Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-01-21
aQrtcultmral.
TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE PLYMOUTH

TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE FLfMooAh
COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Gentlemen-Having several acres OF
DOGGY Fresh .Meadopp, have reduced
about nine acres of it into good English
.Meadozv. Previous to my commencing
any operations on it, it was very ordl-
nary fresh meadow. producing on an
average about six or seven hundred OF
natural fresh hay, of very inferior quail
hy, on an acre, mixed with meadow
briers, mountrial, and cranberry vines,
near the shores, and on the margin OF
the natural streams, bushes OF various
kinds : all the hay obtained from 1t
would scarce pay the labeur OF getting
it, and was of more value to put into
the barn-yard TO make compost-manurs,
than for fodder.
began my improvements by clear
ing out the natural stream, that the wa
ter might not overflow, and kill out, or
injure the English grass; next laid out
the meadow into lands, OF beds, two
rods wide, from the upland to the brook,
digging ditch three feet wide between
the beds. Those beds which were
not too miry, pIoughed with one yoke
of high: cattle, turning the burrows into
the middle of the bed, and putting the
swamp mud sc. taken out of the ditch
es, into the middle of the beds, to crown
them like turnpike, that the water
should not stand on them. then chop
ped the whole fine, with sharp hoes,and
dug up the whole surface of those beds,
which could not be ploughed, with said
hoes, and planted the beds principally
with potatoes, believing, and afterwards
finding it to be necessary to till the
ground until had subdued and killed
out the natural grass, &c. The second
year ploughed and dug as before: and
planted some Of the beds with corn, and
some with potatoes; and in some in-
stances have put small quantity of
barn-yard manure, into the hills. The
third year laid down the beds, by
sowing oats, and grass seed, generally
mixture of herdsgrass, red-cloyer
and red-top: the oats have generally
been very stout, as also the grass which
succeeded ; and weighing the hay that
grew on several of the best beds, the
last summer, (being the first time of
moving, l found it to exceed Four Tons
to an acre.
l began my operation, on an acre,
which lies a considerable distance from
the main body, about eight years ago,
Cas a matter Of experiment) The
ditching and digging up of the same
cost twelve cents per rod; the potatoes
on the same, the first year, more than
paid all expense of ditching and digging
without any manure.
The second year, | planted thirty
4hree rods of said acre, with corn, and
had twelve bushels Of good corn, be-
sides small corn, and on the rest of the
acre, had four hundred and forty six
pumpkins, and good potatoes.
Third year, sowed it with oats and
grass-seed.
Fourth year, had large crop Of
clover.
Fifth year, 1922, red-top and herds
grass, three tons and forty four pounds.
Sixth year, 1923, there was on said
acre, more than four tons of good hay,
principally herdsgrass.
In the winter season, between 1921
and 1922, | carted on considerable
gravel, and spread it on some of the
beds, and am convinced, it had no ben.
e6cial effect; | apprehend that the
soft mud, at the bottom of the wide
bitches, being taken out and spread on
the beds, would be a manure far pref.
cradle to sand or gravel.
My object in stating particularly,
the produce Of the first acre, which
cultivated, as a matter of experiment,
is to satisfy other farmers, as it has
done myself, that English grasses, es-
pecially herdsgrass, will produce a
greater crop, as well as endure longer.
when cultivated on Doggy fresh mead
ow, than on hard upland. And by the
mode of improvement above described.
our most unproductive and waste bogs
and swamPs, may be made, with very