MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 517 



harvesting the crop ; the amount of produce, ascertained by 

 actual measurement or weight, after the whole is harvested ; 

 the expense of the seed, manure, labor and cultivation ; and 

 the value of the product. That the land be measured and 

 staked out by a practical surveyor, by chain and compass, to be 

 in one piece, either in a square or oblong square form, if the 

 field will admit of it ; and in all cases where the crop is grown 

 in rows or in hills, the measure shall be taken from the centre 

 between the rows to the centre between rows ; the measure to 

 be as near the quantity wanted as can conveniently be had ; 

 the measure to be carefully taken by the surveyor, and to be 

 accurately described in his certificate, which should be sworn 

 to. In addition to the afiidavit and certificate of the surveyor 

 as to the land, each applicant should file his own certificate (if 

 the harvesting has been done by himself in person,) under oath, 

 of the amount of products grown on the land measured and 

 staked by the surveyor ; with the affidavit of a disinterested 

 person who assisted in the harvesting, of the amount of the 

 crop grown on the land. If the harvesting is done by others 

 than the applicant, the affidavits of two persons who performed 

 the harvesting, should be required. 



In relation to the manner of ascertaining the quantity of the 

 several crops grown, with such accuracy as will be satisfactory 

 to the agricultural community, much difficulty exists. The 

 society which has adopted apparently the most definite rule for 

 determining the amount of the crops, is the Plymouth Society. 

 They have provided that " the supervisor will visit the fields 

 once or more, while the crops are growing ; and at the time of 

 harvest, he will select one square rod regarded as an average of 

 the field, see it harvested and weighed, by which the whole 

 shall be estimated — 85 lbs. of corn in the ear computed a bush- 

 el." This, as regards corn, might be considered as a near ap- 

 proximation to the truth, if corn of different fields was equally 

 dry ; but as that is known not to be the case, it appears to be 

 desirable that the examination should proceed further. In con- 

 sequence of the obligation to file the doings of the societies, in 

 the office of the secretary of the Commonwealth, on or before 

 the 10th day of January, the statements of the competitors for 



