HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY. 317 



pan with corn; manured in the hill with compost manure. 

 Had a fair crop of potatoes, and thirty bushels of corn to the 

 acre. The next spring, ploughed in ten loads of green stable 

 manure to the acre, on the clay, and planted the whole to corn, 

 manuring it all in the hill, which was a good crop, averaging 

 about thirty-five bushels per acre. In the spring of 1851, I 

 sowed it to oats and twelve pounds of herds-grass, with two 

 pounds of northern clover, to the acre. Oats, a good crop. I 

 mowed it the present season, cut 1^ tons to the acre. But 

 owing to the dryness of the summer, the clayey part was much 

 injured by the drought. I think the four crops have much more 

 than paid for the labor, seed and manure. The land, I con- 

 sider worth $50 per acre ; which, four years ago, was nearly 

 woi'thless. 



Hadley, Oct. 28, 1852. 



Edmund Hobarfs Statement. 



Gentlemen, — The piece of meadow land which I offer for 

 premium, contains about two acres. It is surrounded with 

 hills. From my earliest recollection it has been a worthless 

 piece of ground, producing nothing of value. It came into 

 my possession nine years ago. I had always considered it a 

 blot upon the farm, and I was determined to reclaim it, if pos- 

 sible. Considering it of the first importance in reclaiming 

 meadow land, to get rid of the water, I cut a ditch around the 

 whole, taking off the springs which came out of the surround- 

 ing hills. I then cut one through the centre, the two laying 

 the piece nearly dry. In the fall of 1848, it being very dry, I 

 commenced clearing the surface of bogs, brush, roots, &c., with 

 which it was completely covered, taking off about 100 cart 

 loads of the same. I then covered the surface to the depth of 

 about two inches, with loam from the surrounding hills, and 

 seeded thereon herds-grass, redtop and clover. It being late in 

 the season, when seeded, and having put on no manure for a 

 top-dressing, my first crop of grass was light. The next season 

 1 applied a top-dressing of barnyard manure with wonderful 

 success, cutting two tons or more of good hay to the acre. 

 Since then my crops of hay on the same have been remarkably 

 good, having the past season cut nearly four tons. I now 



