1846.] Prize Farm Report. 157 



the first — and the third crop cannot but receive great benefit from 

 it. The fourth and fifth crops probably do not impoverish the 

 soil. By this rotation, three crops are had for three plowings ; 

 and my experience proves that the soil increases in fertility under 

 this management. 



15. Potatoes. In consequence of the disease that has injured 

 this crop, there were but two and a half acres planted this year; 

 the disease was very destructive to my crop last year, but thus far 

 nothing has been discovered of it this year. I have not been 

 able to discover either the cause or remedy for this disease. 



16. Herds grass, at the rate of eight quarts to the acre, is sown 

 on bottom land. Clover and herds grass, mixed in equal quanti- 

 ties, is sown on uplands, at the rate of eight quarts to the acre, 

 commonly. Generally sow herds grass in September, when it is 

 sown alone on wheat: but if mixed with clover, sow it in March, 

 on a light snow, if possible; the sowing is done by hand. The 

 last spring, I sowed herds grass seed at the rate of eight quarts to 

 the acre, on a field of wheat that I wanted to mow. Sixteen 

 quarts of clover seed were mixed with the other seed and sown 

 on fifteen and a half acres. In the fall this field was not fed off 

 until the clover headed out, when it appeared finely covered with 

 clover. 



17. I usually mow about thirty acres, and expect two tons to 

 the acre. This year the herds grass was killed by a frost late in 

 May, and the estimate made was one ton to the acre. I use the 

 variety of clover known as the " medium," and cut it when one- 

 half of the heads are turned. At this stage, a very considerable 

 proportion of the herds grass will be suflficiently advanced for the 

 seeds to mature. The mode of making the hay, is to move it as 

 little as possible. Generally it is put into cock. When the bot- 

 tom lands are stocked down, clear herds grass used. 



18. There is no part of my farm that cannot be plowed, except 

 the side hill before mentioned. These side hills are in grass, and 

 are pastured. 



19. I have irrigated a part of my bottom lands. For a few 

 years, the grass was very much increased in quantity; but the 

 herds grass disappeared, and a kind of grass took its place of but 

 little value. I now suppose that the water was suffered to remain 

 too long on the meadow, and thus destroyed the valuable grasses. 

 This meadow has been plowed up, with a view to subdue it, and 

 again seeded with herds grass ; when it is to be hoped a second 

 experiment in irrigation may be made with more skill and better 

 success. 



The mode of watering the meadow, was by a small ditch taken 

 out of the brook, at a point high enough to enable me to convey 



