O N F A R JM S . 85 



thirty or forty bushels of millet seed to the acre, and the next year 

 and for several years a good crop of hay. But it is not prudent to 

 sow millet after the tenth of July, on account of the frost ; it should 

 not be sown before the middle of May ; best sown in June. In Au- 

 gust I ploughed two acres of land which was this year mowed ; roll- 

 ed it flat ; spread sixty loads of compost, harrowed it well, sowed 

 one-half bushel herds grass and two bushels red top, then brushed 

 and rolled it smooth ; this process has always succeeded with me. 



In planting my corn the present season, instead of cross furrowing, 

 I ran the plough but one way, and not so deep as to disturb the sod, 

 nearly filled the furrows, which were four feet distant in part of the 

 field, with my common compost, in part with pig manure, then drop- 

 ped the kernels in the furrows, six inches apart, and covered, leav- 

 ing the surface of the ground even; in May went between the rows 

 with the cultivator and hoe, and again the last of June, but making* 

 no hill, and this, with the exception of pulling by hand a few Aveeds, 

 was all the culture. The crop, as you witnessed, was clean and 

 heavy. 



In October, 1842, I ploughed three acres of field land, which had 

 been in grass five years, and rolled it. In May following harrowed 

 it and spread seventy loads of compost, which was well harrowed, 

 then marked the hills four feet apart each way, dropped the corn and 

 covered; in June went through with the cultivator and hoe, and late 

 in July sowed grass seed among the standing corn, went through 

 with the cultivator and hoe, making no hills; in October the corn 

 was cut up close, and the ground rolled with a loaded roller. On 

 one acre I had one hundred and two baskets of good corn, and the 

 crops of grass have been fair. I have since followed this plan with 

 better success when I have used more and better compost. 



I have this year let five acres of meadow and three pasture lots, 

 I have top dressed my reclaimed meadows with a compost of loam 

 and warm manure, and have further extended my experiments in re- 

 claiming meadows. I have attempted some improvements on bushy 

 and mossy pastures, which now promise well; on these I have sown 

 winter and multicole rye with some spurry and common grass seed. 



If I have raised no large crops, the expense and labor have been 

 moderate, and I have the satisfaction of thinking that my farm is in 

 an improving condition. 



DANIEL P. KING. 



Danvers, Nov. 4th, 1845. 



