6 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. ' 



ing, scarcely less disastrous to all forms of plant growth. With 

 the exception of a few localities favored with occasional showers, 

 the hay crop was in consequence diminished to a considerable 

 extent, root crops on the drier lands failed, and the pastures 

 became so short as to compel farmers who had neglected to sow 

 corn for fodder, to resort to their winter stores of hay in the 

 barn. The almost total failure of the apple crop, which may 

 naturally enough be ascribed to other causes than the peculiar 

 nature of the past summer, and partly indeed to the overbear- 

 ing of the season previous, has contributed to make the year 

 one of uncommon hardship to the farming community. 



The most obvious lesson to be derived from the experience of 

 the year is, the importance of deep and thorough cultivation 

 and the frequent stirring of the soil among our cultivated crops. 

 Lands that have been deeply tilled have suffered less from the 

 dry weather than others. Even the old fields that were in a 

 high state of cultivation have suffered less than those that had 

 been allowed to run out. On these lands the hay crop was so 

 slight as, in many instances, to be scarcely worth the expense 

 of gathering. The only thing left in such cases was to plough 

 up and re-seed ; this has been done to a greater extent, probably, 

 than in any previous season. This operation involves expense, 

 and is attended with some risks of loss and failure of the seed 

 to take, especially when the supplies of manure are inadequate. 

 Unless the land is already in a high state of fertility from pre- 

 vious cultivation, it is idle to expect a " good catch " without an 

 application of manure. This is necessary to stimulate the 

 young plant to the formation of roots, and to push it forward 

 to a size and strength which will enable it to withstand the 

 obstacles to its growth. 



Another equally obvious lesson which the experience of the 

 year teaches is, that the sowing of any grain with our grass seed 

 is detrimental and to be avoided. The low yield of the grass 

 and hay crops may be ascribed very largely to the failure, more 

 or less complete, of newly sown lands. Estimating the loss to 

 the whole State from this source by what is known in a single 

 town where the facts have been gathered with care, and it can- 

 not fall short of half a million dollars. This includes the loss 

 of seed and expense and cost of labor in sowing, or the imme- 

 diate preparation for it. 



