HAMPDEN SOCIETY. 219 



value of a rye crop would have been on the same ground. 

 "With these facts before me, I believe that wheat can be 

 raised by many farmers at a good profit, at least enough to 

 supply their own families, and thereby lessen our dependence 

 on other states, and save an amount of capital to be employed 

 for other purposes. 



The directors award to 



John Stiles, of Westfield, 1st premium, of $5 00 



Walter Cooley, of West Springfield, 2d " - 3 00 



Rye Ckop. 

 /. M. Merrick's Statement. 

 The land on which my crop of rye was grown, consists of 

 three acres and a half; mostly a light sandy loam, a part of it 

 gravelly. This land was manured in the spring of 1849, with 

 about seven cords of stable manure to the acr°-, spread on top 

 of the sward, and turned under about the middle of May, six 

 inches deep. The sward was quite heavy. A crop of corn 

 was taken off that season, and in November the land was sowed 

 with rye. Soon after harvest in 1850, the stubble was turned 

 in; and the last days of August and first of September, the 

 land again ploughed, and sowed with rye at the rate of twenty- 

 six quarts per acre. 



I have this season harvested from this field, ninety- 

 five bushels of rye, averaging twenty-seven and one- 

 seventh bushels per acre. Value of crop, at seventy- 

 five cents per bushel, - - - 



Five tons of straw, - - - 



Expenses for rent of land. 



Turning in stubble, . _ . 



2d ploughing, $3 50 ; harrowing in seed, $2, 



2^ bushels seed, (white rye,) 



Harvesting, threshing, . _ _ 



Net gain, - - - - $50 23 



