24 



the premiums oftered for this article by our Society, have many 

 times gone to this dairy. 



A point connected with Mr. Sewall's management of pastures, 

 deserves mention. A field near the barn is set chiefly to red- 

 top, and -what is known as Kentucky blue-grass, — Poa p-atensis. 

 (The latter is one of several species to which the term June-grass 

 is appUed in this section.) The grass grows very rapidly the 

 fore part of the season, if the weather is moist, and unless the 

 pasture is stocked to its utmost capacity, patches of grass will be 

 left. The cattle Avill not feed down the grass thus left, unless 

 impelled by severe hunger. Thus, whatever grows here during 

 the season, is lost. Not only this, but the growth of succeeding 

 seasons is generally rejected by cattle, on account of its being 

 mixed with the " old fog," which makes .it unpalatable. Mr. 

 Sewall mows these rejected spots of grass, which, well cured, makes 

 good hay. The after-growth, being fresh and sweet, the cattle 

 keep it smoothly fed down. The hay costs nothing but the cut- 

 tino; and curing, while more feed is obtained than if the hav had 

 not been cut. 



Mr. A. B. Balch, on whom we called for a few minutes, showed 

 us a handsome and productive apple-orchard, and a neat and 

 well-kept kitchen garden, — the bountiful crops of vegetables at- 

 testing the advantages of the clean and perfect culture bestowed. 



A call was also made at the farm of Joseph Bailey, of North 

 Wrentham. It consists of 120 acres. It has for several years 

 been quite noted for the production of apples. The orcharding 

 covers forty acres. One orchard of seven acres produced in 

 1862, one thousand barrels of merchantable apples. Mr. B. sold 

 the same year, 1700 bushels of cider apples, delivered at East 

 Medway, for ten cents a bushel, and made, besides, 100 barrels of 

 cider. Mr. B.'s cider is of superior quality, and readily sells at 

 a good price. His orchards are kept in fine order, — though but 

 little manure is applied to them, and the profits are satisfactory. 

 In one orchard, where the trees are large, sheep are pastured. 

 They keep down the sprouts, keep the ground clear of all wild 

 vegetation, and, in Mr. B.'s opinion, promote the productiveness 

 of the trees. The ground is high, stony and moist. Some of 

 that on which the oldest trees stand, was never ploughed, and 

 could not be ploughed without first expending an immense amount 

 of labor in removing boulders. Such situations seem well adapted 

 to apple-trees. A considerable portion of the ground where Mr. 

 B. cuts his hay, was never ploughed from the same cause just 

 mentioned, and yet it produces heavy crops of grass of good 

 quality. 



