8 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



parts into the earth, and then turn the manure under in plow- 

 ing time. I think there is a decided advantage in taking that 

 course. 



As to making the cattle lie in the pastures where you want 

 the manure, this is tlie way. Cut down your shade trees 

 about the watering places and the lower parts of the field, and 

 encourage them to grow on the higher parts. Cut tlie coarse 

 grass and weeds in the swales, and" stack upon the dry knolls. 

 The cattle will gather about it, and if scattered with a fork it 

 will become a favorite place for tlie cattle to lie, and the ma- 

 nure will be dropped just where it is wanted. 



I suppose I have thirty acres of drained land to-day, that is 

 paying from 25 to 40 per cent, over and above the value of 

 the land and the ditching at the time it was drained. That is 

 a great deal to say, but I- have a very good grass soil ; prob- 

 ably it can not be beaten. I would say to every gentleman 

 here — drain — drain — drain — if it is but half an acre a year; 

 the probability is it will add a hundred dollars to your capital ; 

 and if you will enter into tliis system, I have no doubt this 

 Board will continue; it will grow stronger, and the day will 

 come when the people of Connecticut will think they can not 

 get along without it. I think the more the farmers of the 

 state inquire into the purposes of this organization, and what 

 it is doing, the more they will be convinced of its usefulness. 

 No man who has attended these meetings can go away without 

 having acquired a vast fund of information. For instance, it 

 has been stated here that oats do not succeed well after tur- 

 nips, and that information is of value to every farmer. 



Mr. White. — I think the gentleman is right in what he has 

 said about not being afraid to draw manure to distant parts of 

 the farm. Where I live the idea was not to go too far from 

 the barn ; it was thought that it cost too much ; the conse- 

 quence was they did not have much good soil, and the crops 

 were small. It has been my practice, ever since I commenced 

 farming, to take lands that had been run out, it made no dif- 

 ference where 'they were, and I keep up a uniform system all 

 through my farming. I have been remonstrated with from 

 the beginning, and told, "You carry your compost too far; it 



