68 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Statement of Ephraim Graham. 



"White Beans. — The field where I raised my beans was in a 

 young apple orchard, transplanted in 1862 ; the surface soil 

 sandy and gravelly, the subsoil somewhat clayey. The field 

 was ploughed quite shallow, and about seven loads of meadow 

 muck, mixed with a small quantity of leached ashes and horse 

 manure, spread and harrowed in. The beans were dropped in 

 drills, about ten quarts to sixty square rods ; they were hoed 

 and thinned twice ; the product was equal to 48l| bushels to 

 the acre. 



Cost of ploughing, planting and seed, . . . $3 00 



of hoeing and thinning, ..... 3 00 



of harvesting and threshing, . . . . 3 00 



Value of manure, ....... 7 00 



816 00 



ROOT CROPS. 



WORCESTER NORTH. 



From the Report of the Committee. 



Onions. — Only one field of onions was entered in due season 

 to compete for the society's premium ; and that, by Mr. Lawrin 

 Pratt, South Fitchburg. 



The product on the average rod selected weighed 277£ 

 pounds=4 1 9 Q 5 5 j bushels, or 792| bushels per acre. 



The field on which Mr. Pratt grew his onions is alluvial soil 

 on the bank of a branch of the Nashua River ; the surface soil is 

 quite sandy or such as has been made from the surrounding 

 hills for centuries, caused by the overflowing of the stream ; 

 consequently a great variety of soil. 



The crop was a very excellent one ; never have we witnessed 

 a field of so even size or better quality ; scarcely a root on the 

 whole field was a scullion. 



We think Mr. Pratt made a great mistake in the operation of 

 his crop, as the cultivation was by no means clean ; but weeds, 

 weeds, weeds, were allowed to grow as well as onions ; we arc 



