PASTURE AND WASTE LANDS. 115 



pasture for nearly a hundred years, and a great part of it was 

 covered with whortle and blueberry bushes, ground savin, and a 

 small piece with alders. In August, 1858, I mowed the bushes 

 and burned them upon the ground. The following month I 

 ploughed two acres of the piece with four oxen, then harrowed 

 thoroughly and sowed with rye. In April, 1859, I ploughed 

 the remaining two acres, one and three-quarters of it with four 

 oxen, the other quarter, where the alders grew, with six oxen. 

 Then harrowed, furrowed, and applied three cords per acre of 

 coarse, strawy manure in the hill, and planted the piece with 

 potatoes, hoed them once, and produced a fair crop of good, 

 sound potatoes. The rye on a part of the field was quite good, 

 and the remainder very slim. In April, 1860, I ploughed the 

 part on which the rye grew last season, across the old furrows, 

 then harrowed it well. In May I ploughed the other two acres, 

 and harrowed the parts on which bushes had grown ; then raked 

 up several loads of roots, burned them, and spread the ashes 

 upon the ground. The last part of the month I planted three 

 acres of the piece with corn, applying three cords of good com- 

 post manure per acre in the hill. The remaining acre was 

 planted with potatoes, manured with about three cords of strawy 

 manure in the hill. As there were but few weeds to contend 

 with, I hoed the corn and potatoes but once. In each alternate 

 row I planted pumpkin seeds, and where the crows pulled up 

 some liills of corn at one corner of the field, planted pickle 

 seeds. The corn was very good, with but little soft corn. To 

 ascertain the amount of fodder upon the piece, I weighed an 

 average rod of the husks and stalks, after they were well dried. 

 The cost of husking the corn was of small amount, as I had a 

 husking bee to husk part of it, and the remainder was all husked 

 evenings, except one stormy day. 

 The expenses were as follows : — 



1858. 



To mowing bushes, . . . . . . . $5 00 



ploughing, 3 days, 11 25 



harrowing, 2 days, ...... 4 00 



4 bushels rye, and sowing, 4 50 



