Ig BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



previous year ei'f:;lity-six thousand five hundred and twentj-nrne 

 bushels, while all the rest of the State produced only eighteen thou- 

 sand bushels. 



Indian corn is not extensively grown in Aroostook county, but 

 its cultivation seems steadily, rather than rapidly, on the increase. 

 By careful selection of early seed, a fair crop is generally secured. 

 As far north as number eleven, fifth range, I saw corn silked out at the 

 end of July. Last year Mr. Bean o£ letter G, in this vicinity, raised 

 fifty-one bushels of sound corn per acre. The yield is not usually 

 above this, and the actual average probably below forty bushels. 



Mr. Cushman, at Golden Ridge, (number three, in fifth range,") 

 some fifty miles south of number eleven, informed me that he had 

 grown at the rate of two hundred and twenty bushels of ears per 

 acre. He had, when I was there, a very promising field of corn, 

 which was planted more closely than I had ever before seen, viz : 

 three feet by eighteen or twenty inches asunder, thus giving more 

 than double the usual number of hills to the acre. Mr. Cushman 

 is doubtless wise in endeavoring to adapt the distance between hills 

 to the anticipated size of the plant, and to get the full benefit of a 

 well prepared plot for corn ; but four and a half or five square feet 

 only to the hill, seemed rather close, even for small Canada corn, 

 in Aroostook. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Cushman subse- 

 quently, at the State Fair in Bangor, early in October, and learned 

 from him that an acre of this had been harvested, and the product 

 proved to be two hundred and ten bushels of cars of sound corn — a. 

 very good crop for any where. 



Messrs. Gerry, Cushman, and other residents of this vicinity, 

 assured me that they deemed Indian corn a surer crop than wheat. 

 The seed used, is partly the Canadian variety, and partly what is 

 called there, the early Dutton, a twelve rowed sort, originally 

 brought from Massachusetts, and gradually acclimated. By the 

 census returns of 1850, it would appear that the crop of Indian corn 

 exceeded that of wheat, by several thousand bushels ; but there is 

 doubtless some serious error in the figures. 



Roots. Large crops of these are as easily grown, perhaps more 

 so, as in any other parts of New England. Potatoes are excellent 

 and abundant, the usual crop being from two to three hundred 

 bushels, per acre. In some sections, very little or no injury ha& 



