much. The best pieces were top-dressed with manure which wai harrowed in. 

 This amply repays one far the extra work, besides you are sure of a good Clover 

 crop after. We think it would be well for the Society to offer more premiums 

 ok eight acres of Rye, for under the present list of premiums, peeple will not 

 try to improve so large a piece when it is so easy to fit up one acre. 



Oats. — Although the Oats were so late, there was a great growth of straw, 

 well filled; still we found a blast on most pieces, — occasioned by so much hot 

 and wet weather, — which must hurt the j T ield. 



J. A. Kline entered a piece of White Schonen Oats (a new variety for this 

 county). I see by the Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for the year 

 1870, that they are raised in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with 

 great success ; and are superior to our common Oats, by having stirrer straw and 

 larger beads, yielding more bushels to the acre, and in some instances weighing 

 forty pounds to the bushel. 



Also, M. I. Wheeler entered an acre of Yellow Lotharion Oats that looked 

 tinely, and he thinks will be very profitable to raise. We found in Oats as in 

 Rye, that farmers are too sparing of their seed. 



Barley. — We do not think the Barley crop is hardly upon an average with 

 former years. All pieces entered were the six rowed variety, which is prefer- 

 able to all others, and looks as if it must yield more. 



Grass. — The Grass crop was heavier this season than it has been for a num- 

 ber of years, and for so large a growth the quality was good, very free from 

 w T eeds and daisies. The question arises, "Will the hay go as far as when the 

 grass is lighter? " Certainly not, it grew in so much cloudy and wet weather, 

 that it will be flashey and bulky. 



The Upland Grass never was better, the land is under a high state of culti- 

 vation, and is improving every year, showing that the farmers see what a good 

 Compost Heap is worth, and they are getting out of the old routine, of selling 

 all the straw and bay they raise, and are practicing a new system, that is, turn- 

 ing the produce of the farm into mouey, by feeding it upon the place, making- 

 more manure, thereby enriching their land every year. 



Six pieces of Meadow 7 Grass that were entered were entirely ruined, by the 

 treshet in July, that did so much damage all through the Housatonic valley. 



We were called upon by George Robbing of 5»ew Marlboro, to look at a 

 piece of reclaimed meadow land— not being entered for premium — that con- 

 tained about fifteen acres in the heart of the village, which a few years ago was 

 a worthless tract of land. It is surprising to see what valuable land could be 

 made of hundreds of acres in this county that is now of no value. Mr. Rob- 

 bins has this piece under a high state of cultivation, and it probably cut three 

 tons of hay to the acre. We think liberal premiums should be given for re- 

 claimed land, as it would tend to induce farmers to improve their old swamps 

 and pastures, thereby increasing their value greatly. 



Vegetable Gardens. — Your committee do urge upon the Society, to class 

 gardens so every one can have the benefit. Fancy and market gardens should 

 be a distinct class, for no farmer can compete with them, as they are constant- 

 ly in the care of a gardener. We were called upon by two farmers to look 

 at their gardens. They were excellent, but they did not venture to enter them 

 standing so little chance, as the premiums are now. 



Flower Gardens. — Your committee found this more difficult than vegetable 

 gardens. We think if there were ladies added to the committee in this depart- 

 ment it would give better satisfaction. We are glad to see so much interest 

 taken in flowers and sincerely hope it may increase instead of diminish, for 

 nothing adds so much to a place as a lawn well furnished with these beauties of 

 nature. We only regret we have not more money at our disposal. 



The whole number of crops entered, was 213 : Winter Wheat, 3 ; Spring- 

 Wheat, 6; Spring Rye, 1: Rye, 8 acres, 13; Ryt, 4 acres, 25; Rye, 1 acre, 

 30; Oats, 4 acres, 28; Oats, 1 acre, 41; Barley, 4; Meadow Gra#a, 16; Up- 



