148 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



crops, by ploughing two or three furrows next the fences, and 

 composting with barn manure. 



With a liberal supply of soil and vegetable matter, we make 

 from our sink and vault about 20 loads of fertilizing manure 

 yearly. 



In addition to these resources, we have, the present year, 

 made 130 loads of valuable mud compost, as follows: — The 

 mud was dug and drawn on to the upland last fall ; as early 

 as practicable this spring it was heaped up, and 150 bushels 

 of leached ashes and seven casks of lime mixed with it j this 

 was dug over, pulverized, and thoroughly incorporated with 

 the ashes and lime, during the summer, and used as a top- 

 dressing for grass on my sandy soils. By this method, and 

 from these sources, I have made and applied, the present sea- 

 son, 446 loads of valuable compost manure, of 40 cubic feet per 

 load. 



INDIAN CORN. 



Report of thp Committee. 



Great discredit is often thrown on the statements of indi- 

 viduals, arising in part, from the unfair mode of measuring. 

 Many of the committees complain that the entries were so few, 

 and account for it, by the fact that the premiums offered, are so 

 small as not to pay for the time and care of measuring the 

 crop, in compliance with the rules of the society. It would 

 seem that a proper regard to truth, and justice to other parts 

 of the State, should induce committees to require the utmost 

 strictness in measurement ; and to prevent any discouragement, 

 that the societies should offer such premiums as will compen- 

 sate for any amount of time which may be required. The com- 

 mittee of the Franklin Society, speaking of the excellent crop 

 of one who entered for a premium, say he " only harvested and 

 measured the crop from a few rods of his field, and from that 

 made an estimate of the whole field, which, in the opinion 

 of the committee was not a compliance with the regulations, 



