90 ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



mainder, I covered afterwards, and harrowed and smoothed the 

 whole in the best manner I could, and then planted three fourths 

 of an acre with potatoes, without any manure. The ashes from 

 the burning and the loam I valued much. Roans, long reds, 

 and chenangoes, were planted, and, at harvesting, 12 hills made 

 a bushel throughout. Cross ditches were made from the mar- 

 ginal to the main ditch, with the plough, and by clearing them 

 out with the hoe. 



Two years from the commencement, I finished the remainder 

 of the one and a half acres in the same manner, using no ma- 

 nure until the third year, when I put four cords on the whole, 

 having obtained, in each year, about the same value, in crops of 

 corn and potatoes, as at first. These crops even more than paid 

 all expenses to 1843. I then hauled, in the winter of 1842, a 

 common top-dressing of sandy loam, and laid the whole down 

 to grass, sowing a peck of herds-grass and half a bushel of red- 

 top, per acre, after ploughing and harrowing well. 



Produce of the one and a half acres for six years. 



1843 — 3 tons first crop, at ^15 per ton, . . ^45 00 



2 do. 2d crop, at $14 00, 98 00 



2 do. " 14 00, 98 00 



2 do. " 18 00, 126 00 



13 50, 67 50 



9 50, 42 50 



1844—5 " 

 1845—5 " 

 1846—5 " 

 1847—5 " 



1848—41 " 



Whole number, 33^ tons. Sold for . . $477 00 



Expense of seed, harvesting, &c., . . 60 00 



Net amount for six years, . . . $417 00 



Thus, it will be seen, that a large crop of hay has been raised 

 six years in succession, without any additional top-dressing of 

 any kind, and only four cords of manure, which was put on at 

 the commencement. I consider the loam and gravel of more 

 value for such grass land, than manure, if applied as a top- 

 dressing. 



By careful examination, I find the whole cost of reclamation 

 did not exceed sixty dollars per acre. 



