93 



such an example to the farmers of the County, we award to 

 him a gratuity of twenty dollars. 



For the Coriimittee — Chas. P. Preston. 



STATEMENT OF S. A. MERRILL. 



My farm is situated in the town of Danvers, near the Iron 

 Foundry. It comprises about fifteen acres of land, with sub- 

 stantial brick dwelling house, stone barn, and other out-build- 

 ings. It formerly belonged to Matthew Hooper, deceased, a 

 well known and enterprising citizen, I bought in 1864. At 

 that time no part of the land was under cultivation, except a 

 small garden. The rest had been laid down to grass several 

 years before, and was nearly run out. I bought in the sum- 

 mer, ploughed first in the Fall, and planted first in the follow- 

 ing Spring. I planted about fourteen acres, mostly with gar- 

 den vegetables. In the Fall o'f 1864, I laid down about 800 

 feet in length of hot-beds five feet wide. In 1866 I planted 

 the same land with about the same variety of vegetables as the 

 year before. I also set out about 100 pear trees that year, 

 and reclaimed a piece of land of about half an acre, which 

 was so low as to yield nothing. I laid through it several 

 blind drains. This land now bears grass at the rate of four 

 tons per acre. In 1867 I planted the whole land as before, 

 treating it about the same In all respects. During these three 

 years I dressed the land heavily, chiefly with a compost of 

 meadow mud, fish, night soil and barn-yard manure. As I 

 spent so much during this time for manure, I had to content 

 myself without any other profit from my operations, than the 

 increased agricultural value of the land. I am satisfied from 

 its present productive capacity, that this profit was a very fair 

 remuneration for the labor and capital invested. I commenced 

 my farming in 1868, with about 75 cords of manure, planting 



