258 HAMPS., FRANK. & HAMPD. SOCIETY. 



Rye Crop. 



T. P. Hunting-ton's Statement. 



The piece of land upon which a crop of rye has been raised 

 by me the past season, and which is entered for a premi- 

 um, contains one acre and 125 rods. It had been under the 

 plough three seasons previous to this. The first year it was 

 planted to corn, the next two to broomcorn. The soil is a 

 clay loam, retentive of moisture, and of course inclined to 

 heave in frosty weather. I was advised not to attempt the 

 raising of a crop of rye, lest it should become winter killed. 

 Wishing, however, to try the experiment, and with as little 

 risk as possible, I adopted the following plan. As soon as the 

 broomcorn was cut, the stalks were carefully ploughed in. A 

 bushel of seed per acre was sown, and the ground was then 

 rolled and thoroughly harrowed. My theory was, that the 

 cornstalks would absorb the surplus water, so as to act as 

 underdrains through the winter and spring. The result an- 

 swered my expectations, as I am not aware that the crop was 

 in the least injured by frost. 



Some parts of the field were lodged, so that the berry was 

 not as full as it would otherwise have been. 



I would observe also, that an acre might have been selected 

 on which the yield might have been considerably larger than 

 it was on the whole lot. 



The account stands as follows : 



DEBIT. 



To plowing, 



" Sowing, 



" Two bushels of rye, . 



" Rolling and harrowing, 



" Cutting, binding and stacking grain, 



" Carting grain, .... 



" Threshing do., .... 



Total, 



$18 42 



