58 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



your land is warm there is no danger that the crop will not 

 come forward in season. 



Rev. Mr. Dean. — Do you raise pumpkins or flat English 

 turnips with your corn ? 



Dr. Hartwell. — No, sir, I have planted pumpkins, but I 

 would as lief have weeds. I don't believe in putting any other 

 crop with the corn. I plough my land in the fall, smooth 

 over the surface, and then apply my manure ; and I usually 

 work it in deep with a horse-plough. I spread the manure from 

 the cart, and do not tip it up in heaps, because it is impossible 

 to spread it evenly in that way. A load of manure is sufficient 

 to spread over four square yards. Measure off that distance, 

 set down stakes, and let your man spread his load over that 

 space, and you will hit it. I have tried spreading the inanure 

 on the ground in the fall and leaving it until spring, but I 

 would not, as a general thing, advise it. If you put it on a 

 westerly declivity it will blow away ; but if you have a piece of 

 land that is protected by woods or that has an eastern or south- 

 eastern declivity, there is no harm in putting on your manure 

 in the fall. There was a premium offered by our society for 

 the best acre of corn. I measured off one acre and weighed 

 the crop after it was husked, and it averaged eighty pounds to 

 the bushel in the cob, and the acre produced a fraction over 

 one hundred bushels, for which they gave me the premium, $18. 



HoLLis TiDD, of New Braintree. — Was your land green-sward 

 or old soil ? 



Dr. Hartwell. — This last year it was green-sward that had 

 been mowed for some four years. It was turned over, thoroughly 

 smoothed down, and the manure spread over it. To do this 

 it is necessary to keep a stock of manure one year ahead. I 

 think manure grows better by keeping. I think it is better to 

 plough in the fall than in the spring. 



Mr. Perkins. — What time in the fall do you prefer to plough ? 

 Does it make any difference whether it is the first of September 

 or the latter part of November ? 



Dr. Hartwell. — I think September is the best ; but farmers 

 must do as they can. They cannot always do the work of the 

 farm at the time they ought to. If I had my choice I should 

 do it in September, but October or November will answer the 

 purpose. 



