494 [Senate 



MAIZE. 



Lynn, Mass., Dec. 15th, 1845. 

 The soil upon which my maize was planted, is a dark loam, clay 

 subsoil, underdrained; the crop last year Indian corn. The manure 

 for this crop consisted of twenty-eight horse-cart loads of night soil, 

 composted with loam and muck mud. It was hauled on last winter, 

 spread, and plowed under the 21st of May following; furrowed three 

 and a half feet each way, a handful of compost dropped on each hill, 

 and five or six grains of corn dropped on the compost. The compost 

 was composed of four barrels of poudrette, one barrel of plaster, and 

 fifty bushels leached ashes, well mixed. The corn was planted the 

 23d of May, and as soon as it was up, the cultivator was run through 

 it both ways. It was twice hoed, without hilling, and cultivated 

 twice. Two cwt. of African guano was applied on the hills. At 

 the second hoeing, a part was mixed with fine dry muck mud, and a 

 part applied alone without mixture. A large spoonful of the pure, 

 and a handful of the mixed, were the quantities applied, but I per- 

 ceived no difference in the effect between the pure or mixed, and 

 cannot say there was any decided benefit in either. The corn was 

 topped October 10th, harvested November 10th, A part of the crop 

 was a failure, either from the strength of the guano or the compost ; 

 I think the latter, as I noticed where we (having some left in the cart,) 

 applied it plentifully, the corn did not grow well, but where the 

 handful only was used, it did well. The following is a statement of 

 the amount of corn obtained, together with the expenditures. 



To 56 cart loads of manure at $1, $56 00 



30 days work, actual cost, with board, 22 22 



Four barrels of poudrette, 5 00 



One barrel plaster, 1 50 



Fifty bushels leached ashes, 3 50 



Two hundred weight African guano, 5 00 



Half bushel white seed corn, 50 



Interest on two acres land, 6 per cent, 12 00 



$105 72 



Profit of crop, 58 94 



$164 66 



By 130 bushels corn at 80 cents, $104 00 



" corn, fodder, &c., 25 00 



" half manure, ...<,.... 35 66 



-$164 66 



