118 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and from the winds. The special fertilizers I do not apply in 

 the fall, but in the season of growth of the crop. This is no 

 pet theory of my own ; I simply practise it, and am very well 

 satisfied with the results ; but I am ready, when I can see 

 a better way, to adopt it in that as in every other practice in 

 my small farming. 



I may remark that in all cases my work is mapped out, 

 at least in my head, each year for that succeeding. The 

 amount of manure, and the kind of crop for each fi,eld, in a 

 word, every thing, is planned in advance. 



I have endeavored from the beginning to raise such crops 

 as would be salable in the markets to which I had access, but 

 have found in several instances that my soils were not fitted 

 for their production. Loss resulted. I study carefully to 

 learn for what products my land is adapted, and consider the 

 knowledge I have gained in this matter of much value. 



My rule has been, with exceptions of course, to sell my 

 crops when they were fit for market. To do so, to take the 

 produce from the field to the place of sale, saves the expense 

 of extra handling, saves room for storage, and saves the loss 

 of rot and shrinkage incident to the keeping of most kinds of 

 farm-j)roduce. This cannot be done always ; but, so far as 

 I can, I practise it. 



I believe in thorough tillage, and have endeavored to re- 

 duce my belief to practice. I plough my land with care, 

 although I am not an advocate of deep ploughing, and then 

 harrow and drag until it is well pulverized, before putting in 

 the seed. 



For instance, I have the past autumn ploughed a field four 

 times, harrowed it four times, and intend in the spring to 

 plough, harrow, and drag it before planting. There was 

 some discussion yesterday in regard to ploughing sward-land. 

 This field I ploughed about the middle of August, and I 

 question whether many of the practical farmers present, if 

 they should gc to that field now, could really tell whether 

 there was sward there this season or not. It is almost en- 

 tirely pulverized. It has been ploughed over the number of 

 times stated ; and the soil, I may say, is completely pulver- 

 ized. After planting, I cultivate and hoe, weeds or no' weeds, 

 but enough to keep down the weeds at any rate. Still I 

 must admit that sometimes, in the hurried season, weeds do 



