HOUSATONIC SOCIETY. 373 



this crop, and for many other purposes. But, to return : my 

 corn was planted about the 20th of May, eight quarts of seed 

 to the acre. "Went through it twice, both ways, with the cul- 

 tivator, (I never use a plough in my corn or potatoes.) Well 

 hoed the first time ; after this, but little done to it with the hoe. 

 Never hill up my corn. A few leached ashes put on to some 

 of it after the first hoeing. No plaster or anything else used, 

 or done to the crop. 



Every farmer who has muck, or swamp mud, on his farm, 

 has it in his power, at little expense, to improve the condition 

 of his land. In order to get a premium, he is not obliged to 

 put all his manure on one acre, at the expense of the rest of 

 his farm. I have on my farm, in addition to the piece you ex- 

 amined, eight acres of corn, all manured in the same way. 

 There are many ways of composting and making manure, but 

 I know of no way by which as good manure can be made, at 

 so little expense. 



Sheffield, Sept. 23, 1852. 



Ploughing. 



Under the favor of Heaven, it is the plough that makes the 

 harvest joyous. The strong arms of the ploughman, and the 

 glittering ploughshare, are the instrumentalities that have 

 changed a world of blight, and penury, and woe, into a world 

 of fruitfulness, riches, and high enjoyment. No longer do 

 mortals yield to Ceres the credit of bestowing the ear of corn, 

 instead of the Chaonian acorn, nor do they longer ascribe to 

 Bacchus the gift of the grape. The credit is all due else- 

 where : it belongs to the noble ploughman. 



In proportion as society has made progress in the sciences 

 and arts ; proportionally as man has risen from the first stages 

 of civilization to the higher ranks of refinement, the invaluable 

 uses of the plough have been appreciated. 



The ingenuity of man has added new forces to the plough, 

 and higher grades of honor have been attached to it, as true 

 philosophy has advanced. In witnessing the triumphs of the 

 plough, we have seen our waste places almost vieing with the 

 once famed Elysian fields of Greece, and outvieing the re- 



