HAMPDEN SOCIETY. 239 



The land had been used as a mowing lot, altogether, for 

 twenty-five or thirty years previous to the year 1846. Late in 

 the fall of that year it was ploughed to the depth of ten or 

 twelve inches. In 1847 it was planted with corn and potatoes 

 without manure. In the spring of 1848, it was worked with a 

 heavy cultivator and planted with corn and potatoes, — mostly 

 the latter, — a little plaster being put in the hills with the pota- 

 toes. In the fall it was ploughed seven or eight inches deep, 

 and sown with wheat the 16th of September, the seed having 

 been well soaked in strong brine and rolled in soot and ashes. 

 The growth of straw was very luxuriant, lodging in some por- 

 tions so badly as to cause the crop to fail entirely in those parts. 

 It was harvested between the 16th and 19th of July. 



The whole amount of labor expended on the crop, from the 

 ploughing of the field to the time the grain was ready for mar- 

 ket, was $21. 



I think it proper to add, that in consequence of its being 

 somewhat affected with rust, the crop was smaller than it 

 otherwase would have been. I cut the greater part of the field 

 very soon after the rust commenced, or when the berry of the 

 wheat was just out of the milk, being thus advised by those 

 who had raised wheat for many years. I however reserved a 

 portion of the field and cut it some days later. Upon compar- 

 ison, that last cut, was found greatly superior to the first, in 

 every respect. 



Hadley, August 18, 1849. 



