<C T0 IMPROVE THE SOIL AND THE MIND.” 
New Series. ALBANY, MABCH, 1849. Vol. VL—No. 3. 
@ketd)es of Janus. 
The Farm of W. A. Hayes, Esq. 
(Concluded from page S2.) 
Editors of the Cultivator—I n a former commu¬ 
nication, I proposed to speak further of Judge Hayes’ 
farming, under the following neads: 
Management of the Arable Land. —As the lands 
yielded nothing at the time of Judge Hayes’ purchase, 
the first object was to place them in a state of produc¬ 
tiveness as soon as possible. He therefore commenced 
by plowing up a large tract each year, putting on all 
the manure that could be scraped together, by a care¬ 
ful collection and saving of every available material. 
The fields were planted to hoed crops but one year, and 
the next spring stocked to grass with spring grain. 
The main idea was to enrich the lands as fast as possi¬ 
ble ; and to accomplish this, he wished to plow as often 
as was practicable,—thus availing himself of the great 
quantity of vegetable matter contained in the sod, for 
the improvement of the soil. The land was prepared 
for seeding by loosening and leveling the surface with 
a heavy harrow, without again bringing to day the de¬ 
composing sod. After having gone over all the arable 
lands once in this way, he then commenced again, by 
plowing up smaller fields and manuring more heavily. 
This he could now do, for the increasing produce and 
stock enabled him to enlarge the compost heaps. Since 
that time, not less than twenty loads of compost, of 50 
bushels each, have been applied to the acre. 
The sward-land is plowed in the fall—it being the 
most convenient time to do the work—to the depth of 6 
or 8 inches, and the following spring, 20 loads or 10 cords 
of manure to the acre, are spread upon the surface and 
thoroughly harrowed in. Each load is divided into 8 
heaps, a rod apart every way, which just does it. The 
distance at which the heaps should be placed, is regu¬ 
lated with sufficient accuracy, by noting the distance 
from the hind end of the cart to the forward feet of the 
cattle. The field is planted to corn, potatoes, and the 
various root crops one year, and the next spring a large 
heavy harrow, with sharp cultivator teeth, instead of 
the common harrow teeth, is passed several times over 
the land, both ways, leveling and mellowing the sur¬ 
face, without disturbing the sod underneath. Spring 
grains, with a genetous supply of grass-seeds, are then 
sowed, and the work finished with a large roller, some 
four feet in diameter. In this way, the grass-seed has 
never failed to take well, and give a good crop, the se¬ 
cond year, for over twenty years. 
Groat attention is paid to clean cultivation,vit being 
believed to be a saving of labor, in the long run. Of 
course, no weeds are permitted to rob the hoed crops 
of nutriment, or spread their ripened seeds upon the 
land. The root crops, particularly the carrot, are 
highly esteemed as succulent food for the stock in the 
winter. Several hundred bushels are annually raised, 
the ground for them being prepared by plowing a part 
of the manure under the sod, and harrowing in a part 
upon the surface. The corn-stalks are not cut until the 
ear is pretty well ripened; and the butt-stalks are care¬ 
fully secured under cover, with alternate layers of straw, 
which prevents too great degree of mouldiness, and ren¬ 
ders the whole quite palatable to the cattle in the cold¬ 
est weather of winter. The average cut of hay has 
been upwards of 100 tons, for several years. About 
half of it is consumed upon the farm, and the balance 
sold. This fact, in contrast with the one stated in my 
former communication, that 11 these lands originally 
produced only hay enough for the wintering of 6 or 8 
head of cattle,” would seem to render superfluous all 
comment upon the efficacy of Judge Hayes’ mode of 
culture, in enriching his soil. 
Improvements by Mixing Soils. —As before stated, 
the farm extends over a high swell, with lowlands on 
each side. These lands abound in clay, containing, by 
analysis, 5 per cent, of lime. Considerable has been 
done in the business of carting the clay on to the sandy 
soil and the sand on to the clay, and this mixture has 
been attended with very satisfactory results. The sta¬ 
ple, or chemical constitution of each soil, is altered 
and improved by the admixture, and it is thought that 
another advantage, equal if not greater, arises from 
thus covering up the vegetable matter of the sward on 
the land so dressed. There are some fields on tire 
farm which are not conveniently located to plow, plant 
and till, and on these it is found that by spreading a 
thin covering upon the surface, a good deal of the ve¬ 
getable matter of the old sward is rotted, the binding 
out of the grasses remedied, a new and far more vigor¬ 
ous vegetation starts up through the covering, and the 
productiveness of the land is much increased. Judge 
Hayes would confidently recommend this practice as 
deserving of attention. The work is done at odd jobs, 
as spare time may be found - usually after haying, and 
until late in the fail. 
To me, this is quite an interesting matter. My at¬ 
tention was first called to it by an operation of the kind 
which occurred on my land, without my instrumentali¬ 
ty, and at the time, against my wishes. A temporary, 
but quite powerful stream of water was suddenly form¬ 
ed, and came pitching over a sand bank, bringing the 
sand along with it, and distributing it over an acre or 
more, from one to two or three inches thick. The land, 
a fertile brown loam, had never been plowed, and the 
grass had formed a very thick and tight-bound sward 
In so far as the covering was concerned, it was compo 
sed of a coarse sand, and I have no idea, to this day 
that it was possessed of fertilizing properties in itself 
I regarded it with much suspicion, as it lay spread oves 
my grass-plat. It was suffered to remain through the 
season, however, and contrary to my expectations, a 
new and most vigorous vegetation started up through 
the covering, with which I was well pleased. There 
was more value in grass upon the patch, for four year# 
