DOES THE FARM PAT. 193 



Now, what does it cost to produce this amount of corn and fodder. 

 I have heard it stated that an acre of sweet corn can be produced 

 as cheaply as an acre of yellow. My experience says it cannot be 

 done. First I find that the seed costs more. I also find that if the 

 seed is ever so good it is more liable not to germinate ; the 3'ouDg 

 plants are not as strong ; when it first comes up it is more pindling 

 and it needs more care to cultivate it and we are not as sure of get- 

 ting as good a stand of plants. On the whole we have more chances 

 to take than with yellow corn. Then I consider it a stronger feeder 

 upon fertilizers. It draws more plant food from the soil. It costs 

 a little more to pick and haul it to the factory than it does to husk 

 yellow corn. By having the advantage of raising both crops in the 

 same field in the same season and upon the same kind of soil, and 

 by keeping an account with both crops, I find that I need about ten 

 dollars more to raise an acre of sweet corn than an acre of yellow. 

 Soil, season and fertilizers being equal I find that it costs me from 

 thirty-five to forty dollars per acre to grovv sweet corn, after deduct- 

 ing one-half of the value of the fertilizer applied, and doing the 

 work with improved machinery as much as possible. B3- the way, I 

 have a new method of harvesting yellow corn which I consider prac- 

 tical. When the corn is in the right condition to cut up and stock, 

 gather the ears, \a.x them upon the ground, let them lay until the 

 corn is ripened enough to put into the crib. The weather will not 

 injure it. If it rains stir it up. Cut the fodder immediatelj' after 

 plucking the ears and cut it into the silo. The husks on the ears 

 can be easily saved and will pa}' for husking. 



I have often heard these two crops compared as to profit and I 

 must say that m}' experience hardly endorses some of the state- 

 ments in tavor of sweet corn. And yet I claim that if any one is 

 favorably situated the margin is in favor of sweet corn. With all 

 due respect to the proprietors of the factories, appreciating their 

 prompt payments and business principles, and their faculty for look- 

 ing out for themselves, I only wish to say to the farmers that it is 

 only business on their part to look out for themselves ; that while 

 they take all the chances, run all the risk of poor seed, of extremely 

 wet weather in the spring and also drouth some time in the season, 

 late frosts in the spring and early frosts in the fall, that often ruins 

 the crop, and do all the hard work pertaining to growing the crop, 

 see to it that the proprietors of the factories do not make all of the 

 money. 



