55 



my farm sixty acres, consisting of wood land, pastm'age and 

 mowing, which now makes it consist of eighty-three acres. 



I also built a long range of substantial stone Avail, four feet 

 high, and trenched below frost. I also built an avenue to my 

 house, leading from the road, across a pond, in which I had con- 

 structed a flume, partly of wood, the balance stone. Having a 

 large supply of water at the head, which is constantly kept sup- 

 plied from boiling springs, induced me to put in a hydraulic ram, 

 and convey the water to my buildings, which has proved invalu- 

 able ; yielding an abundance, saving much labor, and enables us 

 to have the same facilities for bathing and water closets, as the 

 Cochituate does our residence in Boston, besides all other pur- 

 poses for which the element is needed. 



During this period, I caused to be planted several acres of the 

 serial crops, using only one ton of Mexican guano, which proved 

 to be of little value, and some ashes, which I caused to be made 

 from sods and brush, which was scraped together for the better 

 improvement of the farm, wintered the stock before enumerated. 



In October, I laid down three to three and one-half acres of 

 winter rj^e, and two or more of winter wheat, from which I had 

 a fair yield. Had these crops been put in at the usual season of 

 the year, they would have been large, particularly the wheat, but 

 circumstances would not admit of getting the seed in earlier. The 

 ground for wheat was prepared with barn manure, made during 

 the summer, and slacked hme. The seed, before sowing, was 

 immersed in strong brine, all foreign substances skimmed off, and 

 then shaded over in a trough, adding slacked lime, until the seed 

 separated, and every kind Avas encased, and better fruit I never 

 have seen. 



After spending the winter in the city, the first of May found 

 me again upon the farm, and I found my stock, of every kind, 

 had not been idle. The barn yard and cellar were full of manure, 

 and together with my former experience of the past season, I had 

 something to do with, and could really begin the business of 

 farming. The flume before noticed, enables me to draw down 

 the pond, in which is deposited a rich, vegetable substance known 

 as muck. I caused to be taken out 50 cords. Two good hands, 

 Irish Avheel-barrows, will take out six cords a day. It hav- 

 ing had the action of the winter, I caused it to be combined, 



