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The first crop was grown on a piece of land owned by L. D. Hills, 

 Esq., containing 1 9-10 acres. The land was a rather light sandy 

 loam, with many gravelly spots in it. It had been mown many years 

 years since it had received an}- mannre, so long indeed that last year 

 the hay crop scarcely paid for harvesting. 



The part of the process to which I would call particular attention 

 is the planting and the application of the fertilizer. The system which 

 I have adopted after considerable thought and experiment, has suc- 

 ceeded to my satisfaction, and I confidently recommend it where 

 commercial fertilizers or small quantities of thoroughly rotted com- 

 post are used. 



First I plough and harrow thoroughly, then mark both ways with 

 an instrument drawn by two horses, consisting of a plank with four 

 runners, on which I ride. This leaves the field cut up by furrows 

 one to two inches deep into squares of one yard ; and at each corner 

 I plant five kernels of early yellow corn with Macomber's Improved 

 Corn and Bean planter, which covers the seed about an in -h deep. 

 With this implement a man can plant in the best possible manner 5 

 acres in a day. After the whole field is planted, I scatter the fertil- 

 izer so as to cover about afoot square directly over the seed, and then 

 harrow the whole with a smoothing harrow. 



I thus secure three important advantages. The corn is planted in 

 check rows, and can be cultivated both wa^s. The fertilizer is mixed 

 with the soil directly over the seed, to which its elements are carried 

 by the first rain, and lastly the land being harrowed a few days after 

 planting, the corn gets a start oftheiveeds, and can afterwards be kept 

 clean with but little hand hoeing, and that of the very easiest kind. 



Two rows — 400 hills — on one side of the piece were planted with 

 potatoes, but they were damaged by turning on them and by the bugs, 

 so that they yielded only six bushels of marketable potatoes. 



It rained just as we had finished planting, and the ground being 

 warm, the corn came up like a jack-in-the-box. Some few hills were 

 killed by the freeze of the 29th and 30th of May ; and these we filled 

 up with pumpkins, which grew and yielded well. 



I husked every other stook in the field, and delivered the corn and 

 stalks to Mr. Hills at his barn. Mr. Hills' half weighed at Bowles' 

 scales 2,466 lbs. of sound ears, equal to 35 16-70 bushels shelled 

 corn, and 2,520 lbs. of dry bright green stalks. 



I also delivered to him half of the potatoes and pumpkins. 



The following is my account with the crop : 



