210 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ers have adopted the practice of turning their sward-laud 

 over immediately after haying, after the crop of grass has 

 been taken off, and then re-seediug, not disturbing the sod at 

 all. Mr. Lewis seems to claim a great advantage from allow- 

 ing the land to rest one season. I think there may be some- 

 thing in it, but I do not fully understand the mode. I think 

 it will be difficult to cross-plough soon enough to re-seed and 

 get that ground melloAV. 



Mr. Lewis. I would say, that sod well ploughed about 

 the tenth of June, and harrowed soon after, will be in condi- 

 tion to cross-plough by the middle of July. In our section, 

 the toughest soil will be so that you can cross-plough, and I 

 guess it would be the case here, but I don't know. It depends 

 somewhat upon the season. The sod would mellow down 

 sooner some seasons than others, but, as a rule, sod ploughed 

 up the first time about the tenth of June, can be ploughed by 

 the middle of July the second time, and then along in the 

 autumn, you can plough it again. 



Mr. Fay, of Southborough. In the place I come from we 

 cannot farm it without manure ; it would be like a manufact- 

 urer undertaking to cany on business without capital. We 

 want to put on fifty loads of manure to the acre every other 

 year. You can cut three tons of hay to the acre, if you ma- 

 nure properly, and no fiirming can be carried on profitably 

 without the application of manure. To remain in grass, the 

 land must be low and moist ; on high land we plough it, but 

 it would be very difficult to plough our land in June, with 

 our tough swards, and have it in suitable condition to seed 

 down in the month of August ; but in Herkimer County, 

 which I am very well acquainted with, it would be different, 

 because the character of the soil is very different. What 

 would answer for Mr. Lewis's land would not answer for our 

 land in Southborough. 



Now, in regard to pastures. We commenced using plas- 

 ter on our pasture-lands some five years ago, and we have 

 used it until it does no good at all. You may put from two 

 hundred to five hundred pounds on an acre, and you cannot 

 see any good result from it. Ashes do not do much the first 

 year. You will get discouraged if you try them, and per- 

 haps the second year the benefit will not be of much conse- 



