32 MR. proctor's address. 



coj'n. How long this can be done remains to be proved. 

 Thus far it has succeeded well. It is done by turning 

 the furrows flat, rolling them smooth, harrowing or cross- 

 ploughing, or both, without disturbing the sod, ajiplying 

 compost manures and the seed upon the surface and har- 

 rowing it in. This process is repeated as often as the 

 land demands a coating of manure. The land is kept 

 in a light and favorable condition for supporting the crops, 

 by the decaying vegetable matter that was upon the sur- 

 face. This mode of culture is somewhat at variance 

 with the system of rotation of crops, which has been so 

 generally recommended as essential to good husbandry. 

 The best specimens of this culture that I have seen, 

 have been on the farms of Mr. W. Sutton, of Salem, and 

 Mr. D. P. King, of Danvers, to which I refer the curious 

 to examine, as affording a better illustration of the ben- 

 efits, than in my power to give. 



Another modification in the cultivation of grass which 

 has been successfully practised by Mr. D. Putnam, of 

 Danvers, and others, and which is now coming into gen- 

 eral favor, is by sowing the seed among the corn at 

 the last hoeing — taking care to have the ground left in 

 a level and smooth condition. Repeated experiments 

 have shown that the old practice of raising a hill about 

 the corn is not attended with any benefit. If then, the 

 smooth culture of the corn will aid in bringing the lands 

 into good condition for grass, which is the primary ob- 

 ject in view, — our ciops of barley, oats and rye being 

 raised merely as secondai'v objects of attention, — does 

 it not behove our fai-mers to inquire whether their grass 

 seed cannot be advantageously sown in the Summer or 

 Autumn, without any intermediate crop of English 

 grain ? When thus sown it is much more certain of 

 taking root, and in much less danger of being cut off, by 

 the burning sun, which usually follows the removal of 

 crops of grain. I have adverted to these modes of grass 

 culture more for the })urpose of inviting attention to 

 them, than to express any decided opinion of my own ; 

 because [ am sensible it is never safe to draw general 

 conclusions, from a limited number of experiments. 



