90 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



year, and the comiug year, I suppose, will test whether ashes 

 are a valuable material to spread on my land or not. I 

 would like to hear the experience of others in regard to barn 

 manure for mowing fields. 



Mr. Harris. I have one field that has been top-dressed 

 now for about fourteen years. I have top-dressed it almost 

 every year. When I have had a load of manure to spare, I 

 would put it there. Well, sir, the effect on that land is 

 wonderful. I do not care what means I take to make my 

 grass grow, provided I can get a good crop of hay, and can 

 have a plenty of good feed for my stock. I have no doubt 

 that in many cases that is the better way to apply manure as 

 a top-dressing. Then the efiect on my trees is beneficial. 

 I have been quite successful as an apple grower. I got $5 

 per barrel for my apples this year, (what I had to sell). 

 They were sent to Europe. I got $1,000 from four acres of 

 orchard, and I consider that a pretty good return. Besides 

 those I sold I had some twenty-two barrels which I put into 

 the cellar for my own use. Now this is really the result of 

 top-dressing. I keep my pigs and sheep in that orchard, 

 and its richness is increasing every year. 



Dr. North. Do you pasture your mowing fields in the 

 fall? 



Ans. I do, I am ashamed to own. 



QuES. Does the Deacon? 



Ans. No. I am pressed all the time to keep my stock 

 growing, and I have had them in my fields some in the fall. 



Dr. Allen. In the experiments at the College, it will be 

 seen in the last report, page 143, that •where top-dressing was 

 applied and then letting the land stand five years, the experi- 

 ment worked well. That is the best way on some kinds of 

 land. After the five years it will be seen there were 593 

 pounds of hay. The third year there were 75 pounds where 

 no manure was placed. 



The Chairman. I will speak of the practices around Port- 

 land. Of course you understand, on the grass farms near the 

 city they practice selling the hay. They can keep up the fer- 



