FAEMEES^ INSTITUTES. 



FOUKTH INSTITUTE. 



The fourth Institute of the HouBatonic Agricultural Society was held in the 

 Town hall in Great Barrington. on Wednesday, January 28, 1880. The meeting 

 wfts called to order by the President, Henry L. Smith. 



The first subject taken up for discussion was :— " THE CULTIVATION OF 

 GRASS AND CORN." 



William H. Palmer of Stockbridge said he always seeds his meadows with 

 timothy mixed with clover, using a hght top-dressing of seven or eight loads of 

 manure to the acre. He mixes a good deal of muck and dirt with the manure 

 during the summer. One year he applied twenty-seven loads of manure to six 

 acres of land, spreading it with a hay tedder, and got an immense crop. He con- 

 siders two and a half to three and a half tons to the acre to be a good yield. Thinks 

 this winter a bad one for next crop of grass, as it is so open. 



Leonard Tuttle, of Sheffield, said he pursued the same plan of top-dressing, 

 finding a light coat of manure produces best results, too much will "sog down" 

 and rot the grass. Sows herds grass in his pastures because clover runs out in 

 two or three years. Finds natural river red-top grass better than herds-grass or 

 clover, but has not tried the new grasses. 



W. H. Palmer doesn't sow herds grass because, in his land, white clover comes 

 in of itself. Finds cattle and sheep feed on it better than on any other. He cuts 

 grass just as the blow begins to fall. If the blow goes into the bam it is apt to 

 be smoky, and it will lack substance if cut before the blow appears. Intends to 

 finish haying before July 20th. In reply to Mr. Tuttle he said, he appUes ma- 

 nure just after grass cutting, if he has time, but sometimes leaves it till October 

 or November. 



Leonard Tuttle finds he had better grass on his river meadows when he fed 

 it in spring than when he did not. When he kept sheep he fed them these until 

 about the 20th of May, when the meadow would look quite bare, but as soon as 

 the sheep were taken off, a heavy, thick growth of grass came in, and while Lis 

 neighbors were finishing their haying, he wo^^ld begin to cut a perfect crop. He 

 was careful not to feed from the same land in the fall. Since giving up the sheep 

 he has to top-dress it every year to keep it in good condition. 



J. A. Khne of Egremont said he had been obliged to feed in spring from his 

 upland meadow, but found it always suffered from it. 



J. M. Mackie, of Great Ban-ington. said that before dropping the subject, 

 they should not pass the point of pasturing cattle with sheep. In the old coun- 

 tries they always pasture a proper proportion of cattle and sheep. Some say it is 

 "too much fuss," but he thought the good results would counter-balance the ex- 

 tra care 



Richard Goodman, Jr., of Lenox, ficds tLat by using a variety of seeds 

 there is a freshness throughout the whole season. He tried the experiment of 



