84 THE FARMER'S MANUAL, 



your soil, or lessen the value of your wheat, or rye 

 crop, the experiment may be tried with safety, and 

 with strong probability of success. Before that most 

 valuable article, plaster of Paris, came into use, or 

 the mode of tillage, by deep ploughing, with buck- 

 wheat, or clover, were known as above, I have recov- 

 ered my old tired fallows by suffering them to lie for 

 pasturing, 2 or 3 years ; and then, after a summer's 

 feeding, have turned over the sward, and sown rye 

 with good success upon one ploughing, when 1 could 

 catch a dry seed-time, so as to render my field mel- 

 low with the harrow ; and with bad crops under a wet 

 seed-time, when my land was heavy. This mode of 

 tillage would be greatly improved by sowing one or 

 two bushels of plaster upon the first year's pasturing, 

 and by tilling with a potatoe fallow with plaster, 

 when you pldugh up your field. If you sow plaster 

 broad-cast upon your furrows, before you plant your 

 potatoes, it will best improve both your potatoe and 

 rye crop, or if you choose to sow plaster, either in 

 or upon the hills of your potatoes, you may sow your 

 plaster with your grain at seed-time, and cover it 

 lightly with the harrow, or upon your grain without 

 covering ; both will answer well. 



How to preserve your lands in the highest possi- 

 ble state of cultivation, at the least possible expense. 

 I. have attempted to show under the article Rotine, 

 or change of Crops. 



Harvest. 



For this most important business, you have had u 

 whole season, or I may say nearly a whole year to 

 prepare. 1 presume, not one single farmer has lef- 

 this employment to be attended to collaterally, when 

 some other jobs may be finished ; but has had his 

 eye upon it as a work of the first moment, and is now 

 ready with hands, and tools, and teams, provided. 

 Your rye harvest first claims your attention ; is the 



