THE TIME TO PLOUGH. 139 



but it may be on light soil, when you are going to apply 

 manure to the whole of it. But my plan is to cultivate ten 

 acres, plough it up, raise two crops, seed it, and so go on 

 with a rotation of crops. Grass is the best crop I raise. 



The matter was talked over here yesterday, when we 

 should plough. I have had the best success in turning over 

 my land in August. I turn it over, put on the pulverizing 

 harrow and the manure, seed it right down again, and roll it 

 down smooth. I have got the best crops of grass in this way, 

 and got the best return for my manure. I turn over the 

 ground, instead of top-dressing it, unless the land is moist. I 

 have some land that is moist enough, so that I think it pays 

 to top-dress it ; but on most of the land in my vicinity it is 

 better to turn it over, put on the manure, and then seed 

 down, without any grain-crop. I think a great many make a 

 mistake in putting on grain to take part of the goodness of 

 the manure, because, in our vicinity, — and it has been so, I 

 think, for the last few years, — a good crop of hay is worth 

 more than a crop of grain, and does not draw on the land so 

 much. 



In regard to the application of manure, I think one mis- 

 take is in putting it on late in the fall, when the ground is 

 frozen. If it is on land that is inclining, then the rains will 

 wash it away, because it cannot get into the soil; but if it is 

 put on before the ground is frozen, when there is a good cov- 

 ering of grass, then that will absorb the manure, and the 

 water that comes off at the foot of the hill will be clear. 

 There is a river some forty or fifty rods below m}' barns, 

 and the water goes down hill to the river ; but it does not go 

 many rods before the land absorbs it all. I do not think 

 that any of it,. except when the ground is frozen, gets into 

 the stream below. 



Mr. Sl^ide. I have listened with a great deal of pleasure 

 to Mr. Paul's experience in farming, as I suppose you all 

 have. It has been my good fortune to live a neighbor to 

 Mr. Paul ; and I frequently visit him to take lessons in grow- 

 ing crops, applying manure, &c. We compare notes ; and I 

 consider him, and always have, very good authority. 



Mr. Paul stated some cases where he had made blunders 

 by changing his crops : he neglected to state, I think, where- 

 in he succeeded by changing. Now, I pursue a certain line : 



