376 [Senate 



land in its raw unfermentetl state; applying it generally to green- 

 sward lands intended for corn and potatoes, about twenty loads to the 

 acre; in this way we are enabled to manure from twelve to fifteen 

 acres yearly; the manure being laid in heaps, is carefully spread and 

 immediately plowed in and not suffered to remain and dry in the 

 sun; the furrows are then rolled, after w^hich a fine double harrow is 

 applied, first lengthwise of the furrow, then crosswise, till the sur- 

 face is completely pulverized; the row^s are then marked out as 

 straight and uniform as possible, and it is then ready for planting. 

 We cannot boast of having raised so large crops of corn and potatoes 

 as some of our more favored fellow-citizens, never having raised, 1 

 believe, to exceed ninety bushels of the former, and a little more than 

 four hundred of the latter. Our average crops of corn for a series of 

 years, I think w^ould not vary much from fifty bushels per acre and 

 potatoes about 250 bushels; I doubt not, by doubling the quantity of 

 manure, we might increase the crops from 25 to 50 per cent, but then 

 it will be seen we could manure but half as much ground, which, in 

 our opinion, would be poor economy, for the amount we apply 

 makes the ground rich enough for wheat or oats, which generally 

 follows the corn and potatoecrop, seeding wath clover and timothy, 

 say 41b. of the former and 61b. of the latter, and occupied again as 

 meadow; at the time of seeding our sandy land, we apply a dressing 

 of plaster, after w^hich we apply the roller for the purpose of ren- 

 dering the surface smooth, and the ground compact; when this course 

 is pursued, we rarely fail of a good seeding. Our average crop of 

 spring wheat is 18 or 20 bushels per acre, and of oats from 40 to 

 50. When treating of manures, 1 should have mentioned leach- 

 ed ashes, which, I believe, from actual experiment, are of more 

 value when applied to light soils than an equal quantity of com- 

 mon barnyard manure; and yet we find them almost totally neg- 

 lected, and suffered to waste at our asheries ; they should be 

 spread on ground prepared for corn or wheat, and harrowed, not 

 plowed in ; they may also be advantageously applied to grass 

 ground, meadow or pasture, twenty or thirty wagon loads to the 

 acre. We do comparatively nothing at dairying, keeping but a 

 small number of select cows for the rearing of stock. Our calves 

 are fed on new milk till ten or twelve weeks old ; those kept on 

 grass and hay generally sold at three years old: several of our steers 

 raised in this way were butchered in September last, weighing over 

 750 lbs. each. Our cattle are the improved native breed crossed 

 with the Devonshire; we keep from fifty to sixty head of cattle, three 

 or four horses, sixty sheep, and eight swine; we cut annually from 

 75 to 100 tons of upland hay, meadows averaging from one to two 

 tons per acre. Our method in fattening swine, is to steam potatoes and 

 apples, mash them while hot, adding one eighth part meal. We have 

 made a trial of barley, I believe twice, with no great success, and I 

 think the soil in this vicinity is not congenial to its growth and cul- 

 ture. As to buckwheat, I can give no opinion from experience, ne- 

 ver having sowed any; and from the opportunities I have had of no- 

 ticing it when raised by others, I regard the crop with but little fa- 



