m 



several intelligent observers of sucli culture, spoke of it as 

 being as successful an experiment as they have ever seen. 

 Salem, Nov. 14, 1853. 



TURNING IN CROPS AS A MANURE. 



It is to be regretted that the liberal premiums offered by 

 the tSociely, to test the value of crops turned in as a man- 

 ure, should for several years have failed to elicit any well 

 conducted experiment on this subject. 



Ploughing-in green crops as a means of fertilizing, has 

 been attended with striking results, and it has the additional 

 advantage of being a highly cleansing process. Weeds of 

 annual growth, very pernicious to cullivated crops, may be by 

 judicious ploughing, very nearly eradicated. The cliarlick, 

 or wild mustard, which formerly choked any summer 

 grain on the farm of the writer, has, by this means, ceased 

 to be any longer troublesome. By this process, the town of 

 Haverhill, some years since, obtained the Society's premium 

 for a crop of Rye, and it has been continued on their farm 

 ever since, with decided benefit. 



Some persons have objected to ploughing light land in 

 summer, that more is frcqucnily hist hy the wind I low iiigoff 

 the finer parts of the soil, llnni is giiiiicd hy lurniiig in the 

 weeds. But if such land is plougbid ^vhile the soil is moist 

 and immediately ro]le<l, this evil will be nearly prevented. 



The expense of drawing manure a long distance, in 

 addition to its high price, deters many farmers of small 

 means from purchasing; and much of their land is imper- 

 fectly and consequently unprofitably cultivated. Yet most 

 of these persons have teams, which might perform the labor 

 of turning in crops with very little actual cost to the owners, 

 provided they coul^ be assured, by decisive experiments, 

 that the .condition of their lands could be improved. And 



