101 



There is a premium offered for improving Pastures and 

 "Waste Lands by other methods than ploughing. It is to be 

 hoped there may in future be some competitors for the premi- 

 um, as it is evident that our pastures are diminishing in their 

 productiveness, and it is to be hoped some way may be de- 

 vised for their improvement less expensive than the plough. 

 JOSEPH KITTREDGE, for the Committee. 



STATEMENT OF HENRY L. MOODY. 



The reclaimed Waste Land, which I offer for premium, con- 

 sists of about fourteen acres, of a light gravelly soil, thickly 

 filled with stones of various sizes. Previous to being broken 

 it was used as a pasture, until it became covered with wood- 

 wax and bushes, and, of course, worthless[for pasture. 



When I came to the farm, April 1st, 1864, seven of the 

 fourteen acres had been ploughed. Three acres had been 

 planted with potatoes, corn and fodder corn ; the remainder 

 had been harrowed and left M'ithout planting. 



My first work was to take off the loose stones ; then I 

 ploughed and planted the whole seven acres with potatoes, 

 after manuring with half a shovelfull to the hill, of cow ma- 

 nure from the barn cellar. 



The potatoes were dug about the first of August following, 

 and two hundred bushels were put into our cellar, and the 

 balance of the crop was sold in the Boston market for some- 

 thing over six hundred dollars. In September of the same 

 year, I commenced to break up the other seven acres, with a 

 team of six oxen and five men, at the rate of about one-third 

 of an acre per day, till all was completed. I then harrowed 

 it with a heavy, long tooth harrow, using four oxen to draw 

 it, turning up as many stones as possible. I then proceeded 

 to dig out with bars large, loose stones, and pick and put in 

 heaps, there being a large quantity ready to haul off in winter. 



