192 



ON THE RECLAMATION OF LAND FROM MOSS. 



the farm, but 1»}' ten two-year old fattening cattle. Tliis was 

 done, bearing in mind that cows take more inorganic matter 

 from the soil than fattening animals, on account of milk not 

 being again delivered on and where it was produced. The 

 reahzation from the cattle was £3, 5 s. per head profit. The 

 field was ploughed on the iirst week of November that year. 

 On the otli of April following it was sown with 4| bushels 

 of oats per acre. The oats were cut on the 19th of September. 

 This was a ver}' wet season ; Ijut, by seizing every favourable 

 opportunity, the grain was secured none the worse, considering 

 the heavy quantity of the straw. It was thrashed on the 23d 

 of September, and produced 5 quarters 5 bushels of grain per 

 acre, weighing 41 lbs. per bushel, which brought 26s. per 

 quarter ; and 40 stones of straw to the quarter of grain, which 

 sold at 6d. per stone. On 26th April 1878 the field got 12 tons 

 per acre of farm}ard manure, and a mixture of Peruvian guano, 

 treated with sulphuric acid and magnesia and dissolved bones, to 

 the extent of 4 cwt. per acre. Five acres were planted with 

 12| cwt. of rock potatoes per acre, and the other 5 acres were 

 sown with 4 lbs. of yellow turni}) seed to the acre. We began 

 to lift the potatoes on tlie 18th of October ; the yield was 5 tons 

 per acre, valued at £3, 4s. per ton. The turnips were a very 

 indifferent crop, and were valued at £6, 10s. per acre. This 

 year the field contains a very good crop of oats. It shall now 

 be wi'ought on the regular rotation of the farm. 



I here give a full and comprehensive summary of the expendi- 

 ture and returns, so that one may arrive at the nett profit, after 

 allowing for interest on money sunk, as nearly as possible. 

 With the exception of the year 1872 I place the expense of each 

 crop's ploughing in the same year as the crop is grown, though the 

 ploughing was always done in the latter part of the past year : — 



EXPENDITURE. 



