210 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



to the acre ; in the spring of 1853 I determined to throw down 

 a division wall, separating this from a three-acre lot on which 

 I was growing table vegetables, and in trenching and sinking 

 the large stones I had a chance to learn the character of the 

 soil; the 1st of Ma}'-, 1853, forty loads to the acre of manure 

 from my barn cellar were carted on and spread, and turned un- 

 der invariably to the depth of nine inches. A bush harrow 

 was used to smooth down the furrow ; the furrows were made 

 three and a half feet apart, and corn planted the 20th of May, 

 eighty bushels of leached ashes being spread broadcast on 

 one part, and one hundred pounds of super-phosphate of lime 

 on the other — the limed portion keeping the start conspicu- 

 ously until August, when all its virtues were lost sight of — no 

 traces being found at harvest. 



By referring to my books the account with this lot stands 

 as follows : Cost for labor and manures, fifty-two dollars and 

 thirty cents ; the harvest, seventy-five bushels of corn, was worth 

 sixty-six dollars and thirteen cents per acre. May 5, 1854, 

 two hundred bushels of leached ashes were carted and spread 

 on one part of this half-acre, and four ox-cart loads (of thirty 

 bushels each) of stable manure on the other part, spread and 

 ploughed in with two strong yoke of oxen, the plough running 

 twelve inches deep. After lying in the furrow until the 27th 

 of May it was cross-ploughed, the plough not running so deep 

 with one yoke of cattle. It was then permitted to dry two 

 days, when the surface was made smooth with a bush harrow, 

 ready for the seed to be sown. 



Expense of cultivating eighty rods of carrots : — 



May 5, 200 bushels of ashes, carting and spreading, 

 7 loads of manure, carting and spreading, . 

 Ploughing with double team, 

 27, Ploughing with single team, 



Harrowing and preparing for the seed, 

 29, 1.] pounds of long orange carrot seed and 

 sowing the same, 

 June 10, Two hands, half day, hoeing between rows, 



I <_) It it li a u 



26, Hoeing with onion hoc one-half day, . 



