No. 199.] 113 



rye grew, I made an improvement which I think worthy of relating. 

 There was about half an acre of ground which was covered with large 

 bogs, weeds, and coarse grass, which had never been tilled, besides the 

 contiguous land was kept so cold and wet, that the crops raised upon it 

 were very uncertain. To improve this, I commenced draining it by 

 plowing several furrows in the situation of the required drain, then 

 instead of throwing the earth on each side of it as usual, a cart was 

 backed up, and the contents of the ditch were shovelled in it and 

 dumped on the higher land. After the drain was sunk low enough, 

 two blind ditches were constructed at right angles with the main 

 ditch and filled with small stones. The ground was then plowed, 

 and such of ihe bogs as were not covered were hauled off to be burn- 

 ed when dry. The edges of the ditch were then plowed and oblite- 

 rated by scraping them with a scraper, which gave enough soil to fill 

 up the surrounding irregularities. This was done some weeks previous 

 to the usual time of preparing the field for a fall crop. When the 

 whole field was plowed, this portion was laid off in lands about 

 twenty paces broad, and back-furrowed. I was much gratified 

 with the result of my improvement, for I had a fine crop of rye, and 

 the grass seed has taken very well, and I had about seventy loads of 

 good manure from the ditch deposited upon land that required it very 

 much, the effects of which were perceptible also upon the first crop. 



HENRY A. FIELD. 

 Poughkeepsie^ December llthj 1849. 



SEED CORN OF MR. SHARP. 



Statement of Mr. Sharp in relation to the seed cam raised by him., for 

 which the premium was awarded for the best 40 ears of ydl&w com. 



To THE Board of Managers : 



Gentlemen — The corn raised by me, for which I was awarded a 

 premium at the late Fair, was selected from a ten acre lot containing 

 1500 young peach trees, which were set out by me two years ago. 

 The previous year the field was in corn. It was plowed in the month 

 of November last, and a handful of poudrette made by the Lodi Manu- 

 facturing Co. was applied to the hill at the time of planting. At the 



f Assembly, No. 199.1 8 



