252 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



VALUE OF CROP. 



80 bushels of turnips for table use, at 40 cents, 



for feeding, at 20 cents, . 



200 



a 



a 



$32 00 

 40*00 



$72 00 



Statement of Albert Thomas, of Middleborough. 



Turnips. — The land is 40 rods of dark sandy loam, in grass 

 without manure in 1869 ; in corn in 1870, manured with 9 

 loads, of 30 bushels each, of manure from the barn cellar ; it 

 was ploughed twice, 9 inches deep, in April and May, and once 

 in June, six inches deep, turning under 8 loads of manure, and 

 planted with a seed sower, July 4th, with Sweet German seed, 

 in rows about 18 inches apart, hoed twice with hand hoes, and 

 harvested the first week in November. Product, 11,560 pounds, 

 or 192| bushels, equal to 770| bushels per acre. Expenses : 

 ploughing, $4 ; manure, $12 ; seed and sowing, $1 ; cultivation, 

 $6 ; harvesting, $6. Total, $29. 



The committee say that in one respect Mr. Thomas's mode of 

 farming is peculiar to himself, so far as appears by the state- 

 ments of other competitors. He believes in, and practices, 

 deep and repeated ploughing of land under cultivation the pre- 

 vious year. His oat field, in potatoes last year, was ploughed 

 twice, 9 inches deep, in preparation for sowing ; his potato 

 ground, in corn last year, was ploughed twice, 7 inches deep ; 

 and his. turnip patch, also in corn last year, was ploughed twice, 

 9 inches deep, and once, 6 inches. 



