166 PLYMOUTH SOCIETY. 



I commenced, the present year, on an adjoining lot ; this land 

 is low and very wet. I had it cleared of stone and brush, having 

 good ditches dug to let off the water ; sowed it down 16th Sept. 

 This piece contains 128 rods. Have put on it a heavy coat of 

 manure ; the seed has taken well. It being considered rather 

 late for sowing, it remains to be seen whether it will do as well 

 as if sowed earlier. 



Bridgewater, Oct. 12, 1S47. 



George W. Wood's Statement. 



The manner in which 1 made my compost manure is as fol- 

 lows : — In the fall of 1846, I carted into my yards muck, soil, 

 clearing out of ditches, &e. of about equal parts. I then cov- 

 ered it with what potato-tops grew on about one acre, also about 

 one ton of poor fresh hay, which made a good bed for my cattle 

 to lie on. I also fed out in winter fresh hay, straw, corn-fodder, 

 &c; kept my stock in my yards in the day-time in winter, and 

 at night in summer. In June, 1847, I began ploughing my yards 

 over ; ploughed and harrowed them once every two or three 

 weeks. I also carted to my barn, piles of muck, and covered 

 the manure I threw out from my stock daily, when it was not 

 frozen too hard. Early in the spring of 1847, I dug and piled 

 up what I had made in the winter. I made between 40 and 50 

 loads in that manner. I have no barn cellar, but have dug out 

 from under my floors so that I can cart in, say ten loads, that 

 preserves the urine of my stock. I cart in muck where I keep 

 my sheep yarded in winter, and make about 20 loads of manure 

 in that manner. I have carted out and applied to my land 179 

 loads, equal to 40 cubic feet each. Owing to the repeated rains, 

 I have not carted out near all my manure ; it has been all mud. 

 My land is moist, and I think it would cut up so much that I 

 should lose more than I should gain, by carting it out by the 

 time required by the Society. I should think I had 150 loads 

 now to get out. 



Middleborough, Oct. 4, 1847. 



