NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



23 



During the past season, there were raised on the 

 town farm., in Danvers, fifty-five bushels of rye, on 

 one and a qiiai-tcr acres ; or at the rate of forty-four 

 bushels to the acre. This is the best crop of the 

 kind that has come under our observation. For the 

 instruction of those who may wish to repeat the ex- 

 periment, I will state the prominent facts relating to 

 the culture. 



The land is a gravelly loam, soil rather light and 

 shallow. In 18-45, the entire field yielded less than 

 one ton of hay. In 1846, it was planted with corn, 

 and yielded about fiftj' bushels to the acre. A full 

 shovel-full of manure from the hog-yard — made 

 from meadow-mud and slaughter-house otfal, by the 

 operations of a large number of swine — was placed in 

 each hill. In 1847, about five cords of like manure 

 was spread upon the land ; and the same was planted 

 with potatoes, and the crop was large and of good 

 quality. They were dug about the 20th of Septem- 

 ber, when the land was ploughed with four oxen, 

 and about one and tliree quarters bushels of rye was 

 sown and harrowed in. It came up well, and grew 

 in the most flourishing manner through the season ; 

 averaging from five to six feet in height. It was 

 harvested about the middle of July, in bright and 

 good condition. 



The distinguishing characteristics of this cultiva- 

 tion were deep ploughing andfull manuring. At each 

 of the ploughings of the land, for three years past, a 

 strong team was used, and the furrows run from 

 eight to ten inches in depth. In this way a substra- 

 tum was formed for the growth and support of the 

 grain, that saved it entirely from injury by di'ought 

 — the land being rather dry. The same farmer has 

 succeeded for several years in obtaining very good 

 crops of rye ; and we think his success is owing more 

 to his deep ploughing, than any other cause. In fact 

 he has created a soil of ten or twelve inches in depth, 

 where there were not before more than five or six. 

 I offer these facts for your use, if you think them 

 worthy a place in the New England Farmer. 

 Yery respectfiilly, 



J. W. PROCTOR. 



Danvers, Dec. 18-18. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 GENERAL IMPROVEMENT OF A FARM. 



Mr. Editor: In my intercourse amongst farmers, 

 I find a clas-3 of men, who, on conversing with them 

 in regard to making betterments on their farms, will 

 tell you, if they were able to improve their farms, as 

 they ou2:ht to be, and make thorough work, they 

 should like to do it ; but they do not like to begin, 

 because they have not time to finish to suit them. 

 So their farms lie year after year, without any ad- 

 vancement, because, forsooth, they cannot do all at 

 once. 



Now, to such, and all. Avho are beginning with a 

 view to the general improvement of their farms, I 

 have a few suggestions to make. If a worn-out farm 

 is to be reclaimed, it must be kept in mind, that it is 

 to be done by a great number of small jobs, I may 

 say almost without number, some of which may be 

 accomplished, perhaps, in ten or fifteen minutes, with 

 suitable tools, after being on the ground, and which, 

 of themselves, are perfect, and tending to the general 

 result. Others, perhaps, may take several days. 



In one place, the cutting of a small ditch from 

 the road-side, and directing the wash of the road 

 upon grass, and in another, ploughing a single fur- 

 row from a piece of low land and takiiig oft' the 

 surplus water, may add to the quantity and quality 

 of the hay twenty times more than the expenses 

 incurred. Again, the removal of rotten stumps and 

 small surface stones, and in some cases old logs on 

 the mowing lands, so as to admit of usinsr the horse- 



rakes, thus saving time and increasing the amount of 

 produce. 



One improvement being made, will pay the ex- 

 penses of another, and the increase wiU be accelerated, 

 like the accelerated motion of a falling body; and 

 almost before the improver is aware of it himself, he 

 will find his farm assuming a healthy appearance, 

 and the work, which at first seemed so difficult and 

 hard to be accomplished, will become a pleasure. 



The first thing ]iecessary, in order to accomplish 

 so desirable a result, is to examine the farm in all 

 the dift'ercnt fields, noting the improvements which 

 may be made, taking that class, which may bo 

 made with the least expense, first ; have the improve- 

 ments necessary to be made fixed in the mind, so 

 that when there is a leisure from the common labors 

 of the farm, such as planting, sowing, and harvest- 

 ing, there may not be any time wasted in thinking 

 what to go about, but select some one of the im- 

 provements, according to the time which can be 

 spared, and go about it with earnestness, accomplish 

 it, and the fruits shall be enjoyed. — " The wilderness 

 and the solitary place shall be glad for them ; and 

 the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." 

 Isaiah, 3o. 



Yours respectfully, 



S. M. STANLEY. 



West Attleborough, Dec. 22, 1848, 



Fur the New England Farmer. 

 ASHES FOR POTATOES. 



Mr. Editor : I offer you a few remarks on the 

 potato. For five years I have been trying experi- 

 ments on raising potatoes. This year I planted early 

 in May, dug holes, and put in my jDotatoes, and thou 

 a shovel-full of coal ashes, some hard and some soft, 

 with wood ashes, mixed with some horse manure on 

 the top. The potatoes came up early, looked well, 

 continued perfectly healthy, and ripened well. I 

 dug them in September, and found them perfectly 

 sound, not finding a decayed potato. They have con- 

 tinued sound, and there is no appearance of rot. 



I planted some of the same kind of seed, on 

 the same kind of ground, (except mud had been 

 spread on the furrow,) with good manure, and at the 

 same time ; and when I gathered them, they were 

 sound, but soon began to decay. Probably I shall 

 lose one quarter of them, and the rest are rather 

 soggy, while the others are mealy and good. Now, 

 it appears to mc the difference is owing to the kind 

 of manui'e, and the preserving quality of the ashes. 

 I hope others will try the experiment. I have no 

 doubt of the good effects of ashes, as others in the 

 vicinity lost more or less of their potato crop. 

 Y'ours truly, 



S. A. SHURTLEFF. 



Brooiclixe, Dec. 1848. 



Editorial Remarks. 



Some years before the potato rot prevailed, a very 

 skilful cultivator showed us liis mode of raising 

 smooth potatoes in an old garden. He put about a 

 half pint or a pint of coal ashes in each hill, and his 

 potatoes were remarkably smooth and excellent. 

 Previous to his using ashes, his potatoes were much 

 injured by worms. 



lie showed us a spot where he had thrown coal 

 ashes to fill up a hollow, until they were too deep for 

 roots of vegetables to penetrate below them. In 

 these ashes, good potatoes and beans were growing, 

 which showed clearly that the ashes contained food 

 for plants. 



