244 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the New England Farmer. 



SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF LABOR 

 AND SKILL. 



Mr. Editor : On the 30th of June, I visited a 

 friend, living on the banks of the Charles, about 

 twenty miles south-west of Boston, who has occupied 

 his farm six years. It contains seventy acres, fifty 

 of which are tillage and pasture, the remainder in- 

 terval and meadow. The low lands are of first qual- 

 ity, and yield grass in abundance for the feed of the 

 stock. The surface of the upland is uneven — soil a 

 mixture of sand and clay, free of stone, and easy 

 of cultivation. When the present ])roprietor came 

 in possession, the produce was small, the pastures 

 were run out, and of course the stock reduced. His 

 attention was first directed to a renovation of his 

 pastures. 



This was done by means of the plough, and the 

 application of compost manure. He has spared no 

 effort to increase manure in every way possible. His 

 swine have been co-laborers in this department. Pas- 

 tures that were covered with dry moss and wild 

 bushes, are now blooming with white clover. Nearh' 

 all his pasture ground has been reclaimed. His 

 fields have been made productive of a large burden 

 of grass, by the use of the subsoil plough and ma- 

 nure. Where this plough has been used, the benefi- 

 cial effects are most apparent. The land endures the 

 drought much better than the adjoining land. We 

 have often heard this stated, but never saw it so dis- 

 tinctly illustrated as in his fields at the present time. 

 The difference is as great, as is usually seen on ad- 

 joining pieces, where a coating of manure has been 

 spread on one, and not on the other. 



Our attention was directed particularly to his 

 stock. He has seven cows, and several heifers com- 

 ing forward. Some of his cows are old, but all of 

 them appear to be superior animals. We were in- 

 formed by his daughter, who takes the charge of the 

 dairy, that these cows yielded, during the month of 

 June, two hundred and fifty pounds of butter, beside 

 the milk and cream used by a family of twelve per- 

 sons. This, we think, speaks well for the cows, and 

 the pastures in which they feed. 



We noticed one heifer, now about to have a second 

 calf, and learned that she will be three years old in 

 October, This animal, when young, was fed entirely 

 on hay and water, and not on milk and grass, as is 

 usual. Her size is large, and she appears like a cow 

 four j'cars old. She is a fine animal for milk, as was 

 her mother before her. Among these cows are indi- 

 cations of the Durham, Ayrshire, and Devon blood, 

 but in what proportions we are not informed. 

 They are all reputed to be natives ; and so far as 

 milking properties are concerned, we think as well 

 of native blood as any other. 



The fences on the farm are of wood, except those 

 bordering on the highway — consequently easily 

 moved. The lots are alternated from year to year — 

 sometimes cultivated with corn or potatoes, some- 

 times mowed, and sometimes fed as pasture. But 

 little attention appeared to be given to the raising 

 of beets, carrots, and onions — crops with which we 

 have been familiar, and which we think could be 

 raised on these lands to advantage. 



Within the six years last past, the crops on the 

 farm have trebled in amount. But the best effect of 

 all is seen upon the younger members of the family, 

 four or five of which are able to labor to advantage. 

 The eldest daughter, now about twcntj', takes the 

 entire charge of making and ])reparing the butter for 

 the market. Others at this time are gathering and 

 preparing straw for bonnets. The father and sons 

 are laboring together in the field. Having spent the 

 better part of his life in pointing out to others the 



way to heaven, he now feels it to be his duty to 

 provide for himself and family on earth. 



Notwithstanding the proprietor has realized a fair 

 return for his labor in his annual crops, he is of the 

 opinion that the increased value of the farm, in its 

 improved condition, is equal to one dollar a day 

 since he has been upon it. As this communication 

 is made entirelj' without his knowledge, I do not 

 feel at liberty to use the name of the proprietor. 



Jult/ 3, 1849. -^• 



Editoki.vl Remarks. — One mode of improvement 

 mentioned in the preceding communication generally 

 receives but very little attention, and that is alter- 

 nating the lands with pasturage, mowing, and tillage. 

 We have found that lands, exhausted by pasturing, 

 improved on mowing, so that the grass crop would 

 be more than double the second or third year, and 

 far exceed other lands adjacent, that had been treated 

 the same in past years, excepting they had been 

 mowed for a number of years. On mowing the pas- 

 ture lands, the grasses become greatly changed after 

 the first year ; the pasture grasses disappeared, and 

 those most common in mowing prevailed. 



The lands that had become exhausted from mow- 

 ing, on being pastured, produced more and sweeter 

 feed than those that had been long in pasture ; and 

 yet all were under the same treatment previous to 

 one being pastured and the other mowed. The supe- 

 riority of the feed, on lands recently changed from 

 mowing to pasturing, is seen by animals eating it 

 closely to the ground, while much of the grass on 

 the old pasture is neglected, and if not closely pas- 

 tured, going to seed. 



The great advantage in these changes is in the 

 rotation of crops. Take a jtiece of land, all in the 

 same condition, and in the same grasses, and mow 

 one part and pasture another for ten or twenty 

 years, and then mow the wliole, and the grasses on the 

 two parts, during the first year, will be almost entirely 

 different. But on mowing or pasturing for a number 

 of years, they will gradually assimilate to each other. 



Alternating with tillage makes a further rotation 

 of crops, as the crops differ materially from grasses, 

 and extract different elements from the soil, and arc, 

 of course, less exhausting to grasses than grassea 

 themselves, or a long succession of grasses. 



For the Neiu England Farmer. 

 STRAWBERRIES. 



Mr. Editor : At a late exhibition of the Berkshire 

 Horticultural Society, there were many splendid bo- 

 quets of rich and fragrant flowers, and rare specimens 

 of early friut ; but we saw nothing that attracted 

 more attention than a measure of Ilovey's seedling 

 strawberries, from the garden of Mr. Pomeroy, of 

 Pittsfield. Every eye sparkled with delight at the 

 sight of them, and if mouths would tell the truth, 

 we have no doubt but all mouths would say they 

 watered for a taste of their excellency. Yet how 

 mauv, mav it be supposed, will actually set them- 

 selves to work, after thus seeing and longing to possess, 

 to raise just such strawberries in quantities to meet 

 the demands of their household ? " I have no time 

 for such things," "I never had any luck with a garden, 

 and I have given up trying" are household excuses 

 ready to fall from the lips of the majority, in regard 



