50 FARMS. 



where he has removed the apple trees, root and branch for that 

 purpose. 



The farm of Mr. Ephrahn Graham contains 60 acres ; this, as 

 is common, is divided into mowing and tillage, orcharding, pastur- 

 age and woodland. Mr. Graham depends mainly on liis fruit for 

 income, though not wholly, he has some very good grain and grass 

 land not covered with orcharding. 



In May, 1869, I received a letter from Mr. Graham, stating that 

 a road had been located across his fields in such manner as nearly 

 to ruin his farm, consequently he should be obliged to withdraw 

 his farm from competition. 



The farm of Mr. Cyrus Kilburn contains 120 acres, and as he 

 writes me, is pretty well divided into tillage, mowing, pasturage, 

 orcharding and woodland. 



Mr. Kilburn said to the committee, his object was not to amass 

 dollars, but to make such improvements on his land as would afford 

 him pleasure now, and by-and-by repay the labor. Mr. Kilburn 

 is what might be termed a hopeful farmer, for much of his en- 

 joyment seems to be in anticipation of what is to come. He has 

 this year constructed a dam across a small stream west of his 

 house, which will serve the double purpose of flowing his swamp, 

 and thus killing the brush and fitting it to be set with cranberries, 

 which he thinks will be very remunerative, and for a road and 

 bridge to pass over, in conveying manure to the field and crops to 

 the barn. He intended to build this dam in the autumn of 1868, 

 but the excessive rains of that season, and also in 1869, rendered 

 it impracticable until the present season. 



In the spring of 1869, Mr. Kilburn procured and set about 200 

 peach trees on land prepared and fenced for the purpose ; the land 

 is elevated about 150 feet above the meadow bottom, and the trees 

 look well. 



Mr. Kilb urn's reclaimed swamp by his statement has produced 

 two good crops of corn with comparatively little manure, and he 

 thinks it capable of producing many more with very little labor, 

 arid that it will wear like the prairies of the West. The income 

 from this farm consists of milk from six cows, with their calves, 

 amounting to $300 yearly ; fruit, vegetables, of various kinds, hay 

 and straw, eggs from 50 hens, and for his own services as a prac- 

 tical surveyor, which he says goes far towards paying for the labor 

 he employs on his farm. 



The improvements in making walls for the security of the crops, 

 in reclaiming swamps and in clearing the pastures from brush, thus 



