VOL. XVII. BJO. 14. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



109 



VISIT TO THE FARM OF B. V. FRENCH, Esq. 



MOUNT MONATIQUOT, BRAINTREE. 



We have had the pleasure of a call at the farm 

 of li. V. French, Esq. of ISraintree, who is well 

 known to the horticultural community as a gentle- 

 man who has devoted much time to the cultivation 

 of fine fruits, especially the pear and apple. His 

 farm contains about 100 acres, naturally a cold 

 unpromising soil, hut by good management has 

 been brought into a higlily productive state. The 

 improvements made upon it since it came into his 

 possession, about 14 years, have been very great, 

 and consist of clearing the ground of stones, drain- 

 ing, walls, gates, barns and other out buildings, and 

 cellars for fruit, vegetables, manure, &c., and 

 above all in the extensive collection of choice fruits. 

 These improvements have been accomplished by a 

 steady system of operations, giving evidence of the 

 perseverance and skill of tlie operator. His or- 

 chards cover an extent of 23 acres ; most of the 

 trees have been planted by his own hand. Not 

 only have tlie principal nurseries of the United 

 States, been laid under contribution for their 

 choicest varieties, but those of France, Germany, and 

 England have also contributed to make his assort- 

 ment complete. In one field we were shown 140 

 standard pear trees of various sorts, many of them 

 in a bearing state. Some of the apple trees we 

 should judge, would produce the present year, four 

 or five barrels each. Some of the Baldwins pre- 

 sented as beautiful a sight as any thing of the sort 

 we have ever seen, loaded with their showy fruit 

 so heavily, that it had been necessary to prop them 

 up, to prevent the destruction of the trees ; even 

 the sight itself, richly repays all the pains that 

 have been taken to rear the trees. In looking 

 over his orchard, and calculating the probable in- 

 creasing annual profits, which may reasonably be 

 expected for an age to come, we could not help 

 wondering at the indolence and want of foresight 

 in many of our farmers, in suflfering fruit of a worth- 

 less character to remain to encuurber the ground, 

 when every healthy tree, however unpalatable its 

 fruit, may be transformed by engi-afting, in three 

 years time, into any desirable variety ; or if neces- 

 sary to set out young trees they may lay the foun- 

 dation for a handsome income in their old age, or 

 at least do much to benefit those who succeed them. 

 Although pears and apples have received the prin- 

 cipal attention, his place is well stocked with 

 cherries, peaches, plums, quinces, &c. We were 

 pleased also to observe, that while he has bestowed 

 much attention upon fruit, the kitchen garden has 

 not been neglected ; but every vegetable desirable 

 for the table had its appropriate place. 



Mr French does not pretend to have much taste 

 for flowers, yet he has set olf a generous portion of 

 ground which is devoted to their culture, well laid 

 out, and well stocked with plants ; but over this he 

 holds no dominion ; this he leaves to the manage- 

 ment of the ladies. This is all right, every intelli- 

 gent farmer, will encourage floriculture, and esteem 

 it a pleasure to gratify and encourage a taste so 

 pure and pkui.*! . as the culture of flowers; and 

 if he takes no deli;;ht himself in ornamenting his 

 grounds, he will not prevent his wife and daughters 

 from performing the pleasant task, by withholding 

 the necessary funds and labor. 



In the garden we noticed a neat apiary, but were 

 sorry to learn that the bee inotli had been very de- 

 structive to his bees. We were shown a board, 

 the top of a hive, or some part of it, which had 



been pierced like a riddle by these voracious ver- 

 min. 



Tlie poultry are well accommodated witli a ca- 

 pacious yard, which appears to us nnich more eco- 

 nomical than to let them run at large, destroying 

 twice their value in the garden, besides the vexa- 

 tion it occasions a man to see them scratching up 

 his plants. 



His whole farm is enclosed with a substantial 

 stone wall, and some portions upon the road are 

 handsome faced. All his mowing lands and or- 

 chards are accommodated with gates, hung upon 

 stone posts, and built in the nicest manner and so 

 fixed that there is no danger of having any trouble 

 from their swagging. With Mr French's permission 

 we design to give a more particular description of 

 his gates illustrated by plates in some future num- 

 ber, as we do not often see them that open and 

 shut, so easy, and secure after they are shut a.s his. 



The main pasture is divided in the centre by a 

 stone wall, and each of the divisions is subdivided 

 into three equal portions. The cattle are turned 

 into each in succession, tliereby making the most 

 of tlie pasturing. In every department we witness- 

 ed the great advantage of system. A small river 

 runs through this farm, known by the name of 

 Monatiquot river — affording him a good mill privi- 

 lege, plenty of water for cattle, accommodations 

 for ducks, geese, &c. and adding much to the inter- 

 est of his place. 



In his eftbrts to raise wheat the present season 

 he has had a complete failure, although a liberal 

 application of lime and other manure was made, 

 and the best variety of seed procured, yet he has 

 had the mortification, after his field has exhibited 

 the most flattering appearance, to see the whole of 

 it blight, and totally fail ; but having sowed a lib- 

 eral allowance of clover seed, (at the rate of 22 lbs. 

 to the acre,) he will not have occasion to say that 

 his labor has been wholly in vain. 



Our farmers do not generally allow sufficient 

 clover seed to the acre, and are thereby great 

 losers. The English sow from 20 to 28 lbs. where 

 clover alone is sowed. In this case no other seed 

 was sown. We have never seen a more promising 

 field of clover. 



The unfavorable season for the last two years 

 and the failure of the corn crop in consequence, 

 has led the agriculturalists to seek for an earlier 

 variety. There was a great enquiry in a particular 

 manner the last spring for seed corn. Mr French 

 among others turned his attention to the subject, 

 and fancied if he could procure the genuine golden 

 Sioux from the north it would prove the variety 

 wanted ; tliis ho procured with some difficulty ; 

 but not fancying it, he rejected it, with the excep- 

 tion of enough to plant one i-ow. It is probably 

 the samo as the Button, but tha specimen he ob- 

 tained was much inferior to what is grown among 

 us. He procured also some of the Parker corn so 

 called, a beautiful variety to look at, with long 

 ears, eight rows, and very large kernel. He planted 

 about one half his field with the Parker corn and 

 one half with the Dutton, with the exception of the 

 one row of Sioux. Part of the Dutton corn was 

 soaked in saltpetre water, the other was not ; tliere 

 was a striking difference in favor of that which had 

 not been soaked. After examining critically the 

 Sioux and Dutton, we do not hesitate to pronounce 

 them to be the same originally ; our Dutton is an 

 improvement upon the Sioux, and we believe that 

 after all that has been said, the Dutton is the most 

 desirable variety, and shall recommend it before the 



Parker or any other sort we are acquainted with, 

 for our country. 



We noticed an abundant supply of agricultural 

 implements and tools of every description. The 

 order in which they are kept is worthy of imitation. 

 Even when there is a house for tools, as there is, 

 or should be on every farm, we often see the im- 

 plements and tools, thrown in promiscuously, with- 

 out order, and to get at some particular tool, the 

 wliole must be overhauled ; but liore, wo saw a 

 room of ample dimensions, with a place for every 

 thing — all arranged in order ; the shoveKs, hoes, 

 forks, rakes, &c. in separate racks ; the ploughs, 

 well cleaned, by themselves, and every article 

 ready for service ; a person acquainted with the 

 place might place his hand upon any thing that 

 was needed in the darkest night, if desirable. 



As we were about to leave, Mr French introdu- 

 ced us into his library, and here we sav/ the secret 

 spring which moved the operations without. We 

 had the evidence before us that he is guilty of 

 book-farming. ' We saw the place where his long 

 winter evenings are passed, and now we were al- 

 most moved to envy. We noticed upon his table all 

 the prominent agricultural periodicals of the day, 

 and on his shelves were displayed a rare collection 

 of agricultural books ; tlie most conspicuous was 

 the N. E. Farmer, in 16 volumes. After giving 

 the library a hasty glance we were compelled to 

 leave, regretting that we Iiad no more time, as we 

 might have spent lialf a day with much pleasure in 

 looking over his books, and various curiosities with 

 which his room is enriched. 



As we returned home, we could not but reflect 

 upon the importance of a steady, well directed sys- 

 tem of efforts on the part of the husbandman, and 

 how much may be accomplished by patience and 

 perseverance guided by knowledge, in the course 

 of a few years. J. B. 



The Claremont Eagle chronicles a squasli which 

 grew in the garden of N. Whittlesey, in that town, 

 and weighs one hundred and one pounds, and 

 measures six feet in circumference ! A squash 

 was exhibited at the Horticultural Rooms, Boston, 

 this week, which grew in Cambridge, weighing one 

 hundred and thirty pounds ! 



Messrs Faulkner and Colony of this town, have 

 raised this season eight winter squashes from one 

 hill, only two seeds being planted, weight as fol- 

 lows: — 



Four middling sized ones — 



One weighing, 1.34 



i' 115 



« 114 



» " 111 



Total weight of the four, 

 Four small ones — 

 One weighing. 



Total weiglit of the four, 

 Weight of the first four. 



474 



58 

 52 

 47 

 47 



204 

 474 



Weight of the whole, G78 



Now for Pumpkins. Mr Daniel Thompson of 

 this town, has laised this season from o?ie seed /AtV- 

 ty-nine Pumpkins, nineteen of which were ripe and 

 sound, weighing altogether, /ve hundred and thirty- 

 one pounds. — Keene Museum. 



