78 CALCAREOUS MANURES— PRACTICE. 



especially from the former. It is almost always either too wet or too dry 

 for ploughing; and sometimes it will pass through both states in two or 

 three clear and warm days. If broken up early in winter, the soil, instead 

 of being pulverized by frost, like most clay lands, runs together again by 

 freezing and thawing ; and by March, will have a sleek (though not a very 

 even) crust upon the surface, quite too hard to plant on without a second 

 ploughing. The natural growth is principally white and red oaks, a smaller 

 proportion of pine, and an under-growtli of whortleberry bushes throughout. 



Experiment 5, 



On one side of this field a marked spot of thirty-five yards square was 

 left out, when the adjoining land was marled at the rate of five hundred to 

 six hundred bushels, (37 per cent.,) to the acre. Paths for the carts were 

 opened through the trees, and the marl dropped and spread in January, 

 1826, and the land cleared the following winter. Most of the wood was 

 carried off" for fuel ; the remaining logs and brush burnt on the ground, as 

 usual, at such irregular distances as were convenient to the laborers. This 

 part was perhaps the poorer, because wood had previously been cut here 

 for fuel ; though only a few trees had been taken, here and there, each 

 winter, for a long time past. 



Results, 1827. Planted in corn the whole recent clearing of fifteen acres 

 — all marled, except the spot left out for experiment : broken up late and 

 badly, and worse tilled, as the land was generally too hard, until the season 

 was too far advanced to save the crop. The whole product so small, that 

 it was useless to attempt to measure the products. The difference would 

 have been only between a few imperfect ears on the marled ground, and 

 still less— indeed almost nothing— on that not marled. 



1828. Again in corn— as well broken and cultivated as usual for such 

 land. October 8th— cut down four rows of corn running through the land 

 not marled, and eight others, alongside on the marled— all fifty feet in length. 

 The rows had been laid off for five and a half feet— but were found to 

 vary a few inches— for which the proper allowance was made, by calcula- 

 tion. The spaces taken for measurement were caused to be thus small by 

 a part of the corn having been inadvertently cut down and shocked, just 

 before. The ears were shelled when gathered ; and the products, measured 

 in a vessel which held (by trial) l-80th of a bushel, were as follows: 



On land not marled, 

 4 rows, average 5 feet, and 50 in length, (500 square feet) 13^ measures, 



or to the acre, 7 5 bushels. 



On adjoining marled land 

 4 rows, average 5 feet 1 1 inches by 50 feet =5 1 2 square feet, 25| measures, 



or to the acre, 13^ bushels. 



4 next rows, 5 feet 4| inches by 50=537 square feet, 27^ measures, 



or to the acre, 14 bushels. 



1829. In wheat. 



1830. At rest — the weeds, a scanty cover. 



1831. In corn. October 20th— measured by the chain equal spaces, 

 and gathered and measured their products. The corn not marled was so 

 imperfectly filled, that it was necessary to shell it, for fairly measuring the 

 quantity. The marled parcels, being of good ears generally, were mea- 

 sured as usual, by allowing two heaped measures of ears, for one of grain. 



On land not marled, 



363 square yards made 3 gallons, 



or to the acre, 5 bushels. 



