24 HAMPSHIRE AGKICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



rience that I have had in its application, and the results that have at- 

 tended its use, I now think it far cheaper and equally as durable for 

 a fertilizer, as the best animal manure. In 1847, I took from my 

 peat swamp, the soil of which is composed of vegetable matter, that 

 has been accumulating there for many years, about one hundred and 

 twenty-five cart-loads of this peat, and mixed with it ashes, saltpetre, 

 and plaster, in parts, equal to one hundred bushels ashes, one hun- 

 dred pounds of saltpetre, and five hundred pounds plaster, for the 

 whole lot. In the Spring of 1848, I carted this mixture upon a field 

 adjoining, the soil of which is a fine deep loam capable of being en- 

 riched to any extent, and spread upon two acres fifty large loads of 

 compost, harrowed it in and planted it with corn. Upon two acres 

 adjoining, of precisely the same quality, forty loads of good yard 

 manure were applied. The result was, the corn on both pieces was 

 good, yet that on which the compost was used was more luxuriant 

 from beginning to end, and produced some seventy-five bushels per 

 acre. After harvesting the corn one acre of the land composted was 

 sown to wheat, and the other acre to rye, both crops were good, the 

 part sown to rye producing about twenty-five bushels, and the wheat 

 twenty bushels. And had not the frost killed it out, it would prob- 

 ably have yielded thirty bushels. The rye sown on the tv/o acres 

 manured, produced twenty bushels per acre. 



In 1850, I planted the same four acres again, adding ten loads of 

 compost, making sixty loads for the two acres, and putting the same 

 quantity of manure upon the other, it produced a very heavy crop of 

 corn. After harvesting it, I sowed it again Avith wheat and rye, and 

 produced as good a crop as before. 



In the spring of 1851, I sowed grass seed and harrowed it in among 

 the growing crop, and it now presents a very promising appearance. 

 My object in experimenting upon these two piece? of land, has been 

 to test the qualities of compost, and its utility in preserving the 

 qualities of the soil, which has been done to my entire satisfaction, 

 both parcels being raised from a low to a high state of cultivation, 

 and can, I think, be mowed for several years to come with good suc- 

 cess. 



In conclusion, I M'ould say, that my anticipations have been more 

 than realized, both in regard to the productiveness of the land, and 

 future prospects of the crops which are all in favor of composting, one 

 important consideration of which is its cheapness. The cost not ex- 

 ceeding thirty three cents per load, on the lot, or about one third 

 the expense of animal manure. My practice is to mix the com- 

 post one year, and use it the next. I have also applied it on several 

 other parcels of land, with equal results. In 1849, 1 put fifteen loads 

 of compost on one half an acre of land beside the same quantity of 

 land on which was spread at the rate of twenty-nine large cart-loads 

 of manure to the acre. The corn grown from the compost was the 

 best and produced forty bushels. I also spread twenty loads on grass 



