ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 109 



on one and a half acres of land, which would entitle him to a 

 premium. As, however, but one premium is offered by the so- 

 ciety, they cannot recommend any for this crop. 



The committee would recommend, that farmers give more at- 

 tention to the raising of this grain ; it not only gives a large 

 yield of grain, but the straw is valuable, generally about 100 

 lbs. to one bushel of rye, and will always command a high 

 price and ready market. Another advantage is, that, being 

 sown in the autumn, after other crops are taken from the land, 

 grass seed may be sown at the same time, and it is the opinion 

 of the committee, that it is the best grain with which to lay 

 down land to grass. 



JAMES STEVENS, Chairman. 



John Hathaway s Statement. 



1 present, for your consideration, a crop of winter rye, raised 

 on the town farm, in Danvers, on a field containing about one 

 and a quarter acres of land. This land is a light loam, some 

 part of it gravelly. In 1845, the field yielded one small load of 

 hay. In 1846, it was ploughed, planted with corn, and yielded 

 a good crop, say from 50 to 60 bushels to the acre. The ma- 

 nure used was such as is made in our hog-pen, from meadow 

 mud, and slaughter-house offal. We put a full shovel-full to 

 the hill. In 1847, we spread about five cords of like manure 

 upon the land, and planted the lot with potatoes. We used four 

 oxen and a large plough, and ploughed at least eight inches 

 deep. The crop of potatoes was large, and of very good qual- 

 ity. Before the 20tli of September, we dug them. We then 

 ploughed with four oxen, as before, harrowed it, then sowed If 

 bushels of rye, and harrowed it in. This was done on the 25th 

 of September. The crop advanced through the season in a 

 most promising manner, and was harvested about the middle of 

 July, in the best possible condition. We obtained from this 

 field 55 bushels of sound grain. We also raised, on another lot, 

 of one and a half acres, forty-five bushels of spring rye. 



