154 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



The weather has been nearly as follows : — 



]May, first ten days, wet ; middle ten days, wet ; last ten days, moist. 



June, " " " wet; " " " moist; " " " dry. 



July, " « " dry; " " " dry; " " " moist. 



August, " » " moist; " " " moist; " " " moist. 



September, " " " moist; " " " dry; " " " moist 



The corn came up well, and where the manure was put, 

 looked well throughout the season, and produced, as you will 

 see, at the rate of a fraction over fifty-one bushels to the acre, 

 reckoning eighty-five pounds, on the ear, for a bushel. 



Statement of Caleb Bates. 



Peat Composts. — I staked out a five acre lot, on which to 

 apply peat. On one acre I applied about two hundred loads 

 four years ago ; on another acre I put about the same last year ; 

 and hading beneficial results, on the remaining three acres I 

 have put, this last summer, six hundred and seventy loads, 

 putting one load in a pile, and spreading over each heap about 

 one-third of a bushel of unleached ashes, putting on, in all, two 

 hundred and forty bushels. 



This I consider the most judicious method of composting 

 with ashes. As it is softened by exposure it is desirable to have 

 it in small parcels. By covering the heaps with unleached 

 ashes the rains leach it into the peat, and then the frost, before 

 spring, will complete the work of disintegration, and make an 

 excellent and durable fertilizer. 



When I compost peat with foetid substances, I keep it in 

 large piles to prevent the escape of ammonia, making the 

 expense double in carting, over composting with ashes, as above 

 described. 



NANTUCKET. 



Edward W. Gardner'' s Statement of the products of his 

 Experimental Application of Manures, entered for Premium, 

 in 1860. 



The whole piece of ground experimented upon in 1860, was 

 ploughed eight inches deep on the 5th of April, 1861, and on the 

 9th of the same month was sowed with six quarts of spring Java 



