24 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



all cut away with the bog-knife, and after remaining awhile in 

 piles to dry, were again set on fire and mostly consumed. 



A half day was next spent in spreading back from the side of 

 the ditch a quantity of gravel, covering the surface of the 

 meadow to the depth of three inches. 



On the 7th of September, 1864, I sowed seven quarts of tim- 

 othy grass seed, and harrowed and bushed it. In the following 

 spring I sowed another quart of seed in spots where the seed 

 sown the previous fall had not taken root. June 10th, 1865, 

 mowed one and one-half tons of good hay with a Kniffin mower 

 — raked the same with a horse-rake. September 6th, 1865, 

 mowed again with Kniffin mower, and obtained one-half ton of 

 rowen. I formed a compost heap in a sand-bank near the 

 meadow, mixing vault manure with the sand in the proportion 

 of one part of manure to four of sand. 



In October I spread two and one-half cords of this compost. 

 In December I spread fifty loads, of eighteen bushels each, of 

 sand upon that portion which had received none of the gravel 

 from the ditch, at an expense of twenty cents per load. 



July 7th, 1866, mowed with machine a good crop of grass, 

 free from weeds and wild grass. The grass was taller than last 

 year. July 8th, raked with Whitcomb's horse-rake and carted 

 into the barn two tons of hay. 



Expenses. 



1862. 1 acre land, 



1863. Tax for ditching, .... 



1864. 31| rods ditch, at 33£ cents, 

 Burning twice, (one-half day each,) 

 Harrowing one-half day with team, 

 One-half day spreading gravel, 



l.V days cutting hassocks and burning, 

 1 day sowing grass seed, harrowing, &c 

 1 peck seed, ..... 



1865. Cutting two crops hay, 

 2} cords compost, at $4, 

 50 loads sand, at 20 cents, . 



1866. Cutting hay, .... 



$64 50 



