THE FARM OF THE FIRST MINISTER. 23 



him from the perils of an agricultural lee shore. He runs at 

 random without it. 



The present proprietor followed at first the agricultural rou- 

 tine of his neighbors. He had a fondness for cattle and raised 

 beef and milk for the Concord market ; but, inasmuch as his 

 best hay bore an average price of seventeen dollars a ton, his 

 cash book indicated that the production of beef and milk was 

 unprofitable. He raised a few crops of wheat, but so fully 

 charged with gluten was it found to be that a slice of bread 

 made from it might be thrown over the house and be sure to 

 fall unbroken on the other side. His barley headed imper- 

 fectly, and his rye crops were diminished by the uninvited 

 presence of witch grass. Hay, however, and oats and corn 

 and potatoes paid fairly well. 



It by and by occurred to him that, instead of raising a little 

 of many things and some of them at a loss, he had better raise 

 a considerable of a few things and, if possible, at a profit. He 

 accordingly took a new departure, with hay production as his 

 main objective point, accompanied by such acreages of corn, 

 oats, and potatoes as his personal needs might require. The 

 farm stock was reduced to three good horses, two good straight- 

 backed oxen, one cow, and two hogs. 



But, some of you may ask, how sell hay and keep no stock 

 to maintain the fertility of the fields producing it? In answer 

 it may be said that the situation of this farm is exceptional. It 

 lies within a mile of the New Hampshire state house, around 

 which are located the stables which consume its hay and have 

 manure to sell at five dollars a cord. Of this, one ton of hay 

 will ordinarily buv three times as much as it would make, if 

 fed upon the farm. 



It was soon found that the old rotation before mentioned 

 would not secure success in hay production. Its maintenance 

 required too great an acreage of other crops. The surface of the 

 ground, lying undisturbed through eight year periods, became 

 compacted by freshets and grass roots and too greatly reduced 

 in fertility to yield satisfactory returns. As you all know, when 

 the product of a hay field falls below one ton per acre, the hay 

 declines in quality as well as quantity, and there is a double 



