80 ON GRAIN AND MIXED CROPS. 



water,) and all the seed that did not sink, after standing 

 an hour or two, was carefully skimmed off. About one 

 eighth of an aci'e was sowed with unsoaked seed, and the 

 difference when the barley came up could easily be dis- 

 tinguished, that from the soaked seed being at least a 

 week earlier, and the straw much longer, but there was 

 no perceptible difference in the grain when threshed, 

 though the whole crop is far superior to the seed sown. 

 The quantity sown was something more than a bushel 

 and a half per acre, harrowed in with a light harrow ; 

 two bushels Timothy, three pecks of Red-top, and six 

 lbs. of Southern clover being brushed in both ways, and 

 the whole rolled with a heavy roller. It was then laid 

 off in lands with a plough and the drain furrow clean- 

 ed out with a spade, and grass seed scattered over them, 

 and the whole of the grass now looks remarkably well. 

 On the 23d of July we attempted to cradle it, but the 

 straw was of unequal lengths, the heads very heavy, and 

 even where it stood up well the fingers of the cradle 

 did not separate sufficiently to prevent breaking off the 

 heads and scattering out much of the grain ; it was 

 therefore mowed and left in the swath. On the 24th it 

 rained most of the day, and for some days the weather 

 was anything but suitable to dry the straw. It remain- 

 ed till the 29th in the sw^ath, when it was put into loose 

 cocks, having before lifted it up as it lay in the swath, to 

 permit the air to circulate through it, but did not turn 

 it as it scattered off very much. In consequence of the 

 rain and the necessity of handling the grain three or 

 four times, the waste was very great, so much so, that 

 we did not expect to save more than a common crop. 

 If the weather had been good, so as to have permitted 

 the threshing of the grain without so much hindering, 

 the average would, we think, have exceeded fifty-eight 

 bushels, and a single acre could probably have been se- 

 lected, that would have yielded sixty bushels. The seed 

 was bought for two and four rowed, a small part of the 

 yield is two, but the most is six rowed, little or none being 

 four. Yours, with respect, 



J. HAMMOND COGGESHALL. 

 Lynn, Sept. 24, 1844. 



