1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 195 



Both meadows were cut but once during the first summer 

 season, somewhat later than usual; the majority of grasses 

 did not, as might be expected, head out. 



As soon as the first crop of hay was secured, a system of 

 manuring was planned, which would illustrate the compara- 

 tive manurial effect of top-dressing, as follows : — 



By barn-yard manure. 



By ground bones and muriate of potash. 



By unleached wood ashes. 



The northern meadow, consisting of six and one-half 

 acres, was subdivided into three plats, I., II., III., run- 

 ning from east to west, leaving a space of twenty feet in 

 width between them without any manurial matter. 



The southern meadow was divided into two plats, IV., V. 

 (south end). Plats I., II., III. were sown down in grass 

 during September, 1887, and plats IV. and V. during Sep- 

 tember, 1888. The subsequent stated system of manuring 

 began in the autumn of 1888, on all plats at the same time. 



Plat I. (north end of the field) is equal to 1.92 acres. 

 It was top-dressed during the fall and early spring with 

 barn-yard manure, at the rate of eighteen tons per acre 

 (1888-89). 



Plat II. covers a similar area as Plat I. (83,040 square 

 feet). It received at the same time a top-dressing of barn- 

 yard manure, at the rate of eight tons per acre (1888). 

 The coarsest part of the barn-yard manure was subsequently 

 removed from both plats before the growing grass interfered 

 with its being raked off. 



Plat III., about 2.41 acres, received, May 3, 1889, a top- 

 dressing of six hundred pounds of fine-ground steamed bone 

 and two hundred pounds of muriate of potash per acre. 



Plat IV. (south of roadway), an area of 2.11 acres, 

 received the same dressing, in the same proportion and at 

 the same rate (six hundred pounds ground bone and two 

 hundred pounds muriate of potash) per acre, as Plat III. 

 (1889). 



Plat V., equal to .91 acres, received as top-dressing, April 

 23, 1889, one ton of unleached Canada wood ashes, from 

 our local market (1889). 



