PLYMOUTH SOCIETY. Ill 



and fences ; these materials, and what small bushes, bog hay, 

 and weeds he could gather, he mixed thoroughly with the 

 ordure of his stock, which was constantly yarded during 

 the winter. For some purposes, he makes compost heaps of 

 swamp muck and ashes, which proves an effective manure, 

 particularly for turnips. 



Statement of Benjamin Hobart. 



The acre of ground on which I had the wheat was in po- 

 tatoes last year from green sward, with a good top dressing ; 

 this spring I ploughed it early with a common plough, and then 

 again the last of April with the same, following after in the 

 same furrow with a subsoil plough ; harrowed it, and put on 20 

 loads of good compost manure from my barn yard, spread it, 

 ploughed the same in lightly, harrowed it twice to get the seed 

 covered, and bushed the same over ; sowed the grass seed before 

 bushing. 



The wheat which I sowed was of my own raising, and the 

 same kind that I had raised for several years ; it came formerly 

 from the eastward ; it is of the bearded kind, and is supposed 

 to be what is called the golden straw wheat. On the 8th day 

 of May, I sowed three and one half bushels to the acre ; about 

 one half I soaked in strong beef brine for 24 hours before 

 sowing, and rolled it in plaster, but I perceived no difference in 

 the straw or wheat from the part soaked or that which was not. 

 On the acre, after the wheat was up, I sowed about l-£ bushels 

 of plaster on the same, mixing with it 20 lbs. of guano. I 

 reaped the wheat August 1st, and did it out by a threshing 

 machine, August 18th, letting it stand shocked in the field 10 

 days. From sowing to reaping was 84 days. I had 22£ bush- 

 els of good clean wheat fit for sowing. I sold the straw on the 

 acre for over $8 in town. I usually sell my wheat for sowing, 

 from $1 25 to $1 50 per bushel. I find it an excellent feed for 

 poultry. It will make them great layers of eggs. Every 

 farmer ought to raise some for this purpose. 



I have, for more than a dozen years, been in the habit of 

 raising wheat, and find it as easy to raise, and prefer it to rye 



