now become, by the judicious management of Mr. Merrill, one 

 of the best and most productive market gardens in this vicinity, 

 and as a recognition by the society of the value of such an ex- 

 ample to the farmers of the county, we award to him a gratuity 

 of twenty dollars. 



For the Committee, 



CnAS. P. Preston. 



Slalemenl of S. A. Merrill. 



My farm is situated in the town of Danvers, near the iron 

 foundry. It comprises about fifteen acres of land, with sub- 

 stantial brick dwelling-house, stone barn, and other out-build- 

 ings. I bought in 18G4. At that time no part of the land was 

 under cultivation, except a small garden. The rest had been 

 lain down to grass several years before, and was nearly run out. 

 I bought in the summer, jiloughed first in the fall, and planted 

 first in the following spring. I planted about fourteen acres, 

 mostly with garden vegetables. In the fall of 18G4 I laid down 

 about eight hundred feet in length of hot-beds, five feet wide. 

 In 1866 I planted the same land with about the same variety of 

 vegetables as the year before. I also set out about one hundred 

 pear-trees that year, and reclaimed a piece of land of about half 

 an acre, which was so low as to yield nothing. I laid through 

 it several blind drains. This land now bears grass at the rate 

 of four tons per acre. 



In 1867 I planted the whole land as before, treating it about 

 the same in all respects. During these three years I dressed 

 the land heavily, chiefly with a compost of meadow mud, fish, 

 night-soil and barnyard manure. As I spent so much during 

 this time for manure, I had to content myself without any other 

 profit from my operations than the increased agricultural value 

 of the land. I am satisfied, from its present productive capac- 



