VOL. XVIII. NO. 48. 



AND H R T I C U L T [J K A L REGISTER 



4Ui 



RHODE ISL.\ND AGRICULTURE. 



We have great pleasure in presenting tiie follow- 

 ing account of his year's operations from one of the 

 best farmers not in Rlioile Island only, but in New 

 England. Mr Antony's farm does not embrace a 

 large extent or variety of agricultural operations; 

 but as far as it extends, it may bo considered as 

 pattern farming. Of his improvements we have 

 spoken repeatedly before. They are skilful and 

 beautiful, and do him tlie iiigliest credit. We have 

 only one wish in respect to him and his farm; and 

 that is, that he was on this side ot tlie line, that he 

 might come in as a competitor for some of our no- 

 ble State premiums. Wo know he has no low am- 

 bition ; but an ambition to make any portion of 

 this earth which heaven puts under our custody, as 

 productive and beauti.'nl as labor or skill or art can 

 render it, is an ambition with which a generous 

 and grateful mind may justly be satisfied. H. C. 



Iteport of the Farm of IVm. Rotch, Jr., J\'orlh Provi- 

 dence, Rhode lsta7id, under Ike management of 

 Mam .inlony : and considerably devoted to the 

 sale of milk in the city of Providence. 

 Tillage 30 acres. 



English mowing 18 ' 



Pasture 26 ' 



Wood ;50 ' 



Total 104 acres. 



Soil generally dry and sandy ; some redeemed 

 peat meadow : much of the land formerly covered 

 with pine. 



Live Stock. 

 Horse 1 



Oxen 2 



Cows 18 



Amount of sales in 1839 $3294 8.5 



Value of produce used or on hand .308 50 



Labor in improvements charged to the 



own(!r 12.5 00 



Incidental iuiprovements on the farm, 

 the lawful interest on which is 

 added to the next year's rent 252 3(3 



Cost of labor on the farm, including 



board 096 02 



Incidental expenses 1.394 04 



Amount of Produce in 1839. 

 English hay, tons .50 — average yield 



per acre 2 3-4 tons. 



Millet, • 41 ' '2 3-4 ' 



Indian corn, bush. 2.58 ' • 64 I -2 bush. 



Barley cut for fodder, tons 10 • ' 1 3-4 ton. 

 Potatoes, bush. 592 • ' 236 bush. 



Turnips (French) bu. 500 ' ' 650 ' 



Swedish turnip.s, bushels 800 

 Heef fatted, 9,300 I b^. 

 Pork, .556 ' 



Corn fodder, tons (i 

 .Manure made, cords 100. 



bought, ashes 1400 bu.-shi'ls. 

 JVoles by Mr Antony. 

 Expense of cultivating crops per acre — 



Indian coin .$47 



Oats 24 



Barley 24 



Potatoes 44 



Ruta bag;* 47 



Beets 33 



Carrots .5!) 



Hay, includmg gellmg, ic. 24 



Millet 24 



Average yield of a cow per annum, in milk, 593 

 gallons. 



Beef animals fatted on hay, Indian meal, llax- 

 soed oil meal, and vegetables. 



Pork fatted on Indian meal and boiled potatoes. 



Seven cords of manure were applied to an acre; 

 and of ashes from 100 lo 240 bushels. 



Lime and gypsum have not been found useful. — 

 .'\shesaro of great utility. 



Ground oyster shells are, perhaps, irood for noth- 

 ing. No difference has been perceived in the ef- 

 fects of fresh or spent ashes. Potash, at the rate 

 of 150 lbs. to the acre, has been found benelicial, 

 and the same quantity of nitre. Have tried them, 

 however, but one year, and know nothing of the 

 permanency of either. 



The most profitable articles of cultivation are 

 considered millet and clover on light and sandy 

 soils. On such as are of a better quality and firm- 

 er texture, the root culture is perhaps the most 

 profitable. 

 I Considerable hay and some vegetables are sold, 

 i but much the greater part of the produce is con- 

 verted into beef and milk. 



ESSEX AGRICULTURE. 



The following account was received by us, but 

 unfortunately was mislaid. It has not suffered by 

 keeping; and will be read with much pleasure. It 

 is a fair sample of New England farming ; and 

 shows a highly productive result. Very many are 

 those who fall far below this product, over those 

 who attain it, from the same number of acres. — 

 Those whose imaginations and avarice are extend- 

 ed far beyond what is reasonable, see in such hum- 

 ble results as these, nothing to admire; but look 

 with disdain upon such, in their opinion, meagre 

 returns. Yet it is by such a process and under cir- 

 cuilistances thus restricted, that vast numbers in 

 Ne'.v England have found not only competence but 

 independence ; and liave laid the foundation, indeed 

 have carried up the .superstructure of large and am- 

 ple estates. H. C. 



Mil CoLMAN — Sir — I have seen in one of the 

 N. E. Farmers that you should like to have a state- 

 ment of the produce of some of our farms. My farm 

 is in Newbury, about one mile south of Newbury- 

 port. I have about 20 acres of good tillage land, 

 and about 15 acres of grass land too clayey for 

 easy tillage. I have 30 acres of salt and black 

 grass meadow: the remainder is pasture and wood- 

 land, containing in the whole about 110 acres — on 

 which has been raised the present season 200 bush- 

 els of corn on about five acres, manured in the hill. 

 I think that the storm ot the 28th of August, de- 

 ■ stroyed oun fifth of the crop. Six acres planted 

 ; with potatoes, manured partly in hills and partly 

 I ploughed in, produced 1.500 bushels. One acre 

 and three quarters of onions, 740bushel.s; ond acre 

 of winter rye, 20 bushels ; tliree acres barley, 100 

 bushels ; one acre of oats, 75 bushels ; one other 

 acre cut for fodder, not threshed. Tlie oats were 

 raised on pasture land never ploughed but once, 

 and planted with potatoes the last year and manur- 

 ed in hills, this year harrowed, and 200 bu.^hels of 

 leaclicd ashes spread on. I have 40 tons of Eng- 

 lish hay, cut the present season ; Kitons of black 

 grass hay, 15 tons of salt and fresh hay, 60 barrels 

 of winter apples, 1 I barrels of cider, 40 bushels of 

 beets and carrots, some pears, peaches, grapes and 

 plums. I keep 1 horse, 4 oxen, 9 cows; calves 



sold .50 dollars; milk sold at the house 1.500 gal- 

 lons at 14 cents ; and made some cheese in the hot 

 wcatljer. I have a son who takes the principal care 

 of the farming. We hire two men seven months, 

 at 17 aud 18 dollars per month. We buy manure 

 in Newburypoit at iSl 75 and .'ii2 per load of half 

 a cord or more; ashes 6 cents a bushel. I sell hay 

 at .$14 per ton. Onions are sohl at .50 cents a 

 bushel. Onion ground v;e manure with about 12 

 loads to the acre; plough it in the full ; about 15th 

 of April plough it again anti sow when the ground 

 is fit. I sow in rows 16 -inches apart, three pounds 

 of seed to the acre; two pounds are enough if wo 

 were sure all would be right : I think if we have 

 plenty of manure it is best to plough it in ; if we 

 have not a plenty, make the best of it and put it in 

 the hills; then we shall not miss unless a very dry 

 season. To cultivate an acre of onions on my 

 ground, would cost about 25 days labor. 



Summary of the Above. 



No. of acres, 110. 



Products. — Indian corn, on 5 acres, 200 bushels. 



Potatoes, acres, 1500 bushels. 



Onions, 1 3-4 acre, 740 ' 



Beets and carrots, 40 ' 



Winter rye, one acre, 26 



Barley, 3 acres, 100 ' 



Oats, 1 acre, 75 ' 



English hay, 40 tons. 



Black grass, 16 ' 



Salt and fresh hay, 15 ' 



Winter apples, barrels 60 



Cider, ' 11 



Milk sold at the house at 14 cts. per gall., 1500 

 gallons. 



Calves sold, 50 dollars. 



I raise plenty of peas, beans, cabbages, turnips, 

 squashes, &c. 



I should like to find some machine to dig pota- 

 toes with oxen or horses. 



ATovember 28, 1839. 



QiticA: as Magic. — in the ,prescnce of seventy- 

 eight persons in London, a parcel of rags were re- 

 cently taken, ii.ade into paper, dried, and printed on 

 in five minutes ! When this celerity becomes iim- 

 versai, lo-fers will have to dodge paper mills, or 

 their^r: ,ged vestments will be whipped off and "ex- 

 liibitet u ider their noses in the sha[ie of a hand- 

 bill, advertising them as vagrants before th>-y know 

 it 1 — Utslern Farmer. 



The writer remembers the lime when a pen of 

 sheep were shown as candidates for a prize at a 

 public exhibition in England, after which they were 

 shorn, and the wool was scoured, carded, spun, dyed, 

 made m'.o cloth, cut and mads into a coat, which 

 was worn by one of the officers of the society at 

 the public dinner-table on the sanne day!! — Far- 

 mer's Ciibinl. 



" In the preservation j( srtds, grain and vegeta- 

 bles, infinitely more pains are taken in Europe than 

 with us, to preserve the v.irieties distinct and una- 

 dulterated. In the highlands of Scotland there are 

 certain districts appropriated solely to garden seeds, 

 and no two varieties that are in danger of becoming 

 adulterated by being placed near each other, are 

 allowed to be cultivated in the same district." 



It is said fresh meat may be preserved free from 

 taint for many months, by keeping it immersed in 

 molasses. 



