AND RURAL ECONOMIST. 139 



raise more than from twenty to twenty-five bushels per acre. 

 The black oats I have cultivated ; their weight is about thir- 

 ty-six pounds per bushel, and produce about as many bush- 

 els per acre as the barley or Scotch oats. The greatest ob- 

 jection I have to the barley or Scotch oats is, that they 

 must be harvested suddenly after they are fit, in order to pre- 

 vent waste. The common oats which are raised I consider 

 preferable. My average crop of late years has been from 

 forty to fifty bushels per acre, and in one instance sixty-five 

 bushels per acre. 



'I make oats principally, and generally speaking, my first 

 crop in the line of a rotation of crops. 1 break up the piece 

 intended for this crop in the fall, if possible, and in the spring 

 cross plough and harrow thoroughly before I sow my grain; 

 then harrow again until the turf is well pulverized; then 

 sow ten bushels of clover seed chafT per acre, and roll it in. 

 As soon as the grain is harvested, and the young clover has 

 received its growth, I plough it in. This clover with the 

 stubble is about equal to a common dressing of compost ma- 

 nure. In the fall plough, in the spring I cross plough, after 

 taking from my compost heap thirtj'^ loads per acre, which 

 are carefully spread. The lot then being well harrowed and 

 furrowed, is ready for planting, either with corn, potatoes, or 

 turnips. This is my second crop. For my third crop I 

 again sow wheat, peas, fiax, oats, &c., and stock the lot down 

 with herd's grass and red top, which I believe make the best 

 of hay. I let the lot remain in grass three years. Thus 

 you will observe I till three years, or mow or pasture three 

 years. My first and third crop is principally oats. 



' I have frequently been told that oats and corn were very 

 impoverishing crops ; but 1 find no difficulty in enriching my 

 land as above stated. Ten years ago my average crop of 

 corn was from thirty to forty bushels per acre ; but in pass- 

 ing over a lot the second time, which was managed as above, 

 in the summer of 1821, I had the satisfaction of harvesting 

 ninety-six bushels of corn per acre, and received the society's 

 premium. My other crops have advanced in about the same 

 proportion. 



' The inquiry will naturally be made, what I do with my 

 oats ? Well, sir, after I have reserved for my stock and for 

 seed, I take the remainder tu my mill and manufacture them 

 into flour and meal. It will be understood that the oats are 

 kiln dried, then hulled about as clean as rice, then ground, 

 and bolted or sifted, as the case may be. That which I bolt 



