326 [Senate 



The crop of oats on field No. 2, lot E, though a fair one, was far 

 less than it should have been. The soil was capable of producing a 

 larger crop than either of the preceding, whereas it amounted to only 

 forty-five bushels to the acre. This field had been under the plow 

 for several years, and hence had become very thistly. 



Preparatory to the present crop, the ground was plowed the fall 

 previous, and again in the spring, when the field was harrowed and 

 sowed with potatoe oats, at the rate of four bushels to the acre, ex- 

 cept a small portion of it, which was seeded at the rate of half that 

 quantity, for experiment. The oats were thoroughly harrowed in 

 and rolled, and to make thorough work with the lumpy places, it was 

 harrowed and rolled again. The land was also seeded with herds- 

 grass, at the rate of thirteen quarts, clean seed, to the acre, and the 

 seed harrowed in with the oats. In seeding this field, I omitted clo- 

 ver so that I might have the timothy clear, to save seed from hereaf- 

 ter. This however, w^as a departure from my general practice, as the 

 use of clover in seeding grass lands, constitutes an important princi- 

 ple in my system of farming. 



The experiment above alluded to, was instituted with a view to as- 

 certain the comparative advantages of using much or little seed, in 

 sowing oats. The process was simply this; in sowing, I left three 

 alternate lands near the middle of the field, with just half the usual 

 quantity of seed, or at the rate of two bushels to the acre. At har- 

 vest, one swath from the center of each of these three lands was sa- 

 ved, and the three united; also, one swath from the center of each 

 of four other lands, alternating with these three and seeded at the 

 rate of four bushels to the acre, was secured and the four being uni- 

 ted, the two parcels were securely mowed away by themselves and 

 afterwards threshed, and the products weighed. The result was as 

 follows: 



Three swaths at 2 bushels per acre, produced 575 lbs. of 



oats, w^eighing per bushel, 41 lbs. 



Four swaths at 4 bushels per acre, produced 900 lbs. of 



oats, weighing per bushel, 42 lbs. 



Or, dividing the former amount by 3, and the latter by 4, 



the product of 



One swath seeded at 2 bushels, was 191 1 lbs. 



One swath seeded at 4 bushels, was 225 lbs. 



making a difference of 33^ lbs. 



Allowing then, 40 bushels an acre to be an average yield of oats, 

 (and I think no farmer on good soil ought to feel satisfied with his 

 management until his average yield exceed that estimate by at least 

 ten bushels,) the foregoing experiment proves that, if the common 

 rate of seeding be two bushels to the acre, an addition of two more 

 bushels in seeding, w^ill produce an addition to the amount of the 

 crop, of about 7 bushels to the acre, which, deducting the increased 

 expense of seed, leaves a clear gain of five bushels to the acre. But 

 there are other advantages still resulting from the heavier seeding. 

 One is, that the straw being shorter, finer and firmer, is worth nearly 



