117 



Cedars, bushes, and stones. In September of last year it was 

 thoroughly cleared of stones and trees ; new ditches were dug ; 

 an elevated spot of about three-quarters of an acre, very 

 springy, was drained with tiles ; and the. whole field was 

 ploughed eight inches in depth. From a deposite of muck in 

 one corner of the field, five hundred loads were drawn and 

 deposited at proper distances from each other, in heaps of 

 about one hundred loads each. Late in the autumn twenty 

 casks of lime were mixed with each heap. A hundred loads 

 of barn^yard manure were drawn into the field during the 

 winter. In the spring the compost of muck and lime was 

 spread evenly upon the land, and harrowed in with Geddes's 

 harrow, heavily weighted. The land was then lightly fur- 

 rowed ; a small quantity of super-phosphate placed in each hill 

 — on a portion of the field the barn-yard manure was also used 

 in the hill — and the corn was planted from May 24 to May 30. 

 During the summer a few spots suffered from water, and larger 

 patches were destroyed by the wireworm. But where the 

 corn escaped these evils, its yield was seventy-five bushels to 

 the acre ; and the fodder was very heavy. A portion of the 

 field, which contains in all sixteen acres, was planted with po- 

 tatoes and cabbages. 



The whole expense of clearing this land and preparing it for 

 the corn crop was as follows : — 

 In October, 1861, with 8 men and 4 yoke of oxen, 



144 days' work, 

 Blasting boulders, 10 days' work. 

 Lime, 

 Tiles, 



Composting lime and muck, 15 days. 

 Ditching, spreading compost and harrowing in spring, 

 1862, 30 days, 



$275 50 

 After this the expense was what usually attends raising the 

 corn crop. 



