556 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



VI. Notes on Miscellaneous Field Work. 



Aside from the strictly experimental work on our older 

 field, much preparatory work has been carried on during the 

 past year on our more recent addition of lands. The older 

 field, which has been for six years under our control, is 

 located along the west side of the highway leading from 

 Amherst to North Amherst ; it covers an area of about twenty 

 acres, including the grounds occupied by the present build- 

 ings of the Experiment Station. The more recent addition 

 of lands (1886) is located along the east side of the high- 

 way ; it covers an area of thirty acres, of which ten acres 

 are occupied by a natural forest growth. The entire field 

 forms the western slope of a prominent elevation. Most of 

 the cultivated portion, which consisted of old grass lands, 

 is gradually slanting towards the north-west, while a con- 

 siderable portion of it is nearly on a level, with a slight 

 depression towards the north. The entire area, consisting 

 essentially of a good gravelly loam, admits of a satisfactory 

 management of the work to be carried on upon it. The 

 steeper portion along the wood land will be used for experi- 

 ments with large and small fruits, the adjoining part towards 

 the west for experiments with general farm crops, and the 

 more level western termination for permanent grass lands. 

 This plan for its future use was adopted after taking posses- 

 sion of the grounds in 1886. 



As the lands along the slope are somewhat springy, and 

 as its lower portion has at times to convey to the north a 

 considerable amount of water coming from adjoining southern 

 hillsides, a thorough system of underdraining was at once 

 devised, and in its essential direction carried out, before any 

 of the sod was turned over. Subsequently, during the 

 autumn of 1886, the northern end of the entire field, to the 

 extent of twelve acres, was ploughed ; while the ploughing 

 of the southern terminus of the field, comprising eight acres 

 of old grass land, was for financial considerations reserved 

 for a year later (1887). 



The ploughed lands were thoroughly treated with a wheel 

 harrow during the succeeding spring, before planting. Wood 



