124 PLYMOUTH SOCIETY. 



Bela Mitchell's Statement. 



The land which I entered for premium was in 1844, about 

 three quarters of it, covered over with bushes and small maples : 

 the other with brakes and flat grass. About 40 rods, where the 

 grass was, I turned the sod over with the hoe, the remainder I 

 dug up with the hoe and carted off". I then levelled ofi" the top, 

 and spread at the rate of 80 loads of loam to the acre ; then sowed 

 herd's-grass seed, after which 8 loads of compost manure per acre 

 was spread. In March, sowed clover. I dug three drains, one 

 on each side and one in the middle ; the most of the seed was 

 sown from the first to the thirteenth of September ; about 40 

 rods was dug over the last of Sept. 1844, and laid until Aug. 

 1845 ; I then carted the turf off, and covered with loam as be- 

 fore, and sowed it. The labor, at $1 per day for man and cattle, 

 done on the one acre and 23 rods, $97 75. I took from the lot 

 one and a half cords of wood, which was worth $6 00, two cords 

 of roots and stumps, $4 00. 



Bridgewater, September 12, 1846. 



Henry Alden''s Staieme7it. 



The following is a statement of the process and result of an 

 experiment in the use of lime as a manure. April, 1843, made a 

 compost heap as follows : 11 loads of peat, 5 do. barn manure, 

 and 5 casks of lime, well mixed. Made another heap at the 

 same time, same quantity of peat and barn manure, without 

 lime. May 15th, ploughed an acre of greensward, spread three 

 quarters of the limed manure on one half acre of the above ground, 

 and three quarters of the other heap on the other half acre. Har- 

 rowed and cultivated it. Furrowed both ways, 3 feet 4 inches each 

 way. 17th, planted it with corn, 4 kernels in a hill, except 2 

 rows all around the piece, and 34 hills imder two apple trees, 

 which was planted to potatoes. The above ground was hoed 

 three times from June 5th to July 8th. In September, the stalks 

 were cut. October 7th, the corn was harvested, 34 hills deducted 

 from the limed part to equalize the 34 hills of potatoes under the 

 trees on. the other part. 



