22 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



lie idle until the succeeding season. They think that, unless a 

 green crop can be produced without manure, the high cost of 

 that article will render this system of renovation too expensive. 

 From all I can learn, however, I incline to the opinion, that the 

 green-crop system will be found useful for lands on which plas- 

 ter can be successfully used in the place of manure. For other 

 soils, it may not answer. More experiments will furnish a surer 

 basis of decision. 



As no statements of experiment were handed in at our late 

 anniversary, I requested my colleagues, Dr. Nichols, of Dan- 

 vers, and Henry Osgood, Esq., of Andover, to furnish me with 

 their views on the subject. With this request, they have kindly 

 complied. 



EDWIN M. STONE, Chairman. 



Danvers, Oct. 15, 1847. 



Dear Sir : — On the subject of turning in green or dry crops to 

 fertilize tillage lands, I have a few facts to state, and an opinion 

 to express. 



I once had as much corn fodder, — that is, as many corn-stalks 

 as would grow without manure, — at least five or six tons to the 

 acre, carefully cut and covered by the soil in the month of Sep- 

 tember ; and the result was, no benefit to the land, the loss of 

 the crop ploughed in, and half the crop of corn planted thereon 

 the succeeding year ! 



Did the buried crop then really injure -the soil ? Perhaps not. 

 I account for the last-named loss by the fear I had of losing much 

 of the fertilizing quality of the rich mass which I supposed was 

 rotting below, should I turn it up by the plough, and expose 

 it to the sun and air by so doing, — and consequently planting the 

 corn on manure in holes, without ploughing the land at all, pre- 

 suming — mistaken man as I was — that the roots of the corn would 

 find no difficulty in permeating a soil so rich and spongy, as I 

 supposed that must be. But in reality the soil was neither rich 

 nor spongy. The stalks, instead of rotting, had fermented and 

 been converted chiefly into alcohol and vinegar — the former 



