SIZE AND CONDUCT OF FARMS. 217 



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ment. Such a farm, if conducted on good, practical, scientific 

 principles, can be made profitable, — and it is to such farms 

 that the sons of our Massachusetts farmers will cling, if 

 properly encouraged. A thorough and high cultivation of 

 our lands is at the present time most desirable. A farm of 

 two hundred acres may be equally divided into mowing, 

 tillage, pasture, and woodland. It will be very convenient 

 to clear about one acre of woodland every winter ; in so doing 

 one will have plenty of fuel, and lumber for repairing buildings, 

 and a few cords of wood for the market. 



The fifty acres of mowing should furnish one hundred tons 

 of hay, and this, with the corn-fodder and straw the farmer 

 will also have, will keep fifty head of cattle at least six months 

 in the year. The fifty acres of pasture will keep the cows and 

 young cattle the other six months. The fifty acres of tillage 

 will, if well cultivated, furnish all the corn, rye, oats, barley, 

 potatoes, and beans that would be needed for home consump- 

 tion ; and every farmer should raise all the grain and potatoes 

 that he needs, aud have a good surplus for the market. When 

 corn can be raised for forty or fifty cents per bushel in 

 Massachusetts, we need not depend on the West. 



Every farmer should be careful in selecting his live-stock. 

 First, he should select those breeds adapted to his locality ; 

 and, second, those particularly adapted to his wants. If for 

 cheese or milk for the market, choose Durhams or Ayr- 

 shires. If for butter, Jerseys or Devons would be the 

 favored ones. 



Sheep and swine, of the best breeds, should be reckoned 

 with the stock. 



A pair of horses and yoke of oxen are always needed on a 

 farm of this size. 



The three essential things in Massachusetts agriculture, in 

 all its varieties of the field and the garden, are quality of pro- 

 duction, quantity of crops, aud economy of culture. Our 

 proficiency in these particulars measures our ability to com- 

 pete with rival producers West and North. 



Next to hay, the corn crop is of the most value to the 

 farmer, where the chief product is milk. Moreover, the 

 annual product of hay will be greatly increased, if the culti- 

 vation of corn is pursued ; for it may safely be said that no 



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