3;3i2 



NEW 



ENGLAND FARMER. 



Ij'rom the last Pamphlet published by the Essex Agri- 

 cultural Society. 



JOHN LEES' STATEMENT. 



Newbury, Nov. 19, 1822. 

 To the Committee on Indian Corn anil other crops. 

 Gentlf.men — In the summer of 1821 my fields, 

 generally known by the name of " Boynton 

 l-'ipl(l," which bad been for eight or ten years 

 adapted to mowing, not exhibiting so good an 

 appearance a^ usual in grass, I thought of mak- 

 ing up the deficiency by raising a crop of pota- 

 toes ; consequently, in the latter part of June, 

 1 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. 1 then broke up the land and planted 

 the common white potatoes, pulling a small 

 shovel full of compost manure into each of the 

 hills. The manner of ploughing, planting, hoe- 

 ing, &.C. was much the same as practised by the 

 farmers in this vicinity ; and in autumn the crop 

 of potatoes vva? rising two hundred bushels. — 

 This success induced mo to try what I could do 

 with Indian corn ; and late in autumn I carted 

 on thirteen cart loads of com[)ost manure, which 

 lay in small heaps until the following spring, 

 when more of the ticld was broken np, and this 

 manure spread over the land and jilonghed in ; 

 then ploughed ag.iin 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, parlly compost 

 and part from the hog yard, was placed in each 

 hill, and five kernels of the common eight row- 

 ed corn dro])pod in each hill. At the time of 

 the first hoeing it was discovered that a red 

 headed worm, measuring from a half inch lo 

 one and a half inches in length, was committing 

 sad depredations ; it was the opinion of many 

 respectable men, that nearly one half was de- 

 stroyed. This was replanted, but still the worms 

 continued the destruction; 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 faci- 

 litate the hoeing ; and in autumn I harvested 

 from one acre, measured and staked out by Mr. 

 John Northener, one hundred and eight bushels 

 and twenty quarts of corn, weighing fifty-nine 

 pounds to the bushel ; seventeen hundred and 

 fifty pounds of pumpkins, one hundred and titty 

 pounds of squashes, and eighteen bushels of tur- 

 nips. As to the precise times of ploughing, 

 hoeing, planting, &c. I cannot ascertain, in con- 

 sequence of my principal workman being de- 

 prived of his labor by indisposition, and the 

 multiplicity of my cares made it impossible for 

 me to pay that attention which was necessary ; 

 suflice it to say that my mode of management 

 was much the same as that of farmers in gen- 

 eral. I am, gentlemen, with much respect, 

 your obedient servant, JOHN LEES. 



HENRY LITTLE'S STATE.MENT. 



Newbury, Nov. 5, 1822. 

 To lilt Committee on CIrcen Crops. 

 Gentlkmkk — The following is a statement of 

 the cultivation and production of one acre of 

 Indian Corn, raised by the subscriber in New- 

 bury. The soil is a dark clay loam, and in 

 1821 was planted with beets ami carrots, and 

 manured with six cords of manure made by a 



brewer in Newburyport, and produced about 

 400 bushels to the acre. In May, 1822, the 

 land was twice ploughed and planted in hills, 

 three and a half feet apart, with five cords of 

 compost manure put in the holes ; four grains 

 of corn were put in each hill on the manure 

 and covered with a hoe ; the corn is the eight 

 rowed kind, and weighed, when harvested, 58 

 pounds to the bushel. The green, or unripe 

 corn, was not measured ; it was hoed three 

 times, and late in the season ; the few weeds 

 that came up were destroyed. The stalks were 

 topped the middle of .September; it was har-' 

 vested in October, and drawn lo the granary 

 and measured, and there were two hundred and 

 thirty-two and a half bushels of ears, and a frac- 

 tion over. By shelling four bushels of ears, the 

 estimate was, that there was one hundred and 

 sixteen bushels and nine quarts of shelled sound 

 corn. 



The expense of cultivating the above acre of 

 corn, calculating labor at four shillings. 

 Rent of land 

 Manure 

 May 3. Ploughing 



9. Cross-ploughing 

 10. Planting and putting the ma- 

 nure in the holes 

 June 7. Hoeing 



12. Transplanting or filling up the 

 vacant hills, calculated to 

 have 3 stalks in each hill 

 14. Hoeing the second time 



HENKY LITTLE'S STATEMENT— ON TtRMP.'^ 

 Newbury, Nov. 5, ICi^. 

 To the Committee on Green Crops. 

 Gentlemen — The following is a statement o 

 the cultivation and production of a lot of En , 

 glish Turnips, raised by the subscriber, in New \ 

 bury. The soil is a clay loam, and had beei 1 

 down to" grass six or seven years; in 1821 cu r 

 about one ton of hay to the acre ; the last o ■■, 

 June, 1822, it was mowed, and cut about hal 

 a ton of hay ; the ground was then ploughed 

 and ten cords of compost manure (the princi 

 pal i)art of the compost was marsh sod,) sprea^ 

 on and harrowed in, then it was ploughed ii 

 shallow ridges, three feet apart, and the see^ ' 

 sowed, with a machine, on the ridges, then 

 roller was made to pass over the same, and th' 

 sowing was finished. It took one pound c 

 seed to the acre; they were thinned to th 

 distance of one foot apart in the row ; the 

 were twice ploughed and hoed, and harveste ' 

 the last of October, and the crop was six huD 

 dred and eighty seven and a half bushels. 



The expense of cultivating one acre of tut ' 

 nips on the above mode, calculating labor a 

 four shillings per day. 



June 28, 29. Ploughing, harrowing, 



and sowing, ^6 G 



Sowed July 1. Seed and manure, 20 5 



Thiiming, hoeing, &c. 5 3 

 Harvesting, 3 3 



25. Hoeing the third time 

 July 15. Destroying weeds 

 Oct. 7, 8. Harvesting and measuring 



pS 75 

 Yours, respectfullv, 



HENRY LITTLE. 



N. B. The time of topping the stalks and 

 getting in the bottom or but stalks, not in the 

 estimate. The value of the stover [the stalks 

 and husks] I think equal to one and a half tons 



of hay. 



JOHN DWTNELL'S STATEMENT— ON BEETS. 



The following statement of a crop of Beets, 

 with the jnanner of tilling the land, is submitted 

 with the claim for the society's premium, viz. 



The land in 1021 was in good heart and pro- 

 duced a crop of potatoes, and i? part of the lot 

 which enabled the present claimant to obtain 

 the second premium last year. A reference to 

 the statement then made, will give the com- 

 mittee a full knowledge of it. 



The present year the land was ploughed 

 May 1st and 2(1, eight inches deep, with one 

 yoke of oxen, which occupied one day and a 

 half; after which it was harrowed, and lilted 

 for recoiving the seed, which occupied one day. 

 The rcMiiainder of the time was four days sow- 

 ing, two days weeding, two days hoeing, and 

 eleven and a half days digging, topping, weigh- 

 ing and housing the crop ; iu all twenty two 

 days labor. 



The quantity of manure was one and a half 

 cords, and the quantity of seed two and a half 

 pounds. 



The crop, which was weighed, amounted to 

 29 tons, hundreds, 1 quarter and 25 lbs. — or 

 580 hundred, 1 quarter and 25 lbs. 



All which is respectfully communicated. 

 JOHN DWINELL. 



Salem, J\'nvrmber 11, 1822. 



$35 C 



The quality of the crop. They were large, 

 but in consequence of the drought they are f 

 only for stock. 



Yours respectfully, 



HENRY LITTLE. 



Si 



pi 

 i 

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SILAS AND JOSEPH LITTLE'S STATEMENT- '' 

 ON TURNIPS. k 



Newbury, Nov. 14, 1822. Iiij 

 To John W. Proctor, Esq. Secretary of the Ei 

 sex Agricultural Society. 



Sir — We have this year cultivated an acre o 

 common turnips on our farm in Newbury, ani 

 as we hope to obtain the Society's premium 

 we are bound to make a particular staternen 

 of the mode of cultivation. 



A small part of this acre was sown with fur 

 nips the last year ; the other part has beei 

 grass ground five or six years. Tiiis year 

 that part which was used for turnips we sowei 

 with flax, alter putting on it about live loads o 

 manure, and pulled the flax as soon as the blow 

 ing had fallen off; then ploughed it, togethe 

 with the grass ground, so as to make an acre 

 and after harrowing in part, carried on nine 

 teen cartloads of compost manure, mostly sandj 

 loam, to mix with our clay loam. The on<i 

 part we spread on half the ground, and Ihei 

 ridged it with a small double-mouldlioard plough 

 about two feet and nine inches apart. Thf 

 other part was furrowed with the plough, anc 

 the manure put in the furrows at a like distanct 

 (the produce however was about equal.) ant| 

 ridged as above, which covered all the manure 

 One pound and a half of seed was sown on th« 

 acre, one row on a ridge, and after the turnip; 

 were out of the way of the flies they wert 

 thinned at the distnnce of 10 or 12 inches, thei 

 hoed twice, and ploughed once. 



The time of harvesting began the 28th OJ 

 Ocfobor, and ended the first of Noveuibor; aai 



