THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 25 



port of Mr. Holbrook, can never doubt of the value 

 and utility of Gypsum, when properly applied as a 

 manure. 



APRIL. 



Your hemp and fiax are all dressed ; your wood 

 cut and housed, or piled up; and your sleds housed 

 safe for the next winter. Your orchards are all prun- 

 ed, and the brush removed and cut up for summer's 

 use. Your fences are in great forwardness ; your 

 mowing-grounds are dressed from your barn-yards, 

 and your hemp, flax, oats and barley grounds, to- 

 gether with your spring-rye, and wheat lands, now 

 claim your attention. This is one of the most impor- 

 tant months of the twelve, for the farmer. Harrow 

 down your ridges ; plough and cross-plough for your 

 hemp, flax and barley, and dress after the first 

 ploughing with well rotted manure from your stables, 

 barn-yard, or hog-pens, at the rate of 10, 16, or 20 

 loads to the acre, according to circumstances, and 

 sow from two to three bushels to the acre, of each, 

 and harrow in the seed, not upon the furrows, this will 

 bury your seed to deep; but upon a surface made 

 smooth and even by the harrow. Your land cannot 

 be pulverized too much with the harrow after your 

 seed is sown. Your wheat two bushels, and rye one 

 and a half bushels to the acre will do best ; when 

 dressed with plaster, one, two, or three bushels to the 

 acre, or with lime or leached ashes, sown, and har- 

 rowed in with the grain. Your crops will be more 

 secure against the rust, and blast, and smut, than 

 when sown upon the stronger manures, especially if 

 soaked in a strong pickle of sea-salt, or saltpetre, 

 rinsed clean, and rolled in plaster, or live ashes, 

 when sown. Plaster and ashes answer well, also, 

 when sown upon your hemp, flax, barley and oats! 



