SEED CORN. ^l 



by one of our experiments, that the same field which un- 

 manured produced at the rate of 68 bushels of corn to the 

 acre from one kind of seed planted, produced with another 

 seed but 55 bushels, although this last received an abundant 

 manuring. 



As a rule our best farmers manure beyond the capacity of 

 the "seed to furnish crops, and thus there is met a loss, more 

 or less great according to the location and the system of 

 farming. In collating the returns of the agricultural societies 

 of Massachusetts, we find as an average of 86 returns, that it 

 takes 28 loads or 7 cords of manure, to produce an average 

 crop of 81 bushels, as measured or weighed at harvest, 

 besides a greater or less application, in individual cases, of a 

 superphosphate. This amount of dung calculated by the 

 average composition of manure, would contain the plant 

 food three times in excess, at the least, of what the crop 

 removed. Through the application of slightly more than 

 one-fourth the amount of this plant food in the form of chem- 

 cals, we have raised equivalent crops in our own experience, 

 and have proved that the same amount of manure applied to 

 two difierent seeds, but in less quantity than in our collated 

 statement, viz : six cords, produced 55 bushels and 110 

 bushels of crop, respectively. We can also add, that it is 

 probable that increase of manure applied, in either case would 

 have resulted in but a slight increase of crop, for in each case 

 there was sufficient to feed the plant to the point of yield 

 which its heredity had assigned to it. 



We are disposed to dwell upon the importance of carefully 

 selected seed to the farmer, as we see its bearing so little 

 understood by those whose studies should lead them to its 

 appreciation, and results claimed for experiment which are 

 fallacious ; we refer to the comparative experiments on the 

 action of manures and fertilizers. 



If two farmers, neighbors let us say, own each a cow, the 

 one a superior animal of large milking capacity, the other a 

 very inferior animal. The owner of the superior animal 

 feeds high and obtains 20 quarts of milk at the flush. He 



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