80 



an acre of nearly level land in Newbury. The soil is of a 

 heavy, strong nature resting upon clay, but with an inter- 

 vening strata of yellow loam, that gives a fair drainage, 

 and fits it for the plough, when spring has fully opened. 

 For the crop of 1888, about one-half was onions, the rest 

 was planted with potatoes, cabbages and beans; the whole 

 being heavily manured. For the wheat crop no manure 

 was applied. The ground was ploughed, harrowed, and 

 the wheat sowed about the first of May, and harrowed in 

 with a Thomas smoothing harrow. Grass seed was after- 

 ward sowed and the land rolled. About a bushel and 

 three-eights of seed was sown. 



The cool, damp weather of the last half of May and 

 June produced so luxuriant and heavy growth of straw that 

 the larger part of the piece lodged badly in June. This, I 

 think, those members of the committee who saw the crop 

 will readily admit, reduced the total yield from three to 

 five bushels. The wheat was cut with a scythe, Aug. 5th 

 or 6th, and threshed and winnowed with a machine, in 

 September, and measured 38 bushels and 3 pecks. A 

 specimen peck was on exhibition at the Fair in September. 

 The straw weighed forty-one hundred and forty pounds. 

 This does not include what was used in decorating the 

 Rink — three large bundles unthreshed. I append an esti- 

 mate of the cost and value of the crop : 



Rent of land, $ G.OO 



Ploughing, harrowing and sowing, 5.00 



Harvesting, 7.00 



Threshing, 10.00 



$28.00 



Mr. Little's success in growing wheat should encourage 

 our farmers who have suitable land for its cultivation, to 

 follow his example. We are very free to say that this field 

 of wheat, as we saw it two weeks before harvesting, was 

 the best in all respects, that we have ever seen in New 

 England. 



