THE MEADOWS HARROWED. 175 



from the other twelve acres was left as a mulch. The after 

 growth was clipped by sheep in the Fall. 



THE MEADOWS HARROWED. 



In the Spring of 1877 the meadows were all thoroughly- 

 harrowed. This eighteen acres having in the Winter been 

 liberally top dressed witli stable manure, presented a beautiful 

 even surface and cut three and a fourth tons of hay per acre. 

 Where the grass was not thick enougli it was re-seeded. As 

 soon as the harvest was over, a thorough cross harrowing was 

 given all the meadows to cover up the scattered seed and fill 

 the unseeded spots. At the harvest of 1878 this eighteen acre 

 meadow yielded a luxuriant crop of timothy hay from four to 

 five feet long, averaging four tons and forty-nine pounds per 

 acre, the heaviest going as high as four tons, six hundred and 

 ninety pounds. The severe drouth of 1879 reduced the yield 

 to two tons, fifteen hundred and seventy-six pounds to the 

 acre. The after growth was strong, and a full top dressing for 

 next season was applied, with every prospect of a good crop. 



The next field of forty acres had three patches of tangled 

 undergrowth and small timber, occupying at least ten acres 

 and encroaching every year upon the tilled ground. These 

 were cleared up and the field plowed in April 1875, the west 

 twenty acres being top dressed and planted with Irish potatoes 

 and cabbage. The east twenty acres were sown in oats. Both 

 crops proved a failure. The following year (1876) this field 

 was well plowed and planted with corn, a part of which was 

 only a fair crop. One portion of the field, occupying about 

 twelve acres, did not yield enough to repay the plowing and the 

 seeding, on account of the cold wet ground. 



A GREAT CROP OF WHEAT. 



During the Winter of 1877, all the stumps were taken out 

 and good deep ditches cut to effectually drain the field. In 

 1878 the entire field was sown in millet and the result was a 

 very poor crop, at least half weeds. After harvest the stubble 

 was broken with a three horse plow, eight inches deep, and all 

 of the high and rolling ground covered with stable manure at 



