214 How a Small Fann was managed. 



thin slate-stones were used, placing the ends on the hard pan, and meeting 

 them at the top. Then some rubbish was laid over these drains to prevent 

 them from becoming clogged. All these drains emptied into a main drain 

 or brook where water was running a large part of the year. This land had 

 been principally devoted to grass, either mowing or pasture ; and was in a 

 rather low state of cultivation. After the drains were all laid, which was 

 a laborious and somewhat expensive job, the ditches were all filled, except 

 the main one, the land levelled and ploughed, the stones picked off, and 

 many rocks removed by blasting. The first year the land was well ma- 

 nured, and planted mostly with vegetables. Early potatoes were raised 

 quite extensively, with other crops, all of which matured early, and gave 

 us time to prepare for the autumn-planting of the trees, bushes, and vines, 

 to which the land was mostly to be devoted. The whole farm consisted of 

 forty acres, only about twenty of it being suitable for fruit ; the remainder 

 pasture and wood land. Large quantities of manure had been drawn from 

 the city to enrich the land, which had been skinned for years. Four acres 

 of the land were devoted to pear-trees, dwarfs and standards, — about an 

 equal number of each. These four acres received a liberal dressing of 

 manure, — ten cords to the acre, — and a thorough stirring of the soil with 

 a plough running ten to twelve inches deep. The dwarfs were set on that 

 part of the lot where the soil was the deepest and stiffest. They were set 

 in rows ten feet apart, and six feet apart in the row. They were well headed 

 in, and set so that the quince-stock would be an inch or two below the 

 surface. The standards were set out in rows fifteen feet apart, and the 

 trees fifteen feet apart in the row, breaking joints so that trees in adjoining 

 rows would not come opposite each other. We thought there could be no 

 better way than this to make the best use of all the land ; and our subse- 

 quent experience has fully justified that opinion. Before setting the trees, 

 we headed them in well, and cut off smoothly the ends of all the large 

 roots. On the near approach of winter, we turned up a furrow each side 

 towards the trees. We then marked off two acres, which we manured less 

 liberally than we did for the pears ; and this lot was to be devoted to cur- 

 rants. The plants were one year from the cuttings, and of the best varie- 

 ties ; and were set in rows eight feet apart, and the plants three feet in the 

 row. This would allow room for a horse-cart or wagon through the rows 



