^miw 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



vol.. x■\^^.] 



PUIiLISHED BY JOSEPH BRECK & CO., NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (AGnicnLTUiiAL Warehouse.) 

 BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 2J, 1839. 



[NO. 7. 



N. E. FARMER. 



NOTICES OF FARMS—MINUTES BY THE 

 WAY, &c. 

 Having li.id occasion to make excursions in the 

 couutry ibr some weeks past in various directions, 

 and having invitations to visit many Hnurishing 

 farms in the neigliborhood of Boston, we shall en- 

 deavor to present to our readers from week to week 

 the various improveiiients which have already fallen 

 under our notice in the different places we have vis- 

 ited, or may have occasion to visit for a . month or 

 two to come, hoping that we may he enabled there- 

 by to stimulate and encourage others, who have im- 

 provements begun or contemplated. We have 

 seen the products of the farm increased ten fold, 

 by pursuing a well digested system of husbandry 

 for a few ye.-irs only, which, if generally adopted, 

 would add millions to the annual income of the 

 agricultural productions of our Commonwealth. 



f'isil to the Farm of Elias Phinney, Esq., Lexing- 

 ton, Mass. 

 We have in the farm of this gcntlt'man substan- 

 tial proof of the efficacy of " book farming." He 

 assured us that his interest in agriculture was first 

 awakened by reading the N. E. Farmer. Having 

 received a classical education, he has to be sure, 

 the advantage of our farmers in general, for whom 

 so little has been done by education,— we were 

 prepared, therefore, in viewing his premises, to 

 witness soraetliing a little extra, from what may be 

 seen on well cultivated farms in general : but we 

 found that our expectations had not been raised suf- 

 ficiently high : we were in fact delighted and as- 

 tonished to be made acquainted with the wonderful 

 improvements which have been effected on this 

 place since he began to cultivate it fourteen or fif- 

 teen years since. It was then a poor worn out 

 farm, covered with rocks, wliortleberry bushes, and 

 scrub oaks ; while the lowlands were inaccessible 

 quagmires and alder swamps of the most unpromis- 

 ing description — the whole farm, consisting of 

 160 acres, not affording more than 8 or 10 tons of 

 hay, and all other crops in the same proportion, — 

 the fences out of repair; the fruit of an inferior 

 quality, fit only for cider ; and every thing upon 

 the place at sixes and sevens, as the saying is. It 

 does not seem hardly possible that so much could 



tive pastures, and bringing them into fertile 

 fields. 



4th. In his orchard of apple trees, which for 

 beauty, thrift, and produce can hardly be excelled. 



5th. In his choice collection of fruits of every 

 desirable vai'iety. 



Gth. In his improved breed of swine. 



7th. His barns and accommodations for cattle, 

 swine, poultry, &c. 



To which may be added many other improve- 

 ments of jninor importance, but which add to the 

 interest, beauty, and profit of the place. 



The idea of planting upon the green sward with- 

 out disturbing the sod, has been ridiculed by a wri- 

 ter in the N. E. Farmer, vol. 17, page 317 — as be- 

 ing impracticable especially in the potato crop. — 

 We saw an example of this operation, and one too 

 of a most perfect kind, which we should suppose 

 sufficient to convince the most sceptical. It was in 

 a lot of three acres of potatoes. On the 20th of 

 June there was a heavy crop of grass upon the 

 ground, in addition to which twenty loads of com- 

 post to the acre was spread on, and at that time 

 turned over ; after ploughing, it was rolled with a 

 heavy roller, (an implement by the way which 

 should be in the possession of every one who calls 

 himself a farmer.) The potatoes were planted in 

 drills — had been hoed but once ; yet hardly a weed 

 was to be seen, nor a spear of grass daring to show 

 itself, and sufficient earth, about the plants, with 

 every prospect of an abundant harvest. In the 

 spring this ground will be in fine order to lay down 

 again to grass, and that too without disturbing the 

 sod ; or if advisable, planted with corn or any oth- 

 er crop. 



Allowing the vegetable matter turned in equal 

 to 20 loads of compost per acre, we have with that 

 spread what is equivalent to 40 loads per acre. 

 No wonder then that by followipg this process con- 

 tinually, he should be able to cut from 2 1-2 to 3 1-2 

 tons of hay per acre, which he actually does from 

 his grass lands. He has another idea which we 

 think important for a good crop of grass ; that is, 

 to sow an abundance of seed. His rule is 20 lbs. 

 of clover seed per acre, together with a liberal al- 

 lowance of herds grass and red top to boot. This 

 would astonish most of our farmers, who can afford 

 only from 4 to 10 lbs. per acre. 



We saw a field of six acres of corn, from which 



the institutions and hills of New England, make an 

 effort and bring them into subjection : it will prove 

 an antidote to the western fever, or we are much 

 mistaken. 



We noticed a fine field of wheat of 8 acres, 

 which the laborers were gathering into the grana- 

 ry. It appeared well filled out: the produce esti- 

 mated at 20 bushels per acre : it was of the varie- 

 ty called the Black Sea, which we find succeeds 

 best in the vicinity of Boston and most generally 

 cultivated. We were informed that about 30 acres 

 were under the plough the present season. Besides 

 Indian corn, potatoes and English grain, Mr Phin- 

 ney cultivates the root crop extensively. His ruta 

 bagas, mangel wurtzels, sugar beets and carrots 

 looked very promising, and will afford an abun- 

 dance of food for his numerous family of swine, 

 and other stock. 



In draining his low lands, Mr Phinney first cuts 

 off all springs from the surrounding hills by a deep 

 cut at the mai-gin or outer edge of the piece, which 

 is converted into a blind ditch : from this most im- 

 portant, cut, the drains are made to the centre ditch. 

 Where there is an abundance of stones as in this 

 case, all tlie drains may be filled and covered over, 

 so that the operations of the plough, &c., may not 

 be impeded. We were shown one piece over 

 which it was dangerous for his cattle to pass, and 

 in which they sometimes got mired, before he com- 

 menced the draining process ; here his first es- 

 say on draining had been made, in which, tlirough 

 inexperience, he cut only the centre and cross 

 drains, but with all he did, it would produce noth- 

 ing but skunk's cabbage, hellebore, braises, &c., 

 and it seemed that all his labor had been lost, un- 

 til he learned the importance of the ditch around 

 the margin, which produced the desired effect, and 

 now it ranks among his most productive grass lots, 

 and a loaded team may be driven without difficulty 

 over it. 



We were pleased with his system of digging 

 peat, of which he has an ample supply. Where 

 peat is generally dug, the grounds are left in the 

 roughest state, and present an unpleasant and un- 

 sightly appearance, and remain an unproductive 

 waste : but it is his rule to have the top spit, a 

 depth of ten inches or a foot, (the portion unfit for 

 the fire,) throwtj over and leveled as the work of 

 digging proceeds : in this way it soon becomes 



