(B. ) 

 COMMUNICATIONS FROM CONTRIBUTORS. 



STATEMENT FROM W. B. ODDIE. 



Rockland, Nov. 20th, 1845. 

 In answer to the questions contained in your circular of the 10th 

 instant, I send you the following : 



The soil I cultivate is a clay loam ; the ground was originally a 

 bog, but by judicious blind ditching, made dry enough for any kind of 

 grain. I always turn the sod in the fall of the year, harrow with the 

 furrows in the spring, cross plow, harrow, and roll, then spread 

 fifteen cart loads of manure to the acre, which I plow under pre- 

 vious to sowing the seed, then harrow, and roll again. The manure 

 I use at the above rate, is principally from my piggery, mixed with 

 muck. 



The quantity of oats I sow to the acre, is two and one-half bushels, 

 which I endeavour to get into the ground as near the middle of April 

 as possible. The seed for this year's crop I obtained from Alex. 

 Smith, Esq. I sowed six bushels, the return from which was one 

 hundred and ten bushels, all sold for seed at one dollar per bushel. In 

 harvesting, I am guided by the weather, leaving the straw in the 

 swarth about twenty-four hours, then rake into bundles, previous to 

 lying up ; after which, I stand up ten sheafs to a shock, and do not 

 carry in for two days. The time of gathering depends upon the 

 ripeness of the grain. I try always to cut oats before they shake out. 

 Potatoes I plant in drills, after cutting to two eyes in a set ; then I 

 leave them to dry five or six days, spread out on a floor. This enables 

 me to detect any imperfection, which will always show itself in two 

 or three days. I top dress the vines with lime as soon as thev anpear 



