Xii AN ADDRESS, &C. 



by them, the benefits to be derived from an alteration of the 

 practice of sowing oats and barley so late in the spring as 

 common; the consequence of which is, comparatively light 

 grain, particularly of oats, as already noted; whereas if they 

 are sown at an earlier day, they would of course be longer 

 in coming to maturity, and from the above causes would un- 

 questionably increase in size. This reasoning is supported 

 by the facts, that in England and Ireland, where those 

 grains grow slowly, (owing to early sowing and cool sum- 

 mers,) the barley generally, and oats always, unless in un- 

 favourable seasons, are heavier than in the United States; 

 and in the county of Somerset in Pennsylvania, where from 

 its locality, the summers are also moist and cool; oats are 

 better and larger than in any other part of the state. The 

 early sowing recommended may be easily accomplished by 

 adopting the practice of plowing ground in the autumn, and 

 harrowing in the grain without a spring ploughing^ a 

 practice that has been adopted with respect to barley se- 

 veral years since in this state with marked success;* and 

 which besides the advantage stated of improving the qual- 

 ity of his grains, will enable the farmer to gain at 1 east 

 two or three weeks in the spring, and afford him time 

 to finish fencing and other farm work with his own 

 regular labourers: whereas, by deferring the prepara- 

 tion of the ground until the spring, he is obliged to per- 

 mit necessary work to remain undone, or if done, to in- 

 terfere with the regular cultivation of the farm, and do ma- 

 ny things out of season, or be put to the expence of hireing 

 additional hands.f 



The short crops of Indian corn and grass, although they 

 caused a deficiency in the usual revenue of the farmer, have 



* Domestic Ency a . art Barley, Philadelphia, 1803. In England it ap- 

 pears from an Arthur Young's survey of Essex County, that the practice is 

 general in Suffolk, and is deemed a great improvement in farming. 

 f See Appendix C, 



