o4t ON FARMS. 



I think that my hay has increased at least one half 

 within the last nine years. I have usually employed 

 two hands during the season, but for the last two 

 years have had some additional help at certain sea- 

 sons of the year. 



My corn has produced, I presume, beyond your 

 expectation. I find it is the case with others in our 

 neighborhood, who have planted the same kind of 

 corn, that it has proved beyond their expectation pre- 

 vious to gathering it. The corn that you saw in my 

 field was not so good as it would average, as the 

 middle of the field was much the largest. 



Joseph Howe. 



Methuen, Nov. 29, 1837. 



ERASTUS WARE'S STATEMENT. 



To the Committee on Fanns for the County of Essex : 



Gentlemen — My farm, which is entered for pre- 

 mium before your Society, contains about 85 acres, 

 43 of which are improved in mowing, tillage, and 

 orcharding ; lying in an oblong square, being in 

 length about four times its breadth. It is bounded 

 on the south-east end by the sea shore, which forms 

 a cove ; this furnishes some manure for the field, 

 which is naturally of good quality, consisting of grav- 

 elly and sandy loam, with about 3 acres of wet mea- 

 dow land, that I have converted to the best mowing, 

 by ditching, crowning, cultivating and top dressing. 

 It now produces as much good merchantable hay, as 

 can be dried on the ground. My English hay was 

 shortened this season by the severity of the winter and 

 the beds of ice that lay upon the field. 



The crop of Indian Corn was almost a failure ; — 

 not more than half the seed came up — and after the 



