FIELD CULTURE. 



35 



meadows, or get something as near to this as you caa 

 find. A fiue gravelly loam is preferable, and it is bet- 

 ter if the land has bet^n thoroughly cultivated with 

 corn or potatoes for a year or two previous, so as to 

 leave the land in a light good condition, with the 

 weeds, roots, and seeds mostly decomposed. The land 

 should be well drained at once, for it \\ill pay to do so. 

 In September, on the removal of the crop of corn or 

 potatoes, plough the ground well and subsoil it deep. 

 Early in December apply to each acre of land ten or 

 twelve bushels of lime — old will do — ^and two or three 

 bushels of common salt, and then with deep ploughing 

 break up the soil again, throwing it up into ridges as 

 far as the plough will do it, so that in the most exposed 

 condition it may be well prepared for the combined 

 action of the snow, frost, air and light of the approach- 

 ing winter. 



In the spring, as soon as the ground is in order to 

 work to advantage, apply thirty bushels leached or 

 unleached ashes to the acre. If the soil is poor, or not 

 in tolerably good condition, we would the fall previous 

 t^ke the lime, salt, and ashes with an equal quantity 

 of good muck, or marl, or woods' mould, or good turf 

 or surface soil and make a compost heap. Keep it moist 

 and often stir it, and apply it all to the ground in 

 the spring instead of putting on the lime and salt 

 with the December ploughing. Perhaps it might he 



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