FARMS. 17 



my grass seed, and harrowed it in, the whole costing forty-five 

 dollars. Since then I have cut about two tons of first-rate 

 English hay on the acre each season. I continue top dressing, 

 however, every fall. 



In the fall of 1851 I turned over another acre with the bog 

 hoe, costing twenty-eight dollars ; the next two years manured 

 with ten loads, and planted with Chenango potatoes, which 

 paid all the expense of reclaiming the same. In August, 1853, 

 I seeded with grass, and this season cut one and a half tons of 

 good English hay from the acre. 



An acre adjoining, but not quite so moist, covered with vari- 

 ous kinds of worthless bushes, I ploughed at the same time 

 when I bog-hoed the other, blasted and dug out a large quanti- 

 ty of rocks, planted with potatoes two years, manured as 

 above, which paid all expenses, and seeded to grass last fall. 

 This summer I cut one and a half tons of English hay on it. 



In August, 1852, 1 ploughed one acre deep, turning it smooth, 

 and the next winter carted on forty loads of sand, leaving it in 

 heaps. The following spring, March, 1853, after levelling the 

 sod with the hoe, spread the sand evenly ; then, with a hand 

 barrow and plank, wheeled on, as I estimated, seven cords of 

 compost, first sowing the seed, and then spreading the manure 

 over it. The same season I cut two crops of very heavy grass 

 from it, and this season two tons of clover, red top, and herds 

 grass. 



In August, 1853, ploughed two acres more, putting on sand 

 in parts, and manuring a part. This spring I planted with 

 corn and potatoes, and the part manured did the best. I shall 

 have a fair yield of corn. As to the potatoes, twelve hills 

 yielded a bushel on the moistest parts. This concludes my 

 experiments on six acres of meadow. I will add that the soil 

 on the above varies from nine to fifteen inches in depth. 



As to the remaining ten acres, I purchased them two years 

 ago. The soil is light — a sandy loam — and has been very 

 much neglected, and has not been considered as by any means 

 valuable. Upon one hundred square rods of it, however, at a 

 cost of fifty dollars for labor and manure, I have raised and 

 harvested this season one hundred and seventy-five bushels of 

 prime silver-skin onions, worth four shillings per bushel, mak- 

 3* 



