The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-05-29
AGRICULTURAL.

The following is extracted and abridged from
an address delivered before the Middlesex SocIe-
ty of Husbandmen and Manufacturers, by ELIAS
PHINNEY, Esq:
In May, 1922 the field having lain three years
to grass, and the crop of hay so light as to be
worth not more than the expense OF making,with
view Of asceraining the quantity of vegetable
matter upon the surface, l took single foot
square of green sward, and after separating the
roots and tops ofthe grasses from the loan and
vegetable mould, it was found on weighing to
contain nine ounces of clear vegetable substance;
giving at that rate, over twelve and quarter
tons to the acre, This convinced me of the i'm
portance of taking some course by which this
valuable treasure might be turned to good &C
count. That great part of this mass of vege-
table matter is exposed to useless waste, by the
usual mode of ploughing, cross poughing, and
narrowing, must be obvious to any one. In or
der therefore to secure this, as well the light
vegetable mould at and near the surface, which
is liable to waste from the same causes, had
two acres of the green sward of this field turned
over with the plough, as smoothly as possible
After removing the outside furrow slices into the
centre of the plough land, and thereby effecting
the double purpose of covering the vacant space
in the middle and preventing ridges at the sides
and ends, the field was rolled hard with Il loaded
roller, by which the uneven parts of the burrows
were pressed down and the whole made smooth.
1t was then narrowed lenglhwise the burrows,
with horse harrow but so lightly as not to dis
turb the sod. Twenty carloads of compost
manure, made by mixing two parts of loam or
peat mud with one of stable dung, were then
spread upon each acre. 1t was then narrowed
again, before, and the poorer part of the soll'
which had been turned up, and remaned upon
the surface, was thereby mixed with the compost
manure. Corn was then planted in drills upon
the furrow, the rows being at the usual distance
and parallel with the burrows. At hoeing time,
the surface was stirred by running light plough
between the rows, but not deep at this or the
subsequent hoeing to disturb the sod. What
Mr. Lorrain calls the the Savage practice" of
killing up the was cautiously avoided. As
the season advanced l carefully watched the
progress ofmy corn.feld. In the early part of
the season it did not exhibit Il very promising
appearances; but the roots had ex-
tended INTO the enficniiS ulaller Deueatli, anu
began to expand in the decomposing sward,
which had now become mellow, and more mi
nutely divided by the Fermentation of the confn-
ed vegetable substances beneath than it possibly
could have been by plough or hoe; the growth
became vigorous, and the crop, in the opinion
of those who examined the field, not less than
seventy bushels of corn to the acre. AS soon as
the corn was harvested, the stable loosened
up by running a light horse plough lengthwise
through the rows, the surface then smoothed
with Il bush harrow, and one busle of rye, with
sufficient quantity of herds grass and red top
seed, to the acre was then sowed, the ground a.
gain narrowed and rolled. The crop of rye was
harvested in July following, and the two acres
yielded sixty nine and half bushels of excel
lent grain, and over five tons of straw. The
grass sowed with the rye took well, and the pres
ent season | moved, what those who secured
the crop judged to be, two and a half tons Of the
very best of hay from each acre. Thus with
ons ploughing, with the aid of twenty carloads
of compost manure to the acre, have obtained
two crops of grain, and stocked the land down
to grass.
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