No. 105.] 339 



RUFUS S. RANSOM. 



Soil in good condition, having lain to pasture seven years, then 

 turned over in the spring of 1844, and sowed to barley, (after 

 being rolled and harrowed,) at the rate of 2^ bushels per acre, then 

 harrowed thoroughly both ways, no manure applied, crop amounted to 

 35 if bushels. 



No manure used the present season ; one bushel of seed sown on the 

 piece ; common variety ; sown broadcast the 2d day of May ; pulled 

 by hand in the middle of August ; spread on the ground till dry ; then 

 taken to the barn and threshed by holding the heads in the threshing 

 machine, or rather on the cylinder, for we take off the concave when 

 we thresh flax ; cleaned by running the seed through a common fan- 

 ning mill, and sifting it afterwards in a flax riddle. I ought to have 

 mentioned that we go through our flax just after it is out of the blos- 

 som and pull all weeds that can be found. The amount of seed was 

 eleven bushels and twenty-four quarts, as near as we could measure it 

 in a half bushel ; we have not dressed the flax ; that is, separated the 

 lint from the woody part ; after it was rotted and brought to the barn, 

 we weighed it, and in that form it weighed 1400 pounds. We have 

 dressed 10 pounds, and it produced 1 pound and 9 ounces ; therefore 

 1400 pounds before it is dressed will produce 21 8| pounds of lint. 

 The cost of cultivation, for what has been done and what remains to 

 be done, as near as I can make it, is $11. We dress our flax with 

 the brake, hatchel and swingling board, the same as our grandfathers 

 did. 



f Senate, No. 105. J 22 



