166 THE dairyman's manual. 



corn for fodder, and the rye was cut green and fed to the 

 cows. The rye stubhle was partly sown with clover and 

 orchard grass and clover mixed, and partly plowed and 

 planted with mangels, peas, oats and corn. The drained 

 swamp was grubbed, thoroughly harrowed up, and sown 

 with various grasses, viz., timothy, fowl meadow' grass, red 

 top and meadow fescue, all of which are adapted to moist 

 peaty land. The next year this meadow afforded a large 

 quantity of the best hay and constantly improved each 

 year afterward. 



These methods of management were continued with a 

 gradual improvement of the land, which in time changed 

 from a loose sand, which filled the eyes and ears when a 

 strong wind blew across the bare stubble in winter, to a 

 dark -brown loam which produced profitable market crops, 

 as early potatoes, sweet corn, peas, cabbages, melons, etc., 

 all of which sold well and left more or less fodder for the 

 cows. Xo corn (grain) was grown after the second 3'ear, 

 as other crops were found more profitable. A constant 

 succession of crops occupied the land. As soon as a 

 strip of rye was cut off in the spring the ground was 

 manured, plowed, and planted with corn, and this corn 

 was at once followed by a second planting or with millet. 

 The clover was fed after the rye, and with the orchard 

 grass and the grass from the meadow gave abundance of 

 green food until the sweet corn fodder was ready, after 

 which there was a large surplus to be cured for winter 

 feeding. The clover was cut a second time, and made a 

 heavy crop of hay with a top dressing of the fine manure 

 made from the swamp muck used in tlie stables, yards, 

 and pens. 



After seven years of this method of work the farm be- 

 came highly profitable and not only repaid tlie whole cost 

 of tlie improvements and stock, but left a considerable 

 profit. The butter made brought an average of sixty-five 

 cents a pound from private families, and the market crops 



