18G7. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



383 



could be brought to the cultivation of a taste 

 for the beautiful in nature, what might we not 

 be led to look for of beauty in the surround- 

 ings of their homes and possessions ? Instead 

 of seeing residences unsheltered by protecting 

 trees ; grounds unadorned by shrub or flower ; 

 fences dilapidated ; farm implements laying 

 promiscuously around ; neglect enstamped on 

 every side. — we should see homes that showed 

 the unmistakable signs of cultivated taste, dili- 

 gent care, and wise regard for all the tnie en- 

 joyments of life. If the poet is correct in say- 

 ing that "a thing of beauty is a joy forever," a 

 development of a taste for it will not fail of 

 future reward, but forever expand in the beau- 

 tiful world of light, unmarred by the clogs of 

 corroding care, and unincumbered with the 

 inlirmities of the flesh. 



There is quite a diversity of soil even on the 

 very banks of the river. Of that part of this 

 town which borders on it, but little is subject 

 to overflows during the greatest freshets. 

 The mendows, as they are termed, are more or 

 less flowed every spring, and some of them 

 at other seasons of the year. These inunda- 

 tions add greatly to the productiveness of 

 these meadows, so far as grass is concerned. 

 So far as my observation extends, — from 

 Springfield to Hartford, — they are not very 

 good for grain or tobacco. I incline to think 

 the water-level too near the surflice, the soil 

 too cold and compact. Then we have clay 

 and sand, loam and sand — much more of the 

 last than I was prepared to expect. This 

 whole section seems to be made up of con- 

 trasts. Clay suitable for brick is found side 

 by side with sand suitable to combine with 

 the clay for the same purpose. I was struck 

 with the productiveness of these sandy soils in 

 grass, as compared with that of what appear to be 

 the same soils in southern Massachusetts. The 

 clays are not as desirable for gejieral farm pur- 

 poses as the sandy loams. Tobacco is never 

 put on them, and grain does not do well. 

 They are so compact that underdraining must 

 be resorted to to bring them into good tillage 

 condition. Draining, however, during these 

 scarce times for labor is not entertained. No 

 one thinks he can afford it. 



The treatment these lands have been subject 

 to has been suicidal. Immense tracts have 

 been in past years cropped with grain — rye 

 mostly — year after year, with little, and in 

 most cases no manure. Distilleries were for- 

 merly in close proximity to each other here. 

 They stimulated the farmer to run his land in 

 grain by affording him a sure market and good 

 prices. In this way the past generation robbed 

 the present of their rightful legacy, — a descrip- 

 tion of robbery that deprives one of all chance 

 of self defence. How to restore these lands to 

 a profitable state, is now with some a very im- 

 portant q.estion. I can scarcely see how it 

 can be done with any prospect of profit to 

 those who attempt it. It really seems as if 

 they must be left to the recuperating influences 



of rest. If tobacco had not come into general 

 culture here, it is not hard telling what would 

 have become of very many farmers who, pur- 

 suing the skinning process, became more and 

 more involved in debt each succeeding year. 

 Since its introduction, debts have been paid, 

 new buildings erected, old ones repaired and 

 the general surroundings improved. It seemed 

 to have been to all a great source of income. 

 Its effects, however, on the general improve- 

 ment of the farm are questionable. About all 

 the available manure made upon the farm is hus- 

 banded for the growth of this crop. 



The general farm management in this 

 locality, excepting as modified by the cultiva- 

 tion of tobacco, is much the same as in most 

 parts of New England. Where tobacco is not 

 grown, however, more manure is applied to 

 other crops, and consequently better yields of 

 grain, vegetables, &c., are secured. Many 

 farmers here plow about all they can find time 

 to in the fall ; especially their tobacco lands. 

 Some sow these with rye, to turn under in the 

 spring in time for setting their tobacco, think- 

 ing it pays well in increased production, 

 which I think highly probable, as a large 

 amount of vegetable matter is thus obtained 

 from these highly manured fields, many of 

 which have been used for several years for the 

 same purpose. I have been shown fields on 

 which this crop has been grown from ten to 

 twenty years, without any perceptible decrease 

 in the crop. 



There is a feeling of delicacy in commenting 

 unfavorably upon the practices of others, espe- 

 cially respecting matters that people are very 

 sensitive about. Almost every farmer consid- 

 ers his modes of doing farm work as good or 

 better than those of any other man, and he re- 

 gards a hint to the contrary as a personal in- 

 sult. How to approach such people, hoping to 

 do them good, is a very nice question to solve. 

 I will venture however to chronicle my impres- 

 sions, hoping that I may be forgiven, on the 

 ground of good intentions, if not on that of 

 useful criticism. 



It strikes a stranger as being far behind the 

 times for three men to go into a field, prepared 

 for planting corn by furrowing with a plow 

 both ways, with a wagon load of manure drawn 

 by two yoke of oxen, and all three putting it 

 into the hills, then each one tying on a pocket 

 in front with corn in it, to drop and cover each 

 for himself, leaving the team unemployed un- 

 til the load is covered ; then go for another 

 load. I should not allude to this great waste 

 of time and consequent expense, if this prac- 

 tice was not one of quite common occurrence 

 here. When I first saw it, I recalled the la- 

 bor saving processes and machinery employed 

 at the West, and in other sections. 



Any one at all familiar with corn planting, 

 can but see that the practice I have alluded to 

 is many years behind the times, as well as an 

 extravagant waste. When a boy, I was ex- 

 pected to drop com on manure as fast as three 



