132 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



HAMPSHIRE. 



Statement of P. N. Richards. 



The farm which I entered for premium consists of nine and 

 five-eighths acres, situated in Sunderland, at the north end of 

 the street, and within forty rods of tlie river. Six and one-half 

 acres are first rate meadow land, the remainder being more 

 elevated, is somewhat lighter. 



I have cultivated as follows : Three and one -half acres in 

 rye — one acre of which was so badly killed as to yield but 

 little — one and a half in Indian corn,, three-fourths in broom- 

 corn, three and one-fourth in grass, the remainder occupied by 

 my buildings, garden and potatoes. As the grass lot was 

 designed for a pasture, when the second crop had started, I 

 turned my cows upon it. 



I have aimed to improve the land rather than to secure the 

 largest possible crops, and have made constant efforts to increase 

 the quantity of manure made on the premises. I have, the pres- 

 ent year, made and applied twenty-four and one-fourth cords of 

 barn and compost manure, and besides have purchased and ap- 

 plied sixty bushels of ashes, and 900 lbs. of gypsum. The gyp- 

 sum — except a little for the broomcorn in the hill — with twenty 

 bushels of the ashes, was put upon the grass ground. The barn 

 and compost manure I apply to my planting ground, plougliing 

 in the long manure from six to nine inches deep, and harrowing 

 in the fine, at the same time sowing broadcast and harrowing 

 in forty bushels of ashes. As my land has been thoroughly 

 ashed in past cultivation, I used but few the present year. But 

 on land where none had been previously used, I apply from 

 twenty-five to fifty bushels to the acre, six or eight in the hill, 

 the rest sown broadcast and harrowed in before planting. For- 

 merly, I used more in the hill, but now think it unadvisable, as 

 it injures the roots of the corn. 



I now use lime only in connection with muck, finding by 

 experiment that it will not pay. I have also satisfactorily 

 ascertained, that leached ashes are w^orth as much as luilcached 

 in the hill for the present crop, but for the succeeding, the 

 latter are preferable. 1 have experimented with salt, super- 



