86 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



suiEcient, and the most profitable quantity ; but this is clear 

 dung, not diluted with muck or other worthless substance. 

 The larger proportion of my fields are fertilized with Stock- 

 bridge manure, of which I use from six to seven or occa- 

 sionally eight bags, according to the past history of the 

 fields. The quantities used must, however, be governed by 

 individual circumstances. 



PLANTING. 



The method of planting which I prefer is in drills, and this 

 because experience confirms in my case what the average 

 results collated from the results published in the volumes 

 of " Agriculture of Massachusetts " indicate ; viz., a slight 

 increase of yield from drill-planted over hill-planted corn. 

 In addition, it is cheaper to plant in drills. In all cases 

 where the extent of land under cultivation will justify the 

 investment, a corn-planter will be found valuable. There 

 are many excellent ones in use in the West. These plant, 

 cover, and press two rows at a time, as rapidly as a horse 

 can walk. An acre an hour, or, under exceptional circum- 

 stances, fifteen or eighteen acres a day, is their capacity. 

 When smaller areas are under culture, one of the smaller 

 and cheaper planters can be profitably used. In many cases, 

 the saving over hand-labor Avill pay for a machine the first 

 year, to say nothing of the saving of time during the busy 

 season of the year, and the being able to get the crop in 

 seasonably. 



Early planting, in this region, is of great advantage to the 

 crop. When the corn grows rapidly by day, and is checked 

 in growth by the cool night, there is an intermittent ac- 

 tion of growth which allows of the plant elaborating the 

 material stored during sunlight, and favorably affects its 

 fecundity. 



In exjjeriments in this direction I have invariably found 

 an advantage manifested of the early-planted over the later- 

 planted crop in adjoining rows ; and this undoubtedl}' result- 

 ing from the more variable weather to which the early plant 

 was subjected. The customs of a neighborhood are the best 

 guide as to the time for planting, only be careful not to be 

 misled in the observation of whose custom to imitate. In 

 this region, the middle of May in many seasons; in other 



