38 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Statement of Austin Smith 6f Sons. 



The farm which we have entered for premium consists of 

 sixty-four acres, situated in Sunderland— ^twenty-six acres be- 

 ing contained in the homestead, and thirty-eight acres in the 

 two meadows in town. 



The greater proportion of the soil is a sandy loam, the re- 

 mainder a clayey loam. 



Fences are dispensed with, except on twenty acres of the 

 homestead, the remainder being employed in cultivating, in ro- 

 tation, the various crops raised upon the farm. 



During the present year our farm has been cultivated as fol- 

 lows: Twenty-four acres in grass; fifteen in broom corn; 

 thirteen in Indian corn ; three in wheat ; four in rye ; two and 

 one-half in oats ; and one-half acre in potatoes. 



It has been our aim to labor for the improvement of the 

 farm rather than the largest possible present crop. This we 

 endeavor to do by thorough cultivation and a continual effort 

 to increase the amount of manure made on the premises. "We 

 have made and applied the present season five hundred and 

 fifty loads of barn-yard and compost manure of thirty bushels 

 each, and have, besides, purchased and applied two hundred 

 bushels of ashes, seven hundred pounds of guano, ten bags of 

 euper-phosphate of lime, and one ton of gypsum — from each of 

 which we have observed very satisfactory results, with the ex- 

 ception of the guano. The ashes and super-phosphate of lime 

 were principally put in the hill at time of planting — the ashes 

 for corn, the lime for broom corn. 



Our barn-yard and compost manures we apply at planting 

 time, harrowing in that which is well rotted, and ploughing in 

 the coarse. The manure from the horse stables is thrown into 

 the hog yard, and, with a frequent addition of muck or loam, a 

 large quantity of excellent manure is made. Our winter-made 

 manure is applied almost wholly in the spring, our practice in 

 this respect having undergone an entire change within a few 

 years. 



We seed down to grass by four methods, according to cir- 

 cumstances: By hoeing in seed at the last hoeing of Indian 



