128 MASSACHUSETTS AGEICULTURE. 



OLD-FASHIOXED STYILE OF RAISING HAY. 



The old New Euglaud practice of our fathers and grand- 

 fathers, which still exists I believe on too many of our farms, 

 of making corn, potatoes, pumpkins, white-beans and small 

 grains, — as rye, oats and barley the principal crops, and hay 

 a secondary one, has on my place been entirely abandoned. 



Under the old system, after a field had ceased to produce 

 enough hay to pay for the harvesting, it was given over to the 

 cows, till in many cases it was no longer worth pasturing. It 

 was then ploughed and planted with potatoes or corn, beans 

 and pumpkins, or all of them together, for one, two or three 

 years. And as almost every former had land that needed 

 ploughing ofteuer than he could get round to it, he was tempted 

 to plough up more each year than he could well manure. So 

 a little manure was put in the hills which gave the crop just 

 enough power to enable it to draw out about all the strength 

 the land possessed. The next crops were either rye, oats or 

 barley, sown without applying an additional coat of manure, 

 which so reduced the fertility of the land that the grass-seed 

 which was put in with the grain seldom showed itself, except 

 the clover, till the second year afterwards. This system of 

 rotation gave corn or some other hoed crops one or more 

 years, then some kind of small grain sown with grass -seed, 

 then clover, and on the fourth year from ploughing, provided 

 it was planted but one year, English grass again. Then mow- 

 ing-fields were always pastured after haying, and often till the 

 grass was gnawed close down to the roots. This was the 

 practice oh my farm till within a few years. If the season 

 was favorable, one or two fair crops of hay were obtained 

 "during the rotation. 



HAY THE MAIN CROP. 



Now hay is made the principal crop, and the others, if any 

 are grown, are only secondary. The grass is treated with 

 manure just as are other crops, and it is allowed the whole 

 benefit of the land, very little grain being sowed with it, and 

 it is generally manured with a light coat spread on the surface 

 at the time of sowing. Even if the land is in pretty good 

 condition a light dressing of manure spread on top of the 

 ground and slightly harrowed in at the time of sowing, will 



