12 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



ings, as the increased productions of the farm required. I now 

 feel the want of still more barn room. The farm is divided as 

 follows : About twenty acres of woodland or ornamental forest 

 trees, eighteen acres of pasturage, and the balance tillage and 

 mowing. I have reclaimed four small lots of meadow, amount- 

 ing in the whole to about five acres. Each of the lots is small. 

 This fact, as a large proportion of the expense consists in the 

 drainiug, makes the cost of reclaiming these five acres much 

 greater than what it would be in ordinary cases. The average 

 expense has been two hundred and fifty dollars per acre. I 

 was obliged to build one hundred and sixty-three rods of cov- 

 ered drain, with stone, fifteen inches in the clear, covered with 

 slate stone brought from Newton, and placed so far beneath 

 the surface as to be out of the reach of the plough. If there 

 had been one hundred acres of meadow instead of five, the 

 same amount of drain might have been sufficient. I took my 

 levels in draining so as to be able to keep the water eighteen 

 inches below the surface. In this way I can make it either 

 tillage or grass land as I see fit. When in grass, I cut upon 

 the average two tons to the acre. Previous to the draining, 

 this land was entirely worthless. Since that time it has paid 

 at least ten per cent, upon the whole amount expended upon it, 

 and is decidedly the most productive land on the place. 



All my manure is used in a compost state; the materials be- 

 ing barn manure, night manure, and meadow mud, all mixed 

 together, broken up fine and thrown into heaps at least four 

 feet high, using no more barn and night manure than will insure 

 a good fermentation. I always throw it over at least twice — 

 am not satisfied with the fermentation until I find the ther- 

 mometer rises to ninety degrees when plunged into the heap. 

 I then consider it fit for the land. For all crops I put upon 

 the land at the rate of seven cords to the acre; I spread upon 

 the surface, and either harrow or work in with the cultivator; 

 this last is preferable. 



I seed down in the fall, from the first to the twentieth of 

 September, using three pecks of herds grass and half a bushel 

 of red top to the acre. I use no clover. I prefer abundant 

 seeding, giving a close surface, and leaving no space for weeds. 

 I work in the grass seed with the spring-tooth horse hay rake, 



