542 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



Potatoes, 592 bushels — 236 bu. per acre : soil, 

 earid and sandy loam : manure, 7 cords per acre. 



Turnips, 1300 bushels — 050 bu. per acre : soil, 

 sand and sandy loam : 240 busiiels ul ashes ; ma- 

 nure, 3 1-2 cords per acre. 



Barley, 10 tons— 1 3-4 tons per acre; cut for 

 fodder : soil, sand and sandy loam. 



Hay, 50 tons — 2 3-4 tons per acre ; 5 acres up- 

 land, 3 lowland; sandy ; 10 of reclaimed peat boor; 

 2 acres ofupland, top dressed with 5 cords manure 

 per acre. 



JMillet, 40 tons — 2 3-4 tons per acre; soil, san- 

 dy ; 4 1-2 acres no manure — 10 ashed, 100 bush- 

 els to acre. 



Pumpkins, 5 tons from among corn. 



Other produce. — BQcf, 9500 lbs. ; pork, 5C7 lbs,; 

 milk, 8764 gallons. 



Value of crop. 



Cost of cultivation per acre 

 Indian corn, ^49 

 Barley, 27 



Potatoes, 46 



Turnips, 47 



Hay, 24 



Millet, 24 



Stock. 



1 horse, 



2 oxen, 

 18 cows, 



^87 25 



31 00 



78 00 



110 00 



49 00 



49 00 



Value. 



850 



70 



648 



North Providence, 12 vio. 2, 1839. 



Dr. C. T. Jacksox — Esteemed Friend — Hav- 

 ing filled such of the blanks in the form appended 

 to the circular as were necessary to the requisite 

 fitatemenis respecting my crops of this year, t avail 

 myself of the convenience of a separate sheet to 

 notice such of the questions as I am able to an- 

 swer. 



I have made no experiments that have been suf- 

 ficiently carried out to be oloiher importance than 

 as affording suggestions for further trial and more 

 accurate and extended observation. Of this cha- 

 racter are those with nitre, potash, &c., of which a 

 statement has already been given. It may be 

 well, however, to repeat ic here. Several plats of 

 ground, each containing a rod, lialf a rod apart, on 

 a field of sandy soil which had been recently sown 

 with millet, without maimre, were treated in the 

 fullowing manner: one with lime, one with ground 

 oyster shells, and another with salt — four quarts 

 to each : one with a peck of recent, another vviih 

 the same quantity of spent ashes : the next with 

 potash and the last with saltpetre — each a pound. 

 The lime and oyster shells produced no effects, the 

 millet being no better than on the undressed ground 

 about them. Salt had been furnished in too large 

 a quantity, and destroyed most of the seed. The 

 lew plants that came, however, grew very luxu- 

 riantly. There was no perceivable difference in 

 the ashed portions, the crop being alike better 

 than on the intermediate spaces. Potash and nitre 

 gave the best results, the latter the most striking. 

 The ground was in fine condition. It produced at 

 least three and a half tons of millet to the acre. 



I have tried lime in but a few instances, and not 

 at all in composts. In a potato drill, on a sandy 

 loam, it was evidently injurious to the crop ; and 

 as a top dressing for grass grounds, one a sandy 

 Boil, the other a reclaimed bog abounding in vege- 

 table matter, it was of no perceivable benefit. 



Spent wood ashes have been tlie principal ma- 



nure which I have used in amending the condition 

 of light loams and sandy and gravelly soils. On 

 all these they are used to great advantage ; and to 

 a profitable result in the improvement of the two 

 last mentioned, combined with the growing of clo- 

 ver they are almost indispensable, especially if the 

 soil be of very sterile character. 



Besides the experiment above noticed with 

 ground oystershells, I have applied them to sandy 

 and to loamy soil for grass and for turnips, but 

 without effect. 



Bog mud of peaty character has been used to 

 some extent in my manure trenches, and is deemed 

 excellent for the purpose— more valuable than 

 loam. 



On the sandy and poorer grounds of the farm 

 millet and clover are the most profitable crops. On 

 those of firmer texture the root culture has given 

 the best results. A part of the diflerence in the 

 superior profit, however, is but apparent. Requir- 

 ing most or all of the season to perfect their growth 

 they prevent, without some inlervenient crop, late 

 summer or early fall seeding, the seasons, I be- 

 lieve, in which lands in high condition are most 

 profitably laid down to grass. The value of the 

 produce ofthe farm this year, inclusive of pasture, 

 feed and the products of garden grounds (included 

 in the ploughed land, but not otherwise noticed,) 

 is S2S40. And it appears on examination of my 

 accounts, that its conversion into the Ibrms in 

 which most of it is disposed of, is not likely to give 

 a very dissimilar result. Sales have been made to 

 the amount of ^2962 84, and there is on hand 

 S669, worth more than at the commencement of 

 the year. To this should be added ^600 for the 

 manure made by the stock ; making in the aggre- 

 iiate S4231 84. From this sum should be deducted 

 the cost of the grain purchased, and the hogs and 

 cattle fatted, which amounts to ic;12I4 Q5, leaving 

 a balance of ^3017 19 as the value ofthe produce. 

 The excess over the first estimate of $ 177 19, will 

 probably defray all extra expense incurred by the 

 disposition which is made of it. 



The liquid manure from the stock is saved, but 

 has never been separately applied. Both this and 

 the solid matter are received into a trench in the 

 rear of thf cattle stalls, and with the admixture of 

 bog mud or loam, make a compost much more 

 valuable than ordinary stable manure. Six dollars 

 a cord for it may be thought to put an end to all 

 profitable results in farming, but the efl'ects of its 

 application sustain me in this opinion of its value. 

 It is charged at five dollars, in my estimates ofthe 

 cost of ciops, one sixth part, I consider, as being 

 appropriated by the soil to its own improvement. 



I have limited my estimates in regard to crops, 

 to such only as have been raised on the farm this 

 year. There are others, in the culture of which I 

 have bad some experience ; such as oals, beets 

 and carrots. Oals, in general, give about the same 

 results as barley. Beets and carrots cost more in 

 the cultivation than rula baiia; beets perhaps ^6, 

 and cairots gl2 an acre. The product, with me, 

 has been about the same, and they are probably of 

 equal value. The diflerence, if there be any, as 

 food for slock, has escaped my observation. In re- 

 gard to beets, however, I speak only in reference 

 to the scarcity and yellow French. The while and 

 red are said to be of better quality. 



fn the valuation of the lands of the farm, build- 

 ings have not been included. These, exclusive of 



