52 



in all about 4i acres ; the soil is of sandy loam on about three 

 acres, the remainder consists of gravelly knolls. It had been 

 used for a pasture about twenty years, and was nearly covered 

 Avith bushes and moss, the bushes consisting of scrub-oak, white 

 birch, sage willow, blueberry, sweet fern, &c. In 1856 it was 

 valued at about $12 per acre. In September, I mowed and 

 burnt the largest of the brush, and in November I ploughed 

 about two acres of the roughest part of the piece with two yoke of 

 oxen, assisted by myself and a boy twelve years old. In the 

 spring of '57, I harrowed and carted off the roots and stones, and 

 planted about an acre of the best part with white beans and 

 pickles, from wliich I got about enough to pay for the labor on the 

 crops. The last of November I ploughed about an acre and a 

 half more of the piece ; in the spring of '58 I harrowed thorough- 

 ly the whole field with a cultivator harrow, and cross-ploughed 

 that which was ploughed first, and harrowed, furrowed and planted 

 to corn the whole field. I put on 9^ cords manure, put all in the 

 hill ; in cultivating the crop a cultivator was used between the 

 rows four times, and a double mould-board plough once, and hoed 

 once. In April, 1859, I ploughed the remainder of the piece, 

 and harrowed the whole field thoroughly with a cultivator harrow, 

 and cross-ploughed that which had been planted before, and then 

 furrowed out and planted the whole field to corn, with the excep- 

 tion of two gravelly knolls, which were planted with beans. In 

 cultivating the crops this season, a cultivator was used between 

 the rows three times, and they were hoed once. I sowed the 

 grass seed, herds-grass and red-top at the time of hoeing. I intend 

 to sow clover next spring. The grass-seed came up, and looks 

 well this year. I put on 13 cords of manure from the barn cellar 

 — put all in the hill. The ploughing and harrowing, except the 

 first ploughing, has all been done with one yoke of oxen driven 

 by a boy 13 years old. I have carted off stone and built 25 

 rods of wall on one side of the field. 



The expenses were as follows : 



1856. Value of land, 4| acres, at |12 per acre. 



To mowing bushes, ..... $4.50 



Ploughing 2i days with 2 yoke oxen, . . 8.75 



1857. Harrowing 2 days with 1 yoke oxen and boy, 3.50 

 Total amount of labor, on pickles and beans, 12.18 

 2| cords manure, for " " 12.50 



Cr. By beans and pickles, $14.65. 

 1858.' To ploughing with 2 yoke oxen 1| days, . 6.00 

 9i cords manure, at $5 per cord, . . 57.00 



Total amount of labor «»u crops for 1858, . 44.92 



Cr. By 75 j- bu,shels corn, at $1 per bush., $75.50 

 By husks and stalks, . . . 18.50 



