THE FARM OF L. M. STEVENS, NOKWALK, CONN. 
123 
THE 
FARM OF L. M. STEVENS, NORWALE, 
CONNECTICUT. 
As I have frequently observed in the Ag- 
riculturist, invitations to those who are en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits, to contribute 
to the pages of your periodical, their observa- 
tions and the results of their experiments 
in this department of industry, I am induced 
to forward to you, for publication, a brief ac- 
count of the improvements which "Mr. Stevens, 
of this town, has made on his farm. _ It will 
ehow that, in one instance, at least, agriculture 
in Connecticut, is not pursued upon the old sys- 
tem, so justly ridiculed by Mr. Robinson, but 
that great improvements have been, and are be- 
ing made ; and I entertain no doubt that, if all 
the facts relating to this subject could be elic- 
ited, it would be shown that the land of '' steady 
habits" will bear a favorable comparison, in this 
respect, with any state in the Union. 
The farm of Mr. Stevens is situated about half 
a mile west of the village of Norwalk, and con- 
tains about 175 acres, of which 30 are in wood. 
It is elevated some 200 feet above tide water, 
and slopes slightly towards the southwest. The 
subsoil is a clayey loam. When the present 
proprietor came into possession, about six years 
ago, he found the soil, b} r negligent and improv- 
ident management, very much impoverished — 
to such an extent, indeed, that it would not pay 
for cultivation. The fences had fallen down, 
bushes were growing up in the fields, and the 
whole place presented a most forbidding aspect. 
The quantity of hay produced on these 175 acres 
was so meagre that it was found impossible to 
keep in tolerable condition, through the winter, 
more than three head of cattle and a horse. 
Not discouraged under this state of things, Mr. 
S. immediately on taking possession, combining 
his own experience with that of intelligent prac- 
tical farmers in his neighborhood, and consult- 
ing the best agricultural publications, commenc- 
ed a series of improvements which have suc- 
ceeded beyond his most sanguine expectations. 
Determined to make his farm the most produc- 
tive of any in this section, he has spared neither 
time nor expense, in securing this result. As 
yet, owing to the limited time he has been in 
possession, and the extent of his farm, many of 
his fields are still comparatively unimproved, 
and necessarily unproductive, and present a 
striking contrast with those that are highly cul- 
tivated. With his improved lands, however, he 
challenges a comparison with any farmer in the 
country. 
He commenced his improvements by clearing 
the land of stone and bushes, and erecting solid 
and durable stone fences. Many of his fences 
.are five feet in thickness. Most of his land is 
now enclosed with fences of this description. 
All the stone on the land has been put in fence, 
and the plow was not allowed to disturb the 
soil until this was done. When a field was thus 
prepared for cultivation, it received a liberal 
manuring, and was planted with corn and pota- 
toes for a couple of" years, and if the soil the 
third year was found sufficiently enriched and 
subdued, these crops were followed by oats. 
and the land seeded. Most of his meadows now 
yield about three and a half tons per acre of 
hay ; and it is a rule with Mr. S., that when a 
field yields less than two tons, to break it up in 
the spring, and plant it with corn or potatoes, to 
be followed by some of the cereal grains, and 
when fully subdued, and well manured, it is 
again seeded. It is a part of the system of the 
proprietor, to break up his fields in regular 
course ; and when he brings the whole of his 
farm under cultivation, it is his intention to pro- 
ceed, in this respect, with the utmost regularity 
and method. Thus far, by pursuing this course, 
he has been highly successful in reclaiming his 
worn-out fields, and in most cases their cultiva- 
tion has been attended with profit. 
Mr. S. thinks that by applying a liberal quan- 
tity of manure to his land, preparatory to seed- 
ing, it will yield for six years, without further 
aid, in the form of top-dressing, &c, remuner- 
ating crops of hay — the sixth year not less than 
two tons per acre. But in no case does he de- 
lay the breaking up of any field that produces 
less than this amount. He has also used ashes 
on his land to some extent. On one worn-out 
field, he applied leached ashes at the rate of 120 
I bushels to the acre. The product of hay on 
this field for three successive years, was three 
tons and a half per acre. 
There are on the farm four barns — one, the 
largest, was erected last summer. Its dimen- 
sions are 36 by 72 feet, with a basement, in 
which are the stables. These are so constructed 
as to afford the greatest convenience in feeding, 
and for the accumulation of manure. This barn 
is, probabty, the largest and most conveniently 
constructed of any in town, and it is well filled. 
For fertilising his land, Mr. S. has not depended 
upon the manure made on his farm, but makes 
large purchases wherever it can be found in his 
neighborhood. But he has found it almost im- 
possible to resuscitate his exhausted land with- 
out pursuing this course. 
Some idea may be formed of the improve- 
ments made by the present proprietor, on his 
farm, from a statement of some of the produc- 
tions the last year. The estimate is a very mod- 
erate one, in most instances being considerably 
below the actual amount, and is as follows : — 
100 tons of hay, 
600 bushels of oats, 
200 " wheat, 
100 " barley, 
500 " corn, 
besides a large quantity of potatoes and other 
root crops. He also pastured 15 head of cattle. 
When it is borne in mind that much of this 
farm is still in an unproductive state, 1 think it 
will be conceded that there have been some im- 
provements made on one farm in Connecticut. 
If Mr. Robinson will visit Norwalk, he will have 
the pleasure of seeing one man who does not 
follow the " American system" of " skin, shave 
and waste the soil ;" and on one farm he will 
not see " the same old stone walls and rickety 
rail fences, bush pastures, bog meadows, aldei 
swamps, stoney fields, and scanty, because un- 
manured, crops, that were to be seen in the same 
