IMPROVING PASTURE AND WASTE LAND. 115 



e^ three crops of hay, -which has been estimated at five tons each 

 year. If I reckon this hay at $12.50 per ton standing, it will 

 leave me $187.50 profit. The land when I began on it would not 

 pay the interest of $15 per acre, and I now have been offered 

 $100 per acre. 

 Haverhill, August 24, 1855. 



JONATHAN BERRY'S STATEMENT. 



X present for examination one and three-fourths acres of waste 

 land. In 1811, when I purchased my farm, this piece was covered 

 with alders, blueberry bushes, brakes, &c., and it was entirely 

 worthless for any purpose. It being my object to subdue it at as 

 little expense as possible, I gave a near neighbor — on the condition 

 that he would cut them — all he alders that were suitable for fuel , 

 and the remainder was mowed as I had leisure. In 1848 the 

 stones were taken out, and many of them sold for enough to pay 

 the expense of removing theui. In 1851 it was ploughed with 

 four oxen and three men, one man using an axe to cut away the 

 roots. The exact time of ploughing it cannot be ascertained, as it 

 was done as I found leisure. In 1852, '53 and '54, it was cross 

 ploughed and harrowed, the roots being piled and burned. In '54 

 about three-fourths of an acre was planted with potatoes, which 

 yielded about eighty bushels. In '55 about half an acre was plan- 

 ted with corn, which yielded 48 bushels of ears good corn, and 6 

 of green ; beans were also planted in every hill, 2 bushels were 

 received from it, which were sold for $8.94 ; pumpkin seeds were 

 also dropped in the hills occasionally, which yielded 2 1-2 cart 

 bodies' full. The remainder was planted with carrots, which yield- 

 ed 65 bushels, weight 54 lbs. per bushel ; also 23 bushels of 

 potatoes. The manure put on the three-fourths, of an acre was a 

 compost of night-soil, and soil from the road side, and 5 loads of 

 horse manure — 10 loads spread and 8 put in the holes. Twenty- 

 three loads of the same kind of manure were spread on the other 

 acre, and it was sowed down to grass and millet ;, the yield of 

 millet being from 30 to 40 cwt. ; it was cut before it had done 

 growing, as it lodged in many places ; if it could have stood longer 

 it would have yielded a much larger amount. 



Middleton, Nov. 8th, 1855. 



