146 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



society will have the experiments before it with an approach to 

 the real value of the improvement. The committee do not 

 propose to discuss this matter at greater length, preferring to 

 wait until more facts shall come before them. 



Benj. G. Kimball, Chairman. 



Statement of Smith Gray. 

 The two pastures visited by you contain about sixteen acres ; 

 they were both in one, when they came into my possession, 

 twenty-two years ago. At that time the fences were poor, and the 

 pasture pretty well covered with bushes and mOss, and I may add, 

 remained in the same condition till 1850. In the spring of 

 that year I ploughed up about two acres of the best part, and 

 had it planted with corn and potatoes, and the same course was 

 pursued with it the following year. It was laid down to grass in 

 the spring of 1852. In the same spring I had about nine acres 

 more ploughed up, but being a mile and a half from liome, it 

 was determined to adopt some other method than hauling the 

 manure that distance. Buckwheat was accordingly sown on 

 the nine acres, and two green crops were turned under that 

 season. The next spring spread on a few bushels each, of 

 ashes, plaster and lime, and sowed it down to grass ; a great 

 portion of the pasture, after ploughing, was covered with large 

 quantities of loose stones ; in order to get rid of these, and at 

 the same time turn them to some account, a trench was dug 

 and they were carted off and made into a wall around the lot, 

 by " doubling up " about two and one-half feet thick and two 

 feet high, setting the old posts in the wall and two rails above ; 

 the same kind of fence was also made across the pasture, to 

 divide what had been already ploughed from that which had 

 not ; this portion, that is the remaining five acres, being decidedly 

 the poorest soil and roughest part of the whole, it was con- 

 cluded at that time to let it lay as it was. However, in the 

 fall of 1854, I employed a man, with one yoke of oxen, to 

 assist my hired man and horse to plough up the five acres ; 

 and though it was very poorly ploughed, on account of the 

 quantity of loose stones and bushes, yet I had to pay for the 

 man and oxens' part of the labor twenty-six dollars. 



