cient importance to form a part of the introductory literature of the Station. The original 250 acres was kept, with occasional exceptions, as one farm till after the beginning of this century, when it was divided and reduced to the present number of acres. How many years the Indians tilled the easily cultivated plain lands of this section before the advent of the whites, we have no means of knowing, but that they grew a supply of corn for their own use and for barter, we are assured by the early historians; hence the earliest white settlers did not always find a soil of virgin fertility. It is not unreasonable to suppose that the light plain lands, free from stone, would be selected by the rude cultivator with his rude tools for the planting of his corn fields, in preference to the more hilly and stronger lands, thus reducing the fertility of those lands least able to bear the loss. Since that time, American agriculture has ever been a depleting process. That farmer has been called successful who could show a bank account as the result of his years of cultivation, although his fields were bankrupt in regard to their supply of plant food. This fact, true of the land owner, is magnified in the tenant farmer, and when we consider that this farm has been leased for rather more than fifty per cent. of the last one hundred years, we are not surprised at the scarcity of plant food in some of the fields, as evinced by the natural plant growth. How to till and crop such fields and secure to the farmer of ordinary means a fair return for his labor and expense, and at the same time stem the tide of continual reduction of plant food in the soil, is a problem, the solving of which is of vital importance to American agriculture.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION.

The Rhode Island State Agricultural School and Experiment Station Farm is located in the town of South Kingstown, Washington County, on the east side of the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, known as the "Stonington Line," not far from the Kingston station. The latter point is 27 miles south of Providence and 17 miles northeast of Westerly. It is about six miles from the farm to Narragansett Pier, and the same distance to the "North Ferry," on the road to Jamestown and Newport. The farm lies northeast of the Kingston railroad station and north of the highway leading to Kingston village. The distance from the depot to the avenue is one and seven-tenths (1.7) miles, and from the avenue to the village post-office about three-tenths of a mile. The farm is approached along the avenue a distance of 1800 feet. This avenue is most of the way five rods or more in width, and formed part of a pasture. At the widest point a ledge of rock crops out, from which stone for building the house portion of the Kingston Jail was obtained some years ago. A good road is being constructed along this avenue to the farm. The former approach was through three pairs of bars or gates and along a cart-path, indicated by the parallel dotted lines on the accompanying map. The south boundary of the farm is practically a straight line extending from the east end in a northwesterly direction 5774.19 feet, broken by the avenue at a point 815.53 feet from the east end. The easterly portion of the farm extends about to the crest of the hill on the east, and is bounded on the north by a "drift-way," over which the farm has a "right of way" to the "North road," some 1400 feet east of the farm. This portion of the farm is 1909.55 feet E. and W., by about 1625 feet average width N. and S. The westerly portion of the farm is bounded on the north by a line practically parallel with the south line and 765 feet from it. On the west is "Thirty Acre Pond" and the Chippuxet river. The

elevation of contour lines--irregular lines on the map designated by numbers-is calculated above mean sea level, and the lines are drawn to indicate five feet difference in level. The pond is 98 feet above the mean sea level. The plain land, from the woods on the west to the line numbered 113, and near the south end of which is a little enclosure with a cross, indicating graves (Niles burying ground), averages about 118 feet, or twenty feet higher than the pond with the exception of the basin around which the circular contours are drawn; here we find permanent water at a level of nearly five feet above the pond. This plain is a tract of level, sandy-loam land with a yellow loam subsoil, under which in many places is a very thin stratum of clay before striking a porous gravel of indefinite depth. The gravel is found at from two and a half to five feet from the surface. There are no stone to interfere with cultivation, and corn and grain crops do well when the land is in proper condition; most of this is badly exhausted. The old barn, enlarged and repaired for a hay barn, stands near the end of the old cart-path. A piece of woodland covers the gentle slope from the plain to the river on the west, and includes a few large trees at the north end, some good young wood at the south end, while the middle portion is hardly better than brush. The fences, indicated by dotted lines across the plain near the basin and south and east of the barn have been removed. The north and south fence is of stone, and just east of it the nursery stock was set last spring, the sod being very thin (seeded with oats in '88), and therefore easily. cultivated. Just east of the "Niles burying ground" is a shallow valley through which a tiny brook-dry during drouths-winds its way; this is "Race Hollow," and serves as the channel for quite a body of surface water during freshets. As we come to the second irregular line, numbered 113, just east and north of the brooks, we reach the foot of the hill. The character of the soil begins to change from a dry, sandy loam to a moist, retentive clay loam, with clay and hard-pan subsoil. Bowlders appear and the ledge crops out as indicated on the map by a few shaded lines near contour marked 113. As we go east, the rise is quite uniform and constant. The farm-house is found to stand on ground 173 feet above mean sea level, or 75 feet above the level of the pond. The highest point is the S. E. corner of the farm, 233.5 feet, or 135.5

feet higher than the pond. The wood indicated in the pasture is more of a grove than woodland proper, low-branching trees of several varieties growing moderately near together. The ground here is very wet and springy, with a strong tendency to grow bushes, as is also the condition along the depression marked by the brook and extending to the east boundary line about midway of the farm. There are 57.2 acres of cultivated land on the plain and 23.5 on the hill northeast of the farm buildings. This latter was divided by stone walls into six different lots. The walls have now all been removed (excepting a few foundation stone) and used in the construction of roads and driveways; and as time shall make it possible to clear it from bowlders, it will make a valuable field for grass, fruits or cultivated crops. The old orchard contains in area 1.5 acres and 57 apple trees, 3 pear trees and 1 plum tree. These having been set at different times and long neglected, are of all sizes and degrees of growth. A thorough pruning last spring removed much dead wood and is inducing some growth the present season. The pasture lands included 42 1-4 acres. Of this, that portion south of the brook-the southeast section of the farm -is, excepting the wooded part, equally as good land as the cultivated fields, and when cleared will be valuable for horticultural or other work. The "ox pasture" northwest of the farm buildings, with the exception of the extreme N. W. corner, is so uneven and rocky as to be only valuable at present for pasture. The total area of the farm is 139.65 acres.

There are three living springs on the farm: one in the southeast corner of the pasture woodland, another near the southwest corner of the ox pasture by the cart-path leading to the plain, and the third in the ox pasture. The "Niles burying ground," mentioned in the historical description is on a sandy knoll just west of Race Hollow. The graves are all marked by rough wall stones set on end in the earth, with no mark whatever on any to distinguish the resting place of one from another. At least thirty-five or forty persons lie buried here. At another point, just north of the wall running east from the farm buildings, other graves are indicated on the map by three small crosses, and marked by the same rude headstones as those on the plain. Here by the side of the cultivated field, and under the shadow of a now fine linden tree, are

supposed to lie such of the family slaves and servants as ended their life on this farm. Twelve graves can be counted.

FARM BUILDINGS.

The farm-house is a two-story building, 363 x 28 feet, with old. fashioned stone chimney, topped above the roof with brick. It is now painted white and furnished with blinds. An ell 22 x 20 feet is located at the northeast corner near the well. The barn stands northeast of the house and is 36 x 32 feet, and well built, some eighteen years ago, by Mr. J. H. Tefft. There is a floor through the middle and stalls without floors on either side. The scaffolds will hold about thirty tons of hay. The sides of the barn are shingled. A small barn 30 x 16 feet, east of the one just described, was in very poor repair and has been torn down. There are also a few small buildings used as a wagon-sheds wood-shed, corn-house and poultry-house, all built many years ago, with the exception of the poultry-house, which is comparatively new. The barn on the plain was 30 x 20 feet, and for very many years was the only barn on the farm. This building was in a very dilapidated condition and in imminent danger of being blown to pieces; one end was entirely out, doors gone and boarding off. The building was raised, posts spliced, new silled, and ten feet in length added to the open end and the outside entirely covered with shingles, excepting the west end, which was comparatively tight. The old scaffolds were removed and the structure fitted for a hay barn. This was done during the winter of '88-89. Last spring a small building 10 x 20 feet and about 71⁄2 feet high was erected as a temporary and convenient work-room and store-house for the apiary. It stands near the apiary at a point just east of Race Hollow and near where the ledge crops out. When a larger building, with basement for wintering bees, is provided, the present structure will be used for poultry. Additions to the farm barn are being made for stable room for teams and shed room for wagons and tools. A building 20 x 48, with fourteen-foot posts, stands north and south just west of the barn, and furnishes two high sheds for loads of hay or grain, and at the south end a room 20 x 20 feet, with chimney and wide roll-door, for use as a carpenter and repair