174 APPENDIX. [March, 



on the 14th, began to sow broadcast, under furrow, with the usual 

 quantity of this county, viz. two bushels and a half per acre ; (our 

 bushel is eight gallons and three quarts measure,) on the 15th, finished 

 the broadcast ; the two following days the six acres intended to be 

 drilled, were ploughed, in order to give both an equal quantity of work, 

 into lands nine feet six inches wide, a proper width for Cook's drill ; 

 and drilled accordingly a few days after, with one bushel per acre of 

 the same measure as above. To do the drill justice, I must observe 

 that the young plants suffered very much from the rooks picking the 

 grain out of the drill, which left the land so thin of plants that some 

 of my neighbors went so far as to say I should have no crop. It was, 

 also, I believe, injured one acre in six by a leading land ditch stopping, 

 which overflowed that part of the field with water for some time, and 

 being directly across the headlands, hindered me from scarifying as 

 soon as I should have done. 



During the winter the broadcast had by a great deal the best ap- 

 pearance ; but in a little time, after the drilled wheat was scarified, 

 which was done the second week in March, it evidently got the lead, 

 being then of a darker green and more healthy color. In April, the 

 drilled wheat was horse-hoed ; at the same lime the broadcast wheat 

 was hand-h(5ted ; and in May the drilled wheat was hand-hoed, as at 

 that time I had not a horse-hoe of my own, nor could I at that time 

 borrow one. The drilled now beat the broadcast much. It tillered 

 well. I told from twenty to thirty stems from a single plant, with 

 wonderful ears, containing from twenty to one hundred kernels in an 

 ear. The broadcast became ripe first ; but both were cut at the same 

 time; that is, the same men cut tlie drilled immediately after it. The 

 broad-cast was carted two days before the drilled ; but both were got 

 without any rain, and laid in the same barn with a layer of drag-rak- 

 ings between them, in order to thresh them separately. Both crops 

 were threshed by the same man with great exactness. The produce 

 of the six acres drilled, was twenty-five quarters six bushels ; the pro- 

 duce of the broad-cast, twenty-four quarters one bushel and a half. 

 Produce of the drilled per acre, thirty-four bushels one peck and four 

 quarts; produce of the broadcast per acre, was thirty-two bushels one 

 peck ; that is, two bushels and one quart in favor of the drilled, which 

 with one bushel and a half of seed saved, is three bushels and a half 

 and four quarts in favor of the drill. 



This, though considerable, is but trifling compared with the benefit 

 the land has received from being scarified and horse-hoed, which was 



