118 [Assembly 



ed with manure. The other meadow, plowed from north to south, 

 without manure gave its usual crops. Some fifty or sixty years ago, 

 this circumstance attracted the notice of several intelligent farmers 

 and some well educated men, and they came to the following conclu- 

 sion, viz : 



That where land is plowed east and west, the south sides of the fur- 

 rows would be thawed by the sun while the north sides remained fro- 

 zen, thus heaving up and injuring the roots of the rye or other grain 

 on that south side, so injuring the crop. While on furrows lying 

 north and south, the sun acted on both sides alike in the course of a 

 day, the grain was not hurt. 



Justus Stebbins tried the enrichment of his land by sowing clover ; 

 he had many cattle. He began by sowing three pounds of clover 

 seed on an acre. He observed, that after he had plowed in a clover 

 crop, a cloud of mist like a fog remained over that field for hours af- 

 ter the surrounding fields were clear of dew ! 



He was pleased with his clover experiments, and went on increas- 

 ing the quantity of clover seed sown on an acre, till at last he sowed 

 on one acre half a bushel. And that by this means his land became as 

 rich as a garden without any other manure. He tried a field well ma- 

 nured and well dressed without clover, and got forty bushels of corn 

 per acre. While on that field of clover turned in, and which, as the 

 plow did not well cover it, he rolled it well, he had sixty bushels of 

 corn per acre. 



The roller is very important to farmers. We have noticed that 

 wherever a sled path has been made over a grain field there the growth 

 was decidedly the best. 



D. STEBBINS. 



H. MEIGS ON THE DISEASE OF THE POTATO. 

 You have done me the honor of requesting answers to four ques- 

 tions relative to the disease of the potato. In answer, I will state my 

 impressions as accurately as 1 can. 



Question first. — Were the potatoes in general attacked by a disease 

 which destroyed or impaired the substance of the root in any of the 

 years 1843, 1844, or 1845? 



