248 north aroostook society. 



From Statements on Crops. 



Joseph Blake says : " I enter for premium a crop of wheat 

 raised the past season. My soil is a light loam, rather fine^ 

 and when dried under the action of the sun is light and friable, 

 and about fifteen inches in depth. It is of a dark color. The 

 subsoil is hard, but not clayey. As the formation of all the 

 soil in this region is limestone, the most of the stones found in 

 my soil are of that nature. But stones are not very plenty. 

 It is spring wheat; the land was cleared, a crop of wheat, and 

 a crop of oats was taken off, and was then pastured about eight 

 years ; was broken up one year ago last June and cross plowed 

 in the fall after. Last spring it was lightly cross plowed again, 

 and the wheat sowed on. It was plowed about live inches the 

 first time, and the expense of all the plowing of four acres was 

 about $16; and the whole expense after the grain was sowed 

 is about $21 ; no manure was applied; the land has never been 

 subsoiled or underdrained. I sowed the seed on the 8th day 

 of May, and it was sowed without any soaking or other prepar- 

 ation, broadcast, and about one and a half bushels to the 

 acre. The grain was harvested about the middle of August, 

 and was not hard all of it when it was cut. The produce of 

 the four acres was seventy-four bushels, or eighteen and one- 

 half bushels to the acre. The expense of raising, harvesting 

 and threshing, was about $45 at a fair estimate, and the produce, 

 seventy-four bushels, is worth $2 per bushel, amounting to 

 $148; leaving a net profit of $103." 



Of another acre in wheat he says : — For a description of the 

 soil I refer you to my statement on four acres of spring wheat, 

 except that it is what we call " new land." The wood has been 

 mostly cut off for fuel; the brush, &c., was burnt September, 

 1855, and the clearing was completed last spring. I estimate 

 the cost of clearing the acre at $3.50. I sowed it on the 11th 

 of May, and put on one and three-fourths bushels of seed. It 

 was harvested about the middle of August. I estimate as fol- 

 lows : 



Clearing, . . . . $3 50 



Sowing and harrowing, . . 3 00 



Harvesting, . . . . 3 00 



$9 50 



