26 



ordinary care in the work ; a fact of great importance in the 

 management of a farm devoted raainlj' to grass, and to be mowed 

 by use of a machine. 



Passing into the barn, we discovei'ed like evidence of good 

 judgment and care in the keeping of stock, and in the method of 

 enlarging and preserving manures. One of Mr. Cheever's special 

 objects of attention is the dairy. This is conducted mainly by 

 himself, and presents an exemplary instance of the purpose and 

 desire to lighten the labor of females in one of the most arduous 

 parts of domestic employment. Every thing in this dairy was in 

 the right condition and promising the best results ; as might be 

 inferred from the fact that Mr. Cheever has, for successive years, 

 received the first premium of the Society for good butter ; and 

 that the price for which his butter has been sold, during the whole 

 year, is much above the average of the market. 



Mr. Cheever has never yet made it an- object to obtain only 

 pure-blooded or highly graded animals, of any particular breed. 

 His usual course has been to purchase, according to convenience, 

 such animals as afforded good prospect of gain upon his system of 

 feeding, without reference to their pedigree. He practices stall- 

 feeding, mainly ; giving to his cows a mixture of fine feed and 

 Indian meal — about four quarts daily to each — and through the 

 period of green grass, an additional daily feed of hay. We are 

 inclined to believe, that, with his system of feeding, he would 

 obtain larger returns of milk and butter from better selected cows. 

 The animals were, however, in high condition, and might easily 

 be turned for beef at any time, and the manure produced by them 

 is of the best quality. The whole management of this farm is 

 upon well-considered calculations of economy and profit. Every 

 young man, and many men of large experience, might learn here 

 valuable lessons of economy and thrift, and of the benefit of care- 

 ful and thorough mana<2;ement of a farm. 



In view of what we have seen, and, upon mature consideration, 

 are satisfied will afford ample justification of that decision, we 

 unanimously award to Mr. Cheever the Society's first premium of 

 twenty-five dollars. 



On the 29th of August, at the invitation of its proprietor, we 

 visited the farm of Edmund Clap, Esq., of Walpole. The special 

 purpose of our visit was to observe the continuation and result of 

 improvements, which had already been noticed in a former re- 

 port. These improvements consist mainly of the draining and 

 reclaiming a very large tract of what had been considered quite 

 useless bog and swamp land. That portion of it which had been 

 finished prior to our former report, and evidently in a most 

 thorough and skilful manner, was now covered with a heavy bur- 



