The Republican journal., 1907-08-01
A MILLION DOLLAR FARM.
It is Run by Massachusetts, for the Benefit
of Criminals and Paupers.

5000, 900 in land and buildings and over
100000 in implements and live stock,
is run for the benefit of criminals and
paupers.
1t is located in central Plymouth
county, in the town of Bridgewater,
and to it are sent unfortunate prison.
ers whose continued appearances be-
fore the courts make it necessary to
place them elsewhere than in the coun-
ty jails. Added to these are insane pris-
oners, guilty of all kinds Of offences,
who need treatment.
The average is about 1900 inmates
the year around.
Two square miles is now the area of
the farm.
Excellent buildings have been con-
structed.
1t is practically million-dollar in
vestment, and its purpose is the i'm
provement of the morals of the petty
criminals sent there from all parts of
the State.
The good intentions of the persons
who started the institution have borne
fruit, it is true, but all interested in the
institution say that it is to be regretted
that the prisoners do not receive enough
permanent benefit.
As far as the discipline and customs
of the farm go, they are benefited, and
many are the men who leave it with
full supply of good resolutions, only to
fall in with their former associates ands
to get back to their old habits.
At this point the work of the farm is
seriously handicapped, but it seems i'm
possible to have an influence over the
men for their better government after
they leave the place, and some have tai
len many times.
PROBATIONARY SYSTEM.
A probationary system, with a num-
Der of visitors, is extant in an endeavor
to carry the work of the institution
outside its walls, and in a measure this
is successful. Figures prove that there
are MANY who don't profit by it, how
ever for according to the last report
there we're SS4 persons on the farm who
were returned for the second term, AIS
for the third, 335 for the fourth and go
for the fifth. There were individuals
who had had II, IS, 10 and 20 convic-
tions respectively.
At the farm are many inmates Who
are considered to have no other home
than the farm, and they will admit as
much themselves. Some spend three
fourths of every year at the farm, and
take almost as lively an interest in the
progress of the place as do the officers.
This was brought out notably, IN an
interview with one of the field officers,
who said that the same man had driven
the first moving machine, OF the big
battery which mows off the grass. for
six years now. He took great interest
in the haying and was always on hand
for it, Last year his term expired the
day before the grass cutting period
started, but he did not miss it. On a
minor offence he vas brought before
the court in Boston and got another
term at the farm, this placing him back
on his old job, driving the leader in the
hay field.
Of the two square miles of land more
than half is fit to plant. The remain
der is divided up into woodland, which
is being cleared, and stony lots, which
are also being cleaned up.
The farming department is in charge
of George E. Bacon, practical farmer
of large experience, who has directed
the work for about 20 years. He has
from 800 to 500 prisoners at work IN the
fields, haying, planting, cultivating and
!. harvesting the crops through the farm
ing season.
! are cleaning up land, taking out stones
,
Taking a heavily wooded tract, the
trees are felled and converted into fire
, wood. Then a group of the stoutest
men on the farm, Familiarity known as
"the bulldog gang" is put into the lot,
guarded by force of officers. Their
work is to get the stumps out, and for
this task appliances for stump pulling,
invented by farmer Bacon, are very
useful.
The stumps removed, another gang
goes in after the rocks, and these are
all removed. The smaller ones are
: placed in piles, while the larger ones
| are dug out and blasted. Then the lot
is spaded over, one foot deep, until
every root, shrub and stone is out of it..
After proper cultivation grass is
| planted and the piece is allowed to
grow for hay for a year or two. Then
# is plowed again and crop of pota-
toes is raised A year later it is again
put into grass, and then, after the cult
) walton of four or five years it is suited
for almost any crop.
, BIG POTATO CROP.
In potato culture big amount of
ground is used Last season one field
was about 60 acres, and there were
many other smaller plots. The yield of
potatoes was about 1000 bushels. Other
crops were raised in correspondingly
large quantities. Just 2,913 heads of
t cabbage were grown for consumption
on the farm.
OF beets for table use 2970 bushels
were raised, mangels 3645 bushels, yell
low globe beets 1888 bushels, carrots
| 1885 bushels, parsnips 900 bushels, tur-
! nips 945 bushels, celery 1900 punches,
etc.
Hay is another heavy crop. 1t is used
,, for feeding the hundreds of cows, horses,
oxen, etc. About 425 tons of English
! hay was raised on the first crop in 1906.
The second brought the total for the
season to nearly 600 tons. All this was
harvested in few days, and was stored
in the three massive barns.
= The Easements of the barns are pre-
pared with proper caution as to ventila-
ton for storing the vegetables for use
e through the winter, one section being
for one crop, and another for another.
Other products of last year were 50
tons of oats, - ga tons of squash, 80
/, tons of pumpkins, 437 bushels of onions,
5 SIS barrels of apples, ice, wood, pears,
q etc.
As on other farms, chickens, pigs
and other animals are grown Last