NOS-FOLK SOCIETY. 443 



and stains; and, as the material decays, it acts as a manure 

 and fertilizer. 



The soil on which the proposed orchard stands, is a stifi', 

 gravelly loam ; the trees are all the red and ycRoiu rareripe, 

 and are now well set with blossom buds for another year. 



Milton, Oct. 30, 1852. 



Clearing and Enclosing Unimproved Lands. 



The committee on clearing and enclosing unimproved lands 

 report: — That there was but one application for the premium 

 otfered by the society, which was by Aaron D. Weld, Esq., of 

 West Roxbury. The land the committee was called to view 

 consisted of nine acres, two of which had been used for many 

 years as a deposit for stones, collected from adjoining lands, 

 and was considered by Mr. Weld of no value ; the other seven 

 acres was pasture land, and had been used as such for many 

 years. 



In the fall of 1850 he commenced upon this lot, dug up, col- 

 lected and carted away the stones. In the spring of 1851, 

 after preparing the land for a crop, he planted six acres with 

 corn, which yielded 200 bushels, or 33^^ bushels per acre. In 

 the fall of the same year, clearing the entire lot of nine acres 

 was completed. This spring he planted six of the nine acres 

 with corn, which included the lowest and roughest part, and a 

 portion of that in corn the previous year, which produced 358 

 bushels of sound shelled corn, or 59| bushels per acre. Your 

 committee examined this field of corn in the month of Sep- 

 tember, and found the land free from weeds, and in good order 

 for any crop the coming year. The corn was planted in rows, 

 three feet apart, and the hills in the rows two feet apart, with 

 four stalks in a hill, which was judged to be the proper dis- 

 tance for this soil. 



The corn was topped about the first of September, but 

 your committee believe that by cutting the entire stalk at the 

 bottom, and stooking until well dried, the fodder would be 

 more valuable and the grain at least as good. 



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