50 On Corn. 



ed them to leave a portion of the field ; they left ground 

 in it, without ashes. 



At harvest, the ground manured with ashes, produced 

 two or three times the quantity of the better land which 

 I had neglected. — The one yielding, I should say, as 

 much as fifty bushels per acre, the other not more than 

 twenty. Ashes sprinkled on land lately turned up from 

 sward, are most decidedly the most productive manure 

 which I have tried. After Indian corn, ashes are most 

 useful hi ensuring a good crop of flax, both harl and 

 seed. In laying land down to grass I have found barley 

 the best crop. It is early off* the ground, and gives great 

 facilities to the tender clover to gain a firm root before 

 winter. Flax has commonly been preferred,* as the 

 crop with which to sow clover, but it comes of the 

 ground late ; it is spread on the ground and imprisons 

 the clover still longer ; and the pulling of the flax rends 

 and disturbs the roots of clover and exposes it to death 

 the next winter. 



I do not know sir, that I have met your wishes in 

 this letter. — If I have exceeded those wishes by the in- 

 troduction of extraneous matter, you w411 be candid 

 enough to excuse it and to carry it to the account of 

 my sincere desire to promote the beneficial purposes 

 of your institution. 



With due esteem I am sir. 



Your humble servant, 



Joseph Lyman. 

 Dr. James Mease. 



Secretary of the Agric, Soc, Philad. 



* This alludes to his own vicinity. 



