NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



From the last Pamphlet published by the Essex Agri- 

 cultural Society. 

 DAVID LITTLE'S STATEMENT-ON RUTA BAGA. 

 Newbury, November 18, 1S22. 

 To the Trustees of the Essex Agricultural Societtj. 



Gentlemen — The following is a statement of 

 the cultivation and produce of two half acres of 

 land, adjoining each other, cultivated with Ruta 

 Baga, on my farm — No. 1 & 2. The soil is a 

 light sandy loam. In 1821 it was planted with 

 corn, and manured with about two cords of ma- 

 nure to the acre. The crop was small. June, 

 1822, the land was ploughed, harrowed, and fur- 

 rowed three feet apart. Three and a half cords 

 of yard manure was put in the furrows. The 

 manure was covered with a plough drawn by a 

 horse, by turning a ridge upon it. The seed 

 was then sowed, one row on each ridge — one 

 pound of seed. July 4th it was ploughed be- 

 tween the rows, and I began weeding and thin- 

 ning, and continued at intervals till .\ugust 8th, 

 leaving them 10 or 12 inches apart in the rows. 

 They were twice ploughed and hoed. There 

 were about forty four rows ; tea of them were 

 sowed with seed that I bought in New-York, 

 represented to be of Cobbett's raising, but on 

 account of age, or some other defect, but few 

 vegetated. The 6th of July they were sowed 

 over again ; but it being late, and the season un- 

 favourable, the crop amounted to almost nothing, 

 though occupying the best part of the land. — 

 The land was measured and staked olT in two 

 half acres — No. 1. and No. 2. Lot No. 1 was 

 harvested Nov. 4, and produced 25 I.; bushels. 

 No. 2 was harvested the 7th, and produced 227 

 bushels. 



Expense of cultivating the above lot of ruta 

 baga, calculating labour at 4s. per day. 



June 3. Ploughing, gl.50 



Harrowing and Furrowing, 33 



Manure, 10.50 



Covering the Manure, 33 



Seed, 75 



Jane 6. Sowing and covering Seed, 67 



Ploughing, weeding and thin- 

 ning, 2.79 

 Harvesting, 3.34 



$20.21 

 I am, gentlemen, with respect, 



Your obedient servant, 



DAVID LITTLE. 



UAVID LITTLP'S STATEMENT— ON MANGEL 

 WUKTZEL. 

 Newbury, November 18th, 1822. 

 To the Trustees of the Essex Agricultural Society. 

 Gentlemen — The following is a statement of 

 the situation, cultivation, and production, of a 

 lot of land cultivated with Mangel Wurtzcl, on 

 my farm. The situation is as follows : a swell 

 inclining southwesterly, and of a rich yellow 

 loam; in 1821 was cultivated with beets, ma- 

 nured with about three cords of compost ma- 

 nure, and produced about five hundred and thir- 

 ty bushels ; 1822, May 9lh, ploughed, 10th, har- 

 rowed and furrowed three feet apart, four and 

 a half cords of compost manure was put in the 

 furrows, and was covered with a plough, then a 

 harrow was drawn lengthways of the ridges, to 

 smooth the ground ; the seed was then sowed, 

 one row en each ridge, with four pounds of seed, 

 (1 think less than half would be suflicient) ; com- 

 menced ploughing between the rows, and weed- 



ing, June 10th; continued weeding and thin-l rods wide. 

 ning at different times till they stood ten or 

 twelve inches apart in July 16th. The work 

 was done principally by boys, estimating two 

 boys to be equal to a man. Oct. 31st, and Nov. 

 1st, and 2d, they were harvested by men and 

 boys, and produced nine hundred and seventy 

 and a half bushels of mangel wurtzel, two bush- 

 els of carrots, and one hundred and nine cabba- 

 ges. Six swine were mostly led with the thin- 

 nings, from the beginning of weeding till about 

 the first of October ; there were fruit trees on 

 the above lot, sufficient, in my opinion to pro- 

 duce twenty one barrels of fruit. The land, 

 that 1 supposed to contain an acre, when it was 

 measured by the surveyor fell short about ten 

 or twelve rods, and 1 was obliged to make out 

 the acre by taking a small piece which adjoined 

 the same, which was sowed late in the season, 



let 



and produced a small crop, and also a piece of 

 about five rods which adjoined, were transplant- 

 ed in vacant places among carrots, on account of 

 which my crop was much less. The above lot 

 you will see has been divided by the surveyor, 

 staked off in half acre lots. No. 1, and No. 2. — 

 No. 1 produced five hundred and twenty three 

 and a half bushels. No. 2 produced four hun- 

 dred and forty seven bushels of mangel wurtzel, 

 two bushels of carrots, and one hundred and nine 

 cabbages. 



The expense of cultivating the above lot of 

 mangel wurtzel, calculating labour at four shil- 

 lings per day. 



Ploughing, May 9th, gl.50 



Harrowing, 50 



Furrowing, 50 



Manure, 9.00 



Ploughing a ridge over the ma- 

 nure, and harrowing, 1.00 

 Seed, 3.00 

 Sowing, 67 

 Weeding, 3.33 

 Harvesting, 4.46 



[il 



g23.96 

 1 am, gentlemen, with respect. 

 Your obedient servant, 



DAVID LITTLE. 



EBENEZER BERRY'S STATEMENT— ON DEEP 



AND SHALLOW PLOUGHING. 

 To the Trustees of the Essex Agricultural Society. 



Having learned that you had offered a premi- 

 um, the present year, for the most satisfactory 

 experiment in ascertaining the relative advanta- 

 ges of deep and shallow ploughing, I have been 

 induced to ofler for your examination the fol- 

 lowing statement. 



In the autumn of 1821, my field was ploughed 

 by the teams that contested for the premiums of 

 your Society. It was laid out in lots of one 

 quarter of an acre each. The land is level, and 

 free from rocks. The soil is gravelly, and shal- 

 low, and only of middling quality. It had been 

 in grass four years previous, and never had been 

 highly manured. The common burden of grass 

 produced upon it was not more than one ton to 

 the acre. The whole field ploughed contained 

 two acres and a half, one acre of which was 

 ploughed in the spring of the present year ; and 

 on this part was the best crop. That which 

 was ploughed in the preceding autumn at the 

 ploughing match, was well harrowed in the 

 spring, and furrowed, eight rows to the lot, two 



Twelve ox loads of manure wep 

 put to the acre, in the holes. The manure wa 

 a mixture of the droppings of horses and nea 

 cattle, in about equal quantities, taken from th 

 barn yard. The ground was planted with Ir 

 dian corn, from the 10th to the 12th of Maj 

 The eight rowed corn, and that which is com 

 monly cultivated in this vicinity, was the kin 

 planted. It was hoed three times in the usui 

 manner. Every part was managed as near); 

 similar as possible. Each lot was gathered ani 

 accurately measured by itself. Lots No. 2 am 

 3, were the most gravelly, and most exposed t< 

 the drought ; and the whole field suffered con ^ 

 siderably for want of moisture. 1 am of opinioi 

 that it would have been highly beneficial to hav 

 cross-ploughed the land in the spring. Th( 

 following is the product of each of the lots. 



No. 1, ploughed by 28 furrows, 4^ ioche 

 deep, situate on the western side, yielded twen 

 ty and a half bushels of ears. 



No. 2, ploughed by 28 furrows, 6 inches deep 

 yielded nineteen bushels of ears. 



No. 3, ploughed by 22 furrows, 8 or 9inche: 

 deep, yielded twenty-three bushels of ears 

 This ploughing was apparently deeper than th« 

 soil ; but in the latter part of the season th« 

 crop suffered much less by the drought than ei 

 ther of the lots; and had the «oil been as goo 

 the crop would have been much superior. 



No. 4, ploughed by 28 furrows, 65- inchei 

 deep, yielded twenty-two and a half bushels 

 ears. 



No. 5, ploughed by 28 furrows, 6 inches deep 

 yielded twenty-one bushels of ears. 



No. 6, ploughed by 36 furrows, 6^ inche. 

 deep, yielded twenty-two and a half bushels o 

 ears. The soil of this lot was rather better thai 

 the other parts of the field. 



From the result of this experiment, my opin 

 ion is decidedly in favour of ploughing our land 

 much deeper than is usually practised by ou 

 farmers. Especially is it beneficial on lands li 

 able to be injured by drought. 



EBENEZER BERRY. 



Dan vers, November 19, 1822. 



To promote the Gro-j:th of Forest Trees. 

 It is highly to be censured, the neglect 01 

 permitting ivy-twines, which grow to forest 

 trees, to remain attached to them. Their roots 

 entering into the bark rob the trees of much ol 

 their nourishment; they in a manner strangle 

 their supporters, by impeding the circulation ol 

 their juices, and in time destroy the trees.— 

 They should be torn up by the roots, for, il 

 any part of them adhere to the tree, they will 

 spread, as they obtain nourishment by their ad- 

 hering roots. — English publication. 



Caitse and Prevention of the Dry Rot. 



The cause of the dry rot in wood is mois- 

 ture ; and to prevent well-dried timber from 

 decaying above or under ground, is by charring 

 it well. — ibid. == 



Method of trying the Goodness of Timber for Ship 

 Building, used in the Arsenetl at Vienna. 



One person applies his ear to the centre of 

 one end of the trunk, while another, with a key, 

 hits the other end with a gentle stroke. If the 

 tree be sound and good, the stroke will be dis- 

 tinctly heard at the other end, though the tree 

 should be an 100 feet or more in length. — ibid. 



