24 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



Second year, A. lays out in labor, &c, $500, seed $530—11030. 

 In the spring following his account will stand : 

 Farm Dr. to cash, $1060 80 



Farm Cr. by crops, 1360 80, to equal B.'s profits. 



Second year, B. lays out in labor $500. His account, in the 

 spring, will stand : 



Farm Dr. to cash, $530 00 



Farm Cr. by crops, 800 00 : gain $300. 



Will A. get so much more than B. the second year? I think 

 not. 



I think that B. will get the largest crop the second year. But 

 in this I may be mistaken ; but so long as good materials for 

 compost can be easily obtained, I think we should do nothing to 

 divert the attention of the farmers of Essex from the " powers 

 of mud," as a regenerator of worn-out tillage lands. The fact, 

 that there have been no claimants for the premiums offered for 

 the best experiment of ploughing in green or dry crops — premi- 

 ums, which would defray all the expenses of the experiment, 

 and leave all the betterment of the land as clear gain — speaks 

 loudly the opinion of practical farmers on this subject. 



Yours, respectfully, 



ANDREW NICHOLS. 

 To Rev. E. M. Stone. 



A?idover, October 11th, 1847. 



Dear Sir : — With regard to ploughing in green or dry crops 

 for manure, my experience is rather limited. I have a field con- 

 taining five acres, lying about one mile from the house, (rather 

 too far to carry manure, as high as wages have been,) the soil 

 of which is naturally very good. One half of this field was 

 sowed with winter rye, annually, the stubble was ploughed in 

 after haying, and the land ploughed the next June, and often 

 again before sowing. The crop of rye growing less, I sowed 

 one half the field with buck -wheat; when it was fully in bios- 



