90 



Danvers, to examine a crop of Potatoes and Sweedisli or Ruta 

 Baga Turnips. The ground upon which these crops were 

 growing was lately one of the rocky pastures so common 

 along the Atlantic coast, whose natural fertility is best be- 

 tokened by the surrounding and underlying porphyritic rock. 

 This pasture, overgrown by woodwax and studded with boul- 

 ders, must have been at once an aggravation to the animals 

 occupying it and an expense to the owner. This worthless 

 waste Mr. Moody had most effectually reclaimed into a fruit- 

 ful field. These improvements comprise in all thirteen acres, 

 a portion of which was devoted to corn — (probably the best 

 test of good husbandry) — and the balance to Potatoes, Cab- 

 bages and Ruta Bagas. The corn, in color, evenness and 

 general appearance was looking magnificently. The Cabbages 

 had made a good growth, but the field promised well to be 

 desolated by the cut-worm whose ravages upon the leaves 

 had just begun to manifest themselves. The Potatoes were 

 looking very finely as well as were also the Ruta Bagas. The 

 whole thirteen acres betokened not only good husbandry but 

 most excellent sense in reclaiming them from their worthless 

 condition. Hundreds of similar hill-tops in Essex county 

 ought in like manner to be made to gladden the eye and 

 cheer the heart, instead of remaining as many of them have 

 a life-time of years a disgrace to their owners. For the re- 

 sult of Mr. Moody's labors on the crops offered for premium 

 the Committee are left to refer to his statement in the hands 

 of the Secretary.* 



At a subsequent day the Committee were called upon to 

 visit the farm of Mr. Dan Weed of North Andover, to ex- 

 amine a crop of Potatoes offered for premium. The chairman, 

 on his way to the post office to notify his co-laborers in the 

 field, chanced to meet the former ubiquitous attendant at the 



*In consequence of tlie extreme drought Mr. Moody's crops of Kuta Bagas 

 and Potatoes were considered by him in a measure failures, and he declined 

 to render statements, thereby withdrawing his claims for premium. — Secre- 



TAEY, 



