134 



the surface and worked in by the Neiswitz harrow. This manure 

 was a compost of muck, night soil and barn manure, the appHca- 

 tion being at the rate of nine or ten cords to the acre. Seed was 

 planted in spaces of 9 by 10 feet into which a handful of super- 

 phosphate and rotten bone dust had been previously stirred and 

 ultimately two plants were left standing in each space. I pur- 

 posely ommitted the use of the term hill, because in common 

 practice this means a spot excavated, filled with manure and 

 then covered with soil, whereas for many years past in my an- 

 nual planting of an average of eight or more acres, I have not 

 excavated a hill, my practice being to drop on the surface where 

 the seed are to be planted whatever manure is to go there and turn 

 this under with a fork, keeping it as near the surface as possible 

 and being particularly careful to stir it well into the soil should 

 it be a concentrated fertilizer. The seed was planted about the 

 twenty-fifth of May. The crop was well tended, being kept very 

 clear of weeds and the ground kept light and fine by frequent 

 cultivating, special care being taken to cultivate very thorough- 

 ly just before the runners began to cover the ground, that at the 

 time the roots were very freely pushing for food they might as 

 far as practicable have every obstacle removed in the way of 

 finding it. 



The area on which this crop was grown contained 24,660 feet. 

 The weight of the squashes, as per memoranda enclosed, was 

 1 1,695 pounds, which is at the rate of -about ten and one quarter 

 tons to the acre. 



Load No. I. Load No. 2. Load No. 3. Load No. 4. 

 4085 4390 4430 4490 



Tare, 1425 1425 1425 1425 



Total, 2660 2965 3005 3065 



The following shows the cost of the crop : — 

 Manure and Spreading, - - $35.00 



Ploughing and Harrowing, - - 3.50 



