SECRETARY'S REPORT. 17 



Although this attempt had thus proved a failure, yet there 

 was left us one resource. The legislature of 1859, in sections 

 4 and 5 of chapter 232 of the laws of that year, authorized the 

 Board to require the various agricultural societies receiving the 

 bounty of the [State to offer premiums from time to time, for 

 agricultural experiments, to bo conducted in such manner as 

 the Board may direct, subject to the penalty of withholding 

 the State bounty in case of con-compliance. 



The Board, accordingly, on the first of December, authorized 

 the issue of the following circular to the various agricultural 

 societies: — 



Agricultural Department, Boston, ) 

 December 5, 1859. ) 



Dear Sir, — At a, meeting of the State Board of Agriculture, held 

 on the 1st inst., it was 



" Voted, That the several Agricultural Societies receiving the bounty 

 of the State, be required to offer three premiums for the most thorough 

 exact and reliable experiments upon the proper depth of applying 

 manures, payable in the fall of 18C2, as follows : — 



" Select a level piece of land of any convenient size, from twenty square 

 rods up to as many acres or more, which should be as nearly equal in its 

 character and conditions as jiossible. Divide it into five equal parts, 

 numbering them 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, for a rotation of three years. 



" Divide the manure which it is proposed to apply, and which should 

 be of a uniform character, into four equal parts. At the time of first 

 ploughing in the spring, spread evenly one-fourth of the manure upon 

 plot No. 1, and then plough the whole field of an equal depth. Apply 

 another fourth part of the manure to plot No. 2, and then cross-plough 

 the whole field to about half the depth of the first ploughing. Spread 

 another fourth of the manure upon plot No. 3, and harrow or culivate 

 the whole field ; after which sow or plant the whole evenly, with any 

 crop preferred. Finally, spread the remaining quarter part of the 

 manure upon plot No. 4. 



" Observe that by pursuing this course, each of the five lots will 

 receive equally, a deep ploughing, a shallow ploughing, and a harrowing 

 or cultivating, the only difference in them being that in No. 1 the 

 manure is buried deep, in No. 2, shallow, in No. 3 buried only slightly, 

 but coated with loam, and in No. 4 left exposed upon the surface ; while 

 No. 5 gets no manure. The manure is to be spread broadcast and as 

 evenly as possible. The after cultivation should be the same on each of 

 the lots, and the harvest of each should take place at the same time. 

 3* 



