116 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTUEE. 



being filled with dirt. I tlieu carted on to this ground wh^re 

 the rocks were taken out, and on the springy laud that I had 

 drained, about two hundred and fifty ox-cart loads of good 

 loam, which I obtained by re-setting a wall which was near 

 at hand — the land being about two acres. I then carted one 

 hundred and forty horse-loads taken from the barn-cellar, 

 which had been made the winter previous from horse, cows 

 and swine, never allowing the loss of any liquid, or the 

 manure to burn. The manure was soon spread after cart- 

 insf out : then one-half a bushel of herdsgrass seed and one 

 peck of redtop was sown to the acre ; the gi-ound was bushed 

 with a heavy bush and rolled with a loaded roller. 



The first of April following I sowed twelve pounds of 

 clover-seed to the acre, on top of a light fall of snow. The 

 seed sowed in September took finely ; the first crop was cut 

 the last of June, it being very much lodged, and was then 

 just coming into blossom. Three and one-half acres yielded 

 thirteen good horse-loads. The second crop was cut the last 

 week in August, producing five hai"se-loads of rowen. July 

 and August were very dry. This was in the summer of 

 1870. The first crop was not impaired by the drought — the 

 second was, although I had a heavy gi-owth of aftermath after 

 cutting the second crop. 



In the mouth of August, 1870, I ploughed the one and one- 

 half acres lying in the centre of the five acres (it being well 

 settled and drained), borrowing for the purpose a sharp 

 plough made for ploughing meadows, cutting a furrow about 

 fifteen inches wide and nine inches in depth, turning it over 

 flat. It took four large oxen to plough it. The soil is a 

 ver}" old deposit ; from two to three feet of the top is fine 

 and black, then gradually turning till you get to the depth of 

 eight feet, then it is a light ash color. I think the deposit to 

 be very rich. After ploughing it I rolled it with a heavy 

 roller ; then was carted on to this one and one-half acres one 

 hundred and ten horse-loads of manure from the barn-cellar ; 

 this was spread, and I sowed on the same three pecks of 

 herdsgrass seed and one peck of redtop ; it was then har- 

 rowed with a horse-harrow, then bushed and rolled with a 

 heavy roller. The seed came up well, although the fall was 

 dry, the light rains being sufiicieut to moisten the top of the 



