ESSEX SOCIETY. 49 



which is set with fruit trees, is under cuhivation with crops as 

 follows, viz.; corn, sixteen acres; potatoes, eight acres; peas, 

 cabbages, turnips, parsnips, carrots, onions, &c., six acres ; and 

 about two acres of corn sowed broadcast, for fodder. 



The most important feature to which the attention of your 

 committee is called, is the previous condition of the land, the 

 whole of which, four years since, was a pasture, which rented 

 for the small sum of twelve dollars per annum, and which ex- 

 hibited the appearance of having once been tilled, with a suffi- 

 cient, return of manure, until it would pay no longer for the cul- 

 tivation, and was suffered to run to waste, or to very poor pas- 

 turage at best. Three years since, the greater part of the land 

 was broken up, and the next season, without dressing, planted 

 with beans. One year ago it was planted with corn, potatoes, 

 <fcc., a part with a very limited proportion of dressing, and the 

 other part without any. 



The past winter, preparations were made to make returns to 

 the soil for what had been taken from it, by procuring at great 

 expense, night soil and other fertilizers, and composting the 

 same as far as practicable, with meadow muck, of which there 

 is an inexhaustible supply within one fourth of a mile from the 

 barn. These composts, to the amount of about five hundred 

 ox-cart loads, were used the .past spring upon the land intend- 

 ed for cropping, and although the supply was very limited, it 

 was spread upon the surface and ploughed under to the depth 

 of five to seven inches ; believing, though the quantity of ma- 

 nure be small, that it is better spread and ploughed under, than 

 to be put into the hill, thereby giving the young plants a rapid 

 and thrifty start at first, and then leaving them to starve and 

 stint on a poor soil, as soon as the roots attain a sufficient length 

 to pass the frontier of the hill in which they are planted. 



Of the crops the present season, we cannot speak so definite- 

 ly as we should wish, not having completed the harvesting ; 

 but of the potato crop we have nothing to boast, as they were 

 generally of a small size, and upon the whole, the crop was a 

 light one, yet very sound, as we had not a bushel of unsound 

 potatoes from the eight acres planted. The corn, considering 

 the season, was fair; it was very sound, though not so well 

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