13 



it is probable that the rye crop, taken one year with another, will be as profit- 

 able as any grain crop the farmers of Berkshire can grow. Let us have rye — 

 lye grown every year. 



Oats. — The oat crop was generally very backward in maturing, and many 

 fields were much injured by the drouth in Ma}', from the effects of which they 

 never recovered. And then later in the season the grasshopper made sad havoc. 

 Some fields were strewn with oats, cut from the stalk before the harvest, and 

 looked as if the ground had been sowed, twice over, with oats. Many pieces 

 on low rich soils had a large growth of straw, but generally badly lodged and 

 not well filled. 



Barley. — Barky, as well as oats, suffered from the dry weather in the early 

 part of the season. We found some very good crops of barley, that would 

 probably yield forty or forty-five bushels to the acre, — and that is a better re- 

 turn than the average of the oat crop, taking into account the relative value of 

 the two grains. One word touching the different varieties : In our awards — 

 first and third were on six rowed, and second and fourth on two rowed. Not 

 because they were six rowed or two rowed — but because, in our rather indefi- 

 nite judgment, Ave thought the yield would be as awarded. And yet in every 

 head of the six rowed we found, by actual count, about twice the number of 

 kernels as in the two rowed, and the berry very nearly, or quite as large and 

 plump in the six as two rowed. Xow, if the heads stand as thickly, (and we 

 see no reason why they should not,) it would seem that the six rowed would 

 yield the more bushels. We wish some one would try the two varieties, side by 

 side, or on the same kind of land, and measure the ground and grain, and let us 

 know the result. 



Grass. — The Grass crop, as a whole, was very light and poor, owing, in a 

 measure, to the almost entire want of rains during the months of April and May, 

 — but owing also to the want of high cultivation. "High farming," as to the 

 grass crop, will certainly pay, and we think it Avill with most other crops. 

 Grass lands want feeding continually, — just as well as a horse or an ox, — in or- 

 der to produce the best results. First of all, drain properly, then cultivate 

 thoroughly and seed heavily, and finally and .continually top dress with well 

 rotted manure, or from the compose heap, or, which is still better than either, 

 liquid manure — the washings of the barn yard. Save it in a cistern or hollow 

 place in the yard. It is easily done and easily applied to the land. Take a 

 large sized molasses hogshead, bore an inch and a quarter hole in one head near 

 the bottom, stop the hole with a plug having a handle eight or ten inches long, 

 place the hogshead on a wagon or cart body, pump the liquid into the hogshead, 

 drive to where you want to distribute the manure, pull out the plug and keep 

 the team going and the liquid runs into the bottom boards and is scattered the 

 full width of the cart body. It was a very general remark '4 never saw so 

 many Daisies.'' We saw very few fields free from Daises, and many had a 

 variety of weeds. And we were pained to see some fields of grass, that were 

 entered for premium, filled with fully seeded Dock. And that grass and dock 

 sill cut and carted into the barn together, and thus the Dock seed to be returned, 

 in the manure, to the land to grow and produce a thousand fold. Why not 

 have pulled the Dock lief ore cutting \ Give us higher and better cultivation of 

 grass lands, and we will give you more and better grass or hay and less weed-. 



Vegetable Gardens. — Your Committee find the same embarrassment in re- 

 gard to the different classes of Gardens, and the present arrangement of the 

 premium list, as did tiie Committee of last year. 



Flower Gardens. — We regret that so few Flower Gardens are cultivated and 

 entered for premiums. 



The Committee on Summer Crops award as follows : Winter wheat, 8 en- 

 tries ; spring wheat, Gentries; winter rye, 4 acres, 29 entries; 1 acre, o<3 en- 

 vies; oats, 4 acres, 24 entries: I acre, 35 entries; barley, 10 entries; eulti- 



