Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-05-19
ADrirulturaI.
From dc Albany Cnltiuutor.
The Farm Of Z. Phinney, ESQ.

w, in short visit to his beautiful and high
y productive farm in Lexington, Mass, aud
having found much, very much, TO admire
and approve, know Of nothing which
can furnish for the columns OF your excel
lent journal. that may be so useful and in.
stfucliye, as an account Of some Of the
practical operations Of this intelligent, skill
full, and long experienced farmer.
In a recent letter TO me, Messrs Editors,
you were pleased TO say-"lhere is at pres
ent 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 re.
quire all the details Of farming" This fact,
coming from so high authority. regard as
full of promise for the future improvement
Of our agriculture since this class Of read.
ers, being free from old prejudices, will
have their minds open to truth, even il that
truth should be found lnrking 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
ADLER pen, I shall content myself with The
detail Of farm management.
When Mr. Phinney commenced, some
twenty-five years ago, his farm presented a
most -forbidding aspect. The soil was COW
cred up with stones and bushes, shrub oaks
and pines, so as to be literally inaccessible
for cultivation the fences were in mser.
able condition, aud what land had been cul.
tivatej, was worn out in vegetable sub
stance under the "sklnning" system. He
debated with himself, for some time, wheth-
er an investment nigh, not be made here.
in the removal OF these distractions and the
improvement Of the soil, that would be ju-
dcious, and in the end profitable and al
though men OF less agricultural skill and
enterprise would have shrunk from the un.
der,aking. he commenced and persevered
1t must now be apparent TO any praNlced
eve. thst on this farm are the elemeAb Of
liberal and sure reward for all former tot
and expense, lei the world go as i, may.
1t is almost incredible how much the
hand Of skill and diligence has done on thi:
farm, in removing the obstacles to cultiva'
ton, and converting barren aud unproduc
tive wastes into fruitful fields. The secret
however, is clearly revealed in the following
remarks, found in an address delivered By
Mr. Phinney himself, before the "Middlese,
Society Of Husbandmeu." several year
since, which are so much more to the pur
pose than any thing can offer, that can
not forbear the quotation -
at is true, that the wealth Of the opu
lent has done much, but mental research
aud the spirit Of inquiry, accompanied b.
the personal inspection and Perseyering Ell
forts OF the practical farmer, have don
much more to increase the produce and i'm
prove the condition Of our farms.
"rhis is most forcibly illustrated by Phi
ny the elder: 'Furius Cresinus, an eman
: cipated Roman slave, having obtained lrou
! his very small estate much larger crops tina
:, his more wealthy neighbors from their vas
: domains, they became so envious that the
J charged him with employing enehanimen'
il to attract into his grounds the produce G
r. their fields. Having been summoned
Spurius Albinus. and being fearful Of col
!. demnation, he introduced into the forum
4 as the tribes prepared to vote, his robu
5 and well clad family, and his agricultur
d implements, his heavy mattocks, his lngei
% iously constructed plows, and his well ie
r. oxen, then exclaimed-Behold Roma
citizens, my magic but am still unab
1 to show you, or TO bring into the mark
place, my studies, my constant uigifane
my fatiguing labors. Scarcely had he col
cluded, when he was absoved by public a
III clamation.'
he at is in enterprise, study, unremiltir
study, vigilance, and industry more than
money, that the mystery Of great crops ar
- successful husbandry consists"
REMOVING STONES AND BUsHEs.-Tl
DC task of removing the stones and the grow
he of shrub oaks, and other bushes, is immens
ill toms weight Of the former being, on
average, generally taken off from o or
square feet Of ground. In addition to
rs. Vulnerable stones Of from ten to one or IL
Hundred pounds weight, are larger ones, II
bedded mostly in the soil. weighing seveI
10 tons. These are taken out by digg
raj away the earth around them and blasiin
the object of the FIRST blast being TO op
III seam, and then the second blast splits |
whole mass into several pieces, and thro
lbs il out of its bed the work being done g
orally in autumn or fore part Of whit
our when the stones may be loaded on to d.
I'll OF OA-Slcust anu utuWH 10 any P"SS "'''
they may be wanted.
ok. Large quantities are laid up into mass
7 walls, from TO or 8 feet thick, and D
7 feet high. The fences on this farm
already built for generations TO come,
;, but trfing expense in occasional repairs
cks, Hundreds Of tons Of these stones have o'
eek buried in bitches in the bog meadow
ead on the wet lands, for the purpose oil dr'
crs, ing,
MANUFACTURE OF MANuRE.--lt will
~ readily conceived that farmer OF Mr. n
= ney's skill employs every means the Ii
affords for making manure, the neees
ict. and value Of an abundant supply OF VIII
TO successful and profitable farming, he {
l Err appreciates.
u A stock of 60 to 20 head of cattle is
bled most of the time, night and day, in
inns, winter, and the manure is thrown into
,lge lars underneath, the bottoms Of which
a. covered with pea, mud. 2 or 8 feet deep
10 order fully to absorb all the liquids from
T" as manure. The floor upon which the CT
- stand. is 4 or g inches higher than the