10 



of the crop is much less than that of Indian corn, and the ex- 

 pense of cultivation much greater. 



In order to obtain the full benefit from the cultivation of this 

 crop, the land should not only be rich, but kept entirely free 

 from weeds. The propriety of doing this is so obvious, that 

 the remark may seem unnecessary, yet if we take a survey of 

 the cornfields in this county, I apprehend we shall find fre- 

 quent violations of this rule. In many instances, after wa- 

 ging a warfare during the season, the weeds have finally 

 obtained the ascendency, their seeds have been allowed to 

 come to maturity, and prepare the soil for a still more abun- 

 dant crop of weeds the ensuing year. From the appearance of 

 some fields in tillage, it might be imagined, that the object of 

 the farmer was to bestow just so much cultivation as should 

 produce a plentiful crop of weeds, who, as if they had a right 

 as being the original occupants of the soil, are allowed to re- 

 tain posi?ession and repel any intruders. By allowing weeds to 

 remain till their innumerable seeds ripen, we not only injure 

 ourselves but our neighbours. The heavier seeds intrude upon 

 their frontiers, and the winged kinds matured in our neglected 

 grounds, fill the air like the noxious locusts of other regions, 

 and either choke the crops of our neighbours, or make work 

 for their hoes. 



Our soil is well adapted to grass, both for pasturage and 

 mowing land, and the climate is generally very favourable for 

 making hay. In the vicinity of large towns, few crops are 

 more profitable than grass, and few are obtained with so much 

 ease. So long as lands thus situated will produce a good crop 

 of grass, perhaps as a general rule it is not expedient to apply 

 them to any other use. But most of our mowing lands fail in 

 a few years, and it becomes necessary to break them up for 

 tillage, and on almost every farm of any magnitude it is neces- 

 sary to combine tillage and grass husbandry, in order to keep 

 the land in good condition. The laying of land to grass is an 

 important part of the farmer's business. The two grasses, 

 whose seed is commonly sown, clover and herds grass, are both 

 good, but it might be expedient to try other kinds, especially 



