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^^ FAEMS. 



two mowing, and twelve in tillage. The grass lands 

 have not been improved so much as I should like, owing 

 to my attention being turned to the cultivation of an 

 orchard. I think that is of the first importance in 

 farming, get a good orchard started and take care of it^ 

 and it will be sure to pay. After the first year we have 

 set out about two acres each year to apple and peacb 

 trees, and now have six acres covered, and we think 

 they look well. I intend to increase my orchard two 

 acres a year for several years to come, by so doing the* 

 outlay will not be felt so much as though it was done 

 all at once.. The soil on a portion of my farm is cold 

 and heavy, with a clay sub-soil, which retains the water 

 until late in the spring; consequently I find a great 

 increase in its productiveness by under-draining, whicb 

 is done yearly as we have opportunity. We drain from 

 twenty to thirty rods per year, and intend to continue' 

 as fast as we can without going into, extra expense. 



Our mode of cultivation in field crops is as follows :: 

 we turn over our grass ground, say three or four acres 

 in the spring and plant on top the sod with potatoes,, 

 using guano^ and plaster in the drill, from three to four 

 hundred pounds per acre, and generally have had good 

 success ; the quality of the potatoes much better than 

 those planted on stable manure. The second year we' 

 spread on from twenty-five to thirty loads of manure, 

 and plant with C9r% using a compost manure in the hilL 

 The third yean seed down, with spring grain; by so 

 doing I go through with all my tillage land except the 

 orchard in about six years. The young orchard I keep 

 plowed, and get crops enough off to pay the expense. 

 The year previous to setting out my trees I manure^ 



