Ko. 151.] 893 



"We will suppose, for the sake of illustration, a farm to consist of 

 five fields. No. one was covered with stones; No. two overgrown with 

 bushes and w^eeds ; No. three cold and wet; No. four arid and dry} 

 No. five exhausted of the elements of fertility by severe cropping. 



We would recommend the following plans for the improvement of 

 each of these fields. 



No. one should have the surface stones removed and converted into 

 walls, buildings, drains, &c. I have seen a farm w^here thousands of 

 dollars worth of good land was in this manner reclaimed, and sub=» 

 sequenlly cultivated, while the stone used as above recommended, ad- 

 ded much to the value of the farm, by repairing dilapidated fences. 

 "Where the stones could not be hauled by oxen they were pitted. 



No. two; such lands as these are generally wet, if so, they should 

 be thoroughly drained first, then the bushes should be cut off and a 

 strong plow used several times in the course of the season, by which 

 means the land is brought in a good state of tilth, and the roots are 

 mostly dragged out and destroyed. This land should be well limed 

 and manured, and a crop put in the same fall. Mr. Gouverneur Mor* 

 ris has by a plan somewhat similar to this, brought the most value* 

 less lands into an immediate state of fertility. The improvement of 

 such lands as these I consider of the first importance, not only to the 

 owner, but also to his surrounding neighbors, for they generally bar* 

 bor noxous reptiles and insects; are the nursery of weeds, and fre-* 

 quently cause a whole surrounding country to be unhealthy. 



No. three; lands cold and wef; we would advise all such lands to 

 be immediately and thoroughly drained. The mode and extent of 

 draining of course depends upon circumstances. There may be an 

 obstructed water course running over a farm, which will during a 

 wet season, completely saturate the surrounding soil; now in a case 

 of this kind it may be only necessary to remove the obstruction, and 

 the difficulty is at once remedied. 



Upon ray own farm several acres of potatoes were in this manner 

 destroyed during a wet season, but the land has been made produc" 

 tive of good crops of grain and grass since, by merely deepening a 

 neglected ditch. The cold, wet state may arise also from the exis-^ 

 tence of springs under the surface; in this case no draining will an-" 

 swer without finding and cutting off the sources. A single drain 

 from a known spring, may be at times sufficient, but. if the oozing 



