NEW 
SERIES. 
“ TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND MIND.” 
Vol. V. ALBANY, APRIL, 1848. No. 4. 
TME FAM ©F E. PHIMEY, E§Q. 
Editors of the Cultivator —Having recently en¬ 
joyed the kindness and hospitality of this gentleman 
and his pleasant family, in a short visit to his beautiful 
and highly productive farm in Lexington, Mass., and 
having found much, very much, to admire and approve, 
I know of nothing which I can furnish for the columns 
of your excellent journal, that may be so useful and in¬ 
structive, as an account of some of the practical ope¬ 
rations of this intelligent, skilful, and long experienced 
farmer. 
In a recent letter to me, Messrs. Editors, you were 
pleased to say ,—- ;i there is at present a large class of 
agricultural readers, who have gone to farming, from 
the shop, store, offices, &c., who read, much more than 
the old stock, and who absolutely require all the details 
of farming.” This fact, coming from so high author¬ 
ity, I regard as full of promise for the future improve¬ 
ment of our agriculture; since this dlass of readers, 
being free from old prejudices, will have their minds 
open to truth, even if that truth should be found lurking 
under the head of “ modern improvements.” To this 
class my present observations will be more particularly 
directed; and, avoiding all glowing descriptions of this 
beautiful farm, which might be very properly given by. 
an abler pen, I shall content myself with the more 
humble, but I trust not the less useful detail of farm 
management. 
When Mr. Phinney commenced, some twenty-five 
years ago, his farm presented a most forbidding aspect. 
The soil was covered up with stones and bushes, shrub 
oaks and pines, so as to be literally inaccessible for cul¬ 
tivation; the fences were in a miserable condition, and 
what land had been cultivated, was worn out in vege¬ 
table substance under the “ skinning” system. He de¬ 
bated with himself, for some time, whether an invest¬ 
ment might not be made here, in the removal of these 
obstructions and the improvement of the soil, that 
would be judicious, and in the end profitable; and al¬ 
though men of less agricultural skill and enterprise, 
would have shrunk from the undertaking, he commenced 
and persevered. It must now be apparent to any prac¬ 
ticed eye, that on this farm are the elements of liberal 
and sure reward for all former toil and expense, let 
the world go as it may. 
It is almost incredible how much the hand of skill 
and diligence has done on this farm, in removing the 
obstacles to cultivation, and converting barren and un¬ 
productive wastes into fruitful fields. The secret, how¬ 
ever, is clearly revealed in the following remarks, found 
in an address delivered by Mr. Phinney himself, before 
the “ Middlesex Society of Husbandmen,” several years 
since, which are so much more to the purpose than any 
thing I can offer, that I cannot forbear the quotation:— 
“ It is true, that the wealth of the opulent has done 
much, but mental research and a spirit of inquiry, ac¬ 
companied by the personal inspection and perseveririg 
efforts of the practical farmer, have done much more 
to increase the produce and improve the condition of 
our farms. 
u This is most forcibly illustrated by Pliny the elder: 
fFurius Cresinus, an emancipated Roman slave, having 
obtained from his very small estate, much larger crops 
than his more wealthy neighbors from their vast do¬ 
mains, they became so envious, that they charged him 
with employing enchantment, to'attract into his grounds 
the produce of their fields. Having been summoned 
by Spurius Albinus, and being fearful of condemnation, 
he introduced into the forum, as the tribes prepared to 
vote, his robust and well clad family, and his agricultu¬ 
ral implements, his heavy mattocks, his ingeniously 
constructed plows, and his well fed oxen, and then ex¬ 
claimed—Behold! Roman citizens, my magic; but I 
am still unable to show you, or to bring into the mar¬ 
ket place, my studies, my constant vigilance, my fatigu¬ 
ing labors. Scarcely had he concluded, when he was 
absolved by public acclamation. 7 ” 
“ It is in enterprise, study, unremitting study, vigi¬ 
lance and industry, more than in money, that the mys¬ 
tery of great crops and successful husbandry consists.” 
Removing Stones and Bushes. —The task of re¬ 
moving the stones and the growth of shrub oaks, and 
other bushes, is immense, a ton’s weight of the former 
being, on an average, generally taken off from 6 or 8 
feet square of ground. In addition to innumerable 
stones of from ten to one or two hundred pounds weight, 
are larger ones, imbedded mostly in the soil, weighing 
several tons. These are taken out by digging away 
the earth around them and blasting; the object of the 
first blast being to open a seam, and then the second 
blast splits the whole mass into : several pieces, and 
throws it out of its bed; the work being done generally 
in autumn or forepart of winter, when the stones may 
be loaded on to a boat or ox-sleds, and drawn to any 
place where they may be wanted. 
Large quantities are laid up into massive walls, from 
3 to 7 or 8 feet thick, and 5 to 7 feet high. The fences 
on this farm are already built for generations to come, 
with but trifling expense in occasional repairs. Hun¬ 
dreds of tons of these stones have been buried in ditches 
in the bog meadow and on the wet lands, for the pur¬ 
pose of draining. 
Manufacture ‘ of Manure. —It will be readily 
conceived that a farmer of Mr. Phinney’s skill employs 
every means the farm affords for making manure, the 
necessity and value of an abundant supply of which, to 
successful and profitable farming, he fully appreciates. 
