166 



5. Natural and Artificial Grasses. — In general, what are 

 called the natural grasses on the Deerfield meadows are much 

 more highly valued than the artificial grasses, such as herds- 

 grass, red top and clover. A highly intelligent and experienced 

 farmer is of opinion that the Deerfield farmers might cultivate 

 the artificial grasses, herdsgrass and red top, to advantage ; and 

 states that some of the best beef cattle ever produced in the 

 county were fatted by McCrellis, of Coleraine, upon pota- 

 toes and coarse herdsgrass hay. 



6. Seeding Potatoes. — G. Dickinson planted two rows of 

 potatoes, five rods in length, and the hills three feet apart. In 

 some of the rows he put two potatoes in a hill ; in the others, 

 one potatoe only. The former yielded four quarts in a row 

 more than the latter ; but the extra yield was not deemed a 

 sufficient equivalent for the extra expense. This can hardly 

 be considered as very decisive. Indeed, the results in experi- 

 ments on the planting of potatoes, sometimes planting whole 

 potatoes, sometimes cut, sometimes the eyes, and sometimes 

 the sprouts merely, are so variously reported that it is difficult 

 to speak with confidence. If the root, as can hardly be ques- 

 tioned, depends for its first nourishment upon the decay of the 

 bulb out of which it starts ; and if it is most important, at the 

 starting of the plant, that this nutriment should be abundantly 

 supplied, it would seem to be much better to plant whole than 

 cut potatoes ; and this point may be considered as established. 



7. Redeeming Land. — One experiment in Deerfield, in re- 

 deeming peat meadow, is worth recording as a caution. It was 

 ditched, and pared, and burnt ; but from the fire being set 

 when the meadow was too dry, it was essentially injured, many 

 lar^e holes being burnt in it. 



An improvement is going on in Whately and Hatfield on a 

 large scale, which promises most valuable results. The Con- 

 necticut river, by a narrow inlet, flowed in upon a very large 

 and low piece of land, keeping it saturated with water, making 

 a mere swamp of it, covered with alders, reeds, and aquatic 

 grasses, and rendering it comparatively worthless. Heretofore, 



