NEW ENGLAN]) FARMER. 



237 



the hill and the corn planted by it and immedi- 

 ately covered. In some cases two, or even more 

 are used, according to the quality of the soil or the 

 means of the planter. My friend, by my side, in- 

 tends to put in 20 acres of corn in this manner, 

 next year. 



The general impression seems to be that fish 

 thus used is not a durable fertilizer, — that all its 

 power is exhausted the first year. Such is prob- 

 ably the fact, as they use it. But if the same 

 money value in fish were put upon the land as is 

 usually applied to it in farm manure, I think there 

 Mould be no reason to think that the fish is not 

 only a powerful but a permanent fertilizer. Let 

 us see, — 



If the hills are 3:^X3 feet apart, there will be 

 4,148 hills on an acre. There are about 200 fish 

 in a barrel. It would require, therefore, a little 

 more than 20 barrels to dress one acre. At the 

 beach, they can be bought for 18 cents a barrel — 

 perhaps less in large quantities. If we call them 

 20 cents a barrel on the field, the manure, as usu- 

 ally applied, will cost 83,60 per acre, while the 

 barn-yard manure would average $20 to $25 per 

 acre. I hope some of the intelligent farmers whom 

 I have met. Mill give you the result of their ex- 

 periments in tins matter. 



When the fish is intended as a topdressing, or 

 when coming after the planting season is over, it 

 is converted into a fine and exceedingly strong 

 manure by the following process : A trench is 

 dug on the edge of the field where the manure is 

 to be applied, of length and width according to 

 the quantity of fish to be used, and they are 

 l)itched into it and a little soil thrown over them. 

 If the weather is warm, in three or four days the 

 fish will -be changed uito a mass of living mag- 

 gots, and they will commence marching ofi" in 

 numbers whose name is legion ! As soon as this 

 march commences, men are employed in throwing 

 the soil over them before they fairly leave the 

 ditch, and so continue until the last column is 

 arrested and overwhelmed, by a process as cer- 

 tainly fatal as was the storm of ashes over the 

 doomed cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The 

 mass then becomes fine, quite dark colored, and 

 the offensive gases are so much absorbed by the 

 loam as to render the whole a safe and convenient 

 manure. In this form it is portable, easily ap- 

 plied as a topdressing, or in any other way, and 

 when liberally spread, is quite permanent in its 

 effects. 



At North Kingston, on the farm of Capt. A. P. 

 Chadsey, Provost Marshal of that District, I found 

 rye growing on land adjoining that on which they 

 grew 42 bushels per acre last yeai'. Mr. Chad- 

 sey, the elder, now past 82 years of age, and still 

 hale and hearty, accompanied me on the ramble 

 and gave me the facts which I repeat. They raised 



on the farm last year two thousand pounds of onioA 

 seed, about loOO of carrot seed, and smaller quan- 

 tities of various other seeds, which were sold to 

 the Shakers in Connecticut. This farm lies near 

 the shores of the bay, and the soil is of the most 

 excellent character. Many oasis-like pieces, lying 

 in the very midst of the salt marsh, were culii- 

 vated, and now have on them the most flourishing 

 crops. The rye mentioned grew on one of them. 



Driving leisurely homeward I turned into a fine 

 avenue, a mile and a half long, on the Ives farm, 

 which occupies a point of land running into thi 

 bay. This avenue is sufficiently wide to drivg 

 three carriages abreast, fenced each side wit-.i 

 spruce boards, four rails high and each six inches 

 wide. Each side of the avenue is set with oak, 

 elm, ash or maple trees, not in a straight line, but 

 every other tree set in about twelve inches towards 

 the fence, making two instead of one line, and all 

 dug about and mulched. Each tree is protected 

 by two six-inch boards coming to a point next the 

 road, resting on a small post and nailed at the 

 other end to the fence. On this farm I think ! 

 saw at least a hundred acres of red clover in full 

 bloom, and three or four times as much more ia 

 other grasses. The extensive pasturage had all 

 been reclaimed and cultivated, and teemed with 

 grass as did the field. I also saw fine orcharding, 

 stock of various kinds, and eveiything in order. 

 Not a gap in the stone wall, no weeds in \.h.e 

 grounds or roadside, and no gullies or other de» 

 fccts to mar the beauty of the fields. On on^ 

 piece, containing about 15 acres, I saw rj-e whicL 

 must average 30 bushels jjcr acre, at least. Ij& 

 the midst of this field were lofty oaks scattered 

 here and there, and tall, straight locusts in fuli 

 bloom, giving the whole a charming aspect. This 

 feature in the farming of Rhode Island is as beau- 

 tiful as it is peculiar. The farmers say that the 

 locusts do not injure the crops in the midst of 

 which they stand, and the rye, and other grain 

 fields which I looked at, did not seem to be affect- 

 ed by them. They give the scenery the most in- 

 viting aspect, especially in a hot and dusty day. 

 This farm contains about 1300 acres, and has upon 

 it several elegant mansions, the summer residen- 

 ces of difl'erent branches of the Ives family. The 

 other buildings are numerous and all kept in com- 

 plete order. The proprietors reside in Providence 

 in the winter. 



The adjoining farm on the south, or south-wert, 

 belongs to Mr. RicuAED Watkuman. Here I 

 saw some of the finest Jersey heifers and cows 

 that I have ever seen, and a fine flock of South 

 Down sheep. Here, also, every portion of the 

 farm and buildings was a pattern of neatness and 

 system, and indicated skill in the direction of all 

 its affairs. My stay upon it was too limited to 

 look into the fields and orchards. 



