10 MR. colman's address. 



finished manner in wliicli the sod is turned, the frequent baulks, 

 the ragged and uneven ends of the fields, and the utter disregard 

 of all straight lines, show the importance of our ploughing match- 

 es, which it is hoped, with the introduction of better constructed 

 ploughs, will eventually correct these habits and introduce neat- 

 ness, care and regularity, as convenient and useful in saving 

 labor as they are agreeable in the appearance. 



3. I proceed to the third operation upon the land, manuring. 

 Manure is the great means of all successful agriculture. My 

 remarks on this as on other topics must be brief ; and will relate 

 to matters which are not generally considered rather than to 

 those which are familiar. 



The first means of enriching the soil is that to which we have 

 referred, that of ploughing in the vegetable matter, already on 

 the surface. Late ploughing in the spring is doubtless prefera- 

 ble to early, by which means you have tlie advantage of the 

 early growth of the grass. — Ploughing-in green crops, which 

 were sowed expressly for this purpose, is another mode of 

 enriching land, successfully tried, and warmly recommended by 

 some persons, but it is little known among us,* It is objected by 

 many persons that in this way you return to the land no more 

 than what is taken from it ; this would be true, if it were not 

 that plants derive much of their support and growth from the 

 atmosphere. Another object with every former, should be his 

 compost heap. Nothing, v/hich is susceptible of decay and so 

 of forming manure, should be lost. There are few farms among 

 us, which do not contain upon themselves, either by the road- 

 side or in their meadows and swamps, the materials for forming 

 compost manure in great abundance ; and farmers will permit 

 me to remind them that the summer and autumn are the best 

 seasons for making this provision. The saving of liquid manure 



* The Mass. Agricultural Society the last year gave a premium 

 to Wm. Buckminster of Framingham for a successful experiment 

 in turning in two crops of Buck Wheat to the acre, greatly to the 

 improvement of his land. 'J'he account is given in their Reposi- 

 tory for 1831, Vol. X. No. III. 



