31 



JOHN LEES'S STATEMENT. 



Kewhury^ JVovember 19, 1322. 

 To the Committee on Indian Corn and other crops. 

 Gentlemen^ 



In the summer of 1821 one of my fields, generally known by 

 the name of Boynton Field," which had been for eight or ten 

 years adapted to mowing, not exhibiting so good an appearance 

 as usual in grass, I thought of making up the deficiency by rais- 

 ing a crop of potatoes ; consequently, in the latter part of June, I 

 mowed about three quarters of an acre, the produce of which as 

 near as we could judge by appearances was a ton of hay of an 

 excellent quality. I then broke up the land and planted the 

 common white potatoes, putting a small shovel full of compost 

 manure into each of the hills. The manner of ploughing, plant- 

 ing, hceing, &c. was much the same as practised by the farmers 

 in this vicinitj'^ ; and in autumn the crop of potatoes was rising 

 two hundred bushels. This success induced me to try what I 

 could do with Indian corn ; and late in autumn I carted on thir- 

 teen cart loads of compost manure, which lay in small heaps un- 

 till the following spring, when more of the field was broken up, 

 and this manure spread over the land and ploughed in — then 

 ploughed again and harrowed. The hills were made three and 

 a half feet one way and three feet the other distant from each 

 other, then a shovel full of manure, partly compost and part 

 from the hog yard, was placed in each hill, and five kernels of 

 the common eight rowed corn dropped in each hill. At the 

 time of the first hceing it was discovered that a red headed 

 worm, measuring from a half inch to one and a half inches in 

 length, was committing sad depredations ; it was the opinion of 

 many respectable men, that nearly one half was destroyed. 

 This was replanted, but still the worms continued the destruc- 

 tion ; and the season being far advanced, the defective hills were 

 planted again with pumpkins, squashes, turnips, &c. The piece 

 was hoed three different times, and at the second time the 

 plough was used to facilitate the hoeing ; and in autumn I har- 

 vested from one acre, measured and staked out by Mr. John 

 yN'orthener, one hundred and eight bushels and twenty quarts «i' 



