REPORTS ON CROPS. 293 



ed after tobacco, first plowing the ground during September, 

 sowing the seed broadcast and harrowing in, from the 20th of 

 September to the middle of October. Seldom is any fertili- 

 zer applied when sown after tobacco, the soil being sufficient- 

 ly rich to produce from 25 to 30 bushels per acre. Winter 

 wheat is only grown of the bearded white varieties. Harvest- 

 ing is done in July, cutting with the grain cradle or sickle. 

 Rye is more generally grown and in greater quantity ; two- 

 thirds or three-fourths of the farms have half to ten or twelve 

 acres devoted to rye ; the smaller area is sown after tobacco, 

 this ground producing from 30 to 40 bushels per acre ; after 

 corn 20 to 25 bushels ; plain or old fields from 10 to 15 bush- 

 els per acre. The whole number of acres grown in town I 

 could not approximate by estimation. On our own farm af- 

 ter corn we produced 28 bushels from an acre the past season 

 without extra fertilizing or any application to the crop. Old 

 field lands are plowed and the rye sown in Septeitiber broad- 

 cast and harrowed in, seed at the rate of 1^ bushels to 2 

 bushels per acre ; one plowing is all usually given to any soil 

 for rye ; after hoed crops tlic seed is put in some time from 

 the last of September to the last of October, at the rate of 

 three pecks to one bushel per acre. Harvested same as 

 wheat one to two weeks earlier. 



Potatoes have been grown in greater abundance the past 

 than for several previous seasons. From half an acre devoted 

 to this crop, plowed once in spring and fertilized in tlic hill 

 with a double handful of chopped tobacco stalks and one me- 

 dium sized tuber to the hill, three times hoed, we obtained in 

 round numbers 80 bushels free from rot or disease, planted 

 the first week in May. Digging is done with the potato hook, 

 picking and assorting by hand during the last week of Sep- 

 tember. So far as I am able to learn, the average yield of 

 potatoes would not exceed 100 bushels per acre ; very few 

 plant with a view to marketing, only selling where a surplus 

 is had where a family supply is exceeded when providing for 

 contingencies. The main or only root crops grown are tur- 

 nips, and these mostly for family use, very few for feeding to 

 stock. Soft turnips are the main variety, although some ru- 



