MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 19 



of $100 per acre for the four acres, within a few weeks more 

 than one year from the time I commenced clearing it. I keep 

 no team, except a horse, and the cash expense of improvement 

 has not exceeded $25. Myself, and son, now 17 years of age, 

 have performed the great amount of labor requisite. About 

 one acre of it, I sowed last spring, with oats and grass seed; 

 the most of the remainder I planted with potatoes, but the 

 present season has been far less favorable to a large crop than 

 last season. A part of my present crop promises well, but a 

 part of it will be very light. A person, unacquamted with the 

 original condition of this meadow, would find it difficult to 

 judge correctly of the amount of improvement made upon it. 

 Many of my neighbors thought it next to impossible to subdue it. 



From Elbridge G. Hayden^ Concord. — The piece of meadow, 

 to which I have called your attention, contains about 5 acres. 

 I came in possession of it in the spring of 1846 ; it had been 

 drained, and bore a small quantity of poor hay. I ploughed 

 about half of it, and spread gravel on top ; the rest 1 graveled 

 without ploughing, and then sowed grass seed. That which 

 was graveled without ploughing has done the best. The first 

 dressing of manure was light, not exceeding ten loads of good 

 manure to the acre. The crop of hay, I should think, was 

 about 7 tons. In the fall of 1847, I spread on a good dressing 

 of manure, and the crop of hay the present season, on the 5 

 acres, I should judge to be at least 14 tons. 



Compost Manure. — In relation to compost manure, the com- 

 mittee were in no doubt as to the assignment of the first pre- 

 mium, and awarded it to the gentleman who not only exhibited 

 the largest quantity, but whose operations in the manufacture 

 appeared to them to be the most scientific and successful. Al- 

 most every individual applicant had a method peculiarly his 

 own. There were several applicants, all of whom had been 

 industrious and economical in the collection and preservation 

 of materials ; but. as we had only one other premium to dis- 

 pose of, it has been given to an applicant who had not the 

 largest pile, but whose pile appeared to be of the richest quality. 



The following communication from Ebenezer Richardson, of 

 Pepperell, describes both his method of making compost ma- 

 nure and of cultivating fruit trees. 



