160 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



fall ; and, the spring being early, it was ready to begin to cut 

 and feed the first week in May. About the 10th it was fin- 

 ished ; and the ground ploughed, manured, and immediately 

 sown to oats. 



You can readily believe that these were at their full 

 height and in bloom the 10th of July. At this time they 

 were cut and made into hay, the ground again ploughed and 

 manured and sown to barley. The barlej^ grew about two 

 and a half to three feet high, was well headed and ready to 

 cut the middle of September, or in season to be entirely out 

 of the way of picking the winter apples, which made the 

 fourth heavy crop of that season. I then had nearly the 

 whole of October for seeding again with winter rye. That 

 I did not do so, I suppose, may be taken as evidence that I 

 have a little more land than I can fully use. 



By the old system of farming, where the main object was 

 to get out of the land all the fertility possible without carry- 

 ing any thing back in return, one crop in a year was about 

 all the land would usually bear ; but, by the system I have 

 partially adopted, tlie number of crops that can be profitably 

 grown is limited only by the length of the season. 



Few of us, I fear, realize how quickly most of our annual 

 crops are grown, and how much of the time in each year our 

 land is absolutely idle, or at best only producing worthless 

 or noxious weeds. 



Indian corn occupies the land longer than any of our 

 staple crops ; and yet, if planted by the first of June, it should 

 by the middle of September be sufficiently ripened to cut up, 

 and carry from the field. There is ample time in nearly 

 every portion of Massachusetts to take off a crop of rye 

 before planting, and to put in another after the corn is 

 harvested. The chief difficulty is in being ready to do all 

 the work at the proper time. The Early Rose potato may 

 be taken off in season for a full crop of barley in the fall, 

 and any variety may be followed with rye for the next year's 

 cutting. 



Our hay-crop is grown in little more than eight weeks, 

 and may be cut in ample time for obtaining a full crop of 

 millet before the autumnal frosts. Winter rye, winter wheat, 

 and all the spring grains, if allowed to go to seed, are ready 

 to harvest throughout Massachusetts in July ; and, unless 



