256 Washington society. 



Prom Statements on Crops. 



Mr. Hugh Porter of Pembroke, on a light, gravelly subsoil, 

 plowed ten inches deep, manured with compost of muck and 

 barnyard manure in the furrow, planted in drills thirty-three 

 inches apart and ten inches in the drills, with seed cut and 

 relied in plaster 10th and 14th of May, cultivated and hoed 

 once, raised one hundred and eighty-five bushels sound potatoes, 

 and ten bushels inferior, on one acre. Some rotted and were 

 not gathered. 



On similar soil he also planted corn, and it will be remem- 

 bered that this locality is in the extreme eastern part of the 

 State, and probably the least favorable of any within its limits 

 for the production of this crop. He says he " raised sixty-three 

 bushels of ears of ripe corn on a little less than half an acre of 

 green sward, plowed in the fall, harrowed in the spring; plowed 

 in a heavy coat of manure, harrowed fine, and dressed with 

 poudrette in part and hog manure part, in the hills, three feet 

 apart; the hog manuring proved to be the best corn; topped 

 the first of September ; tops when dry, one horse load ; eleven 

 loads coi'n in the husk and pumpins ; harvested the 14th Octo- 

 ber. Ashes and plaster applied to the hills at each hoeing." 



William D. Dana certified to a crop of ruta bagas grown on 

 clayey loam, with red sandstone subsoil. The land, hard and 

 stiff if worked when wet, light and friable if worked when dry 

 or when the frost is all out. The soil of a light color and from 

 two and a half to three feet deep. It is free from stones. 

 Thfe land was in grass in 1852, yielding less than one-half ton 

 of hay per acre. Used as pasture in 1853 and '54. Cropped 

 with oats in 1855, no manure being used. In the fall of 1855 

 plowed ten inches deep and harrowed. In June, 1856, it was 

 plowed, harrowed and drilled at the expcnse'of $6 per acre. 

 Placed in the drills three hundred pounds of guano per acre, 

 at a cost of $12 for the guano and labor of applying it. The 

 guano was covered eight to ten inches, and on the 20th of June 

 sowed ruta baga (purple top) in drills two and a half feet apart, 

 and ten inches between the plants ; four pounds seed used to 

 the acre. The after culture was simply cultivation and hoeing 

 twice, and thinning the plants to ten apart as soon as the sec- 

 ond leaves had started. On November 1st harvested three 



