14 MR. king's address. 



made smooth. It was then harrowed lengthwise the furrow, 

 with a horse harrow, but so hghtly as not to disturb the sod. 

 Twenty cart loads of compost manure, made by mixing two 

 parts of loam or peat mud with one of stable dung, were then 

 spread upon each acre. It was then harrowed again as before, 

 and then the poorer part of the soil, which had been turned up, 

 and remained upon the surface, was thereby mixed with the 

 compost manure. Corn was then planted in drills* upon the 

 furrows, the rows being at tire usual distance and parallel with 

 the furrow. At hoeing time the surface was stirred by running 

 a light plouf^hf between the rows, but not so deep, at this or the 

 subsequent hoeing, as to disturb the sod. What Mr. Lorain calls 

 the " savage practice" of hilling up the corn, was cautiously 

 avoided. In the early part of the season, my cornfield did not 

 exhibit a very promising appearance ; but as soon as the roots 

 had extended into the enriching matter beneath and began to 

 expand in the decomposing sward, which had now become mel- 

 low, and more minutely divided by the fermentation of the con- 

 fined vegetable substances beneath, than it could have been by 

 the plough or hoe, the growth became vigorous, and the crop, 

 in the opinion of those who examined the field, not less than 

 seventy bushels of corn to the acre. As soon as the corn was 

 harvested, the stubble was loosened up by running a light horse 

 plough lengthwise, through the rows, the surface then smoothed 

 with a bush harrow, and one bushel of rye, with a sufficient 

 quantity of herd's grass and red top seed, to the acre, was then 

 sowed, the ground again harrowed and rolled. The crop of rye 

 was harvested in July following, and the two acres yielded sixty 

 nine and a half bushels of excellent grain, and over five tons of 

 straw. The grass seed, sowed with the rye, took well, and the 

 present season I took, what those who secured the crop judged 

 to be two and a half tons of the very best of hay from each 

 acre. 



Thus, with one ploughing, with the aid of twenty cart loads 



* It might be planted in iiills, if that course is preferred. 

 ] Mr. P. now uses the culiivator instead of the plough. 



