THE GROWING OF COIIX. 129 



inches apart ; and the dropping is regulated by a boy who 

 rides, and moves the handle. It dropped three kernels at 

 a time, nineteen inches apart, instead of fourteen, as I 

 intended. The wheels of the machine are made concave, 

 so that they fill in the earth directly over where the corn is 

 dropped, and press it down so hard in going over, that it is 

 impossible for the crows to pull it uj). I have used it for 

 three years ; and, since I began, I have seen twenty crows 

 pulling away after the corn had got above ground, and I 

 found that they had nipped the tops off; but it was utterly 

 impossible for them to get a kernel up. I did not lose this 

 year one solitary spear of corn, to my knowledge. 



Question. What is the expense of that machine ? 



Mr. BowDiTCH. Twenty-nine dollars. It paid for itself 

 the first year I used it. I planted thirty acres. It has not 

 cost me one cent since I bought it. 



Mr. riiLLMAN. What fertilizer did you use ? 



Mr. BOWDITCH. The Stockbridge fertilizer. 



Mr. HiLLMAX. That may account for your ability to keep 

 your field free from weeds without carrying in any hoes. 

 I had a field manured with stable manure pretty heavily. 

 I cultivated the field six times each way, and left part of it 

 without hoeing ; and along about the first of July, as I went 

 into that part, I found weeds as high as my hips in the hills : 

 the rows were perfectly clean. I believe that that result 

 must follow where you use stable manure. You may, if you 

 plough thoroughly, and use the Stockbridge fertilizer, suc- 

 ceed in getting along without the hoe, and yet not be so 

 ashamed that you won't let one of your neighbors look into 

 your cornfield if you can help it ; but I don't believe it can 

 be done if you use stable manure. 



Mr. BowDiTCK. I think it can. 



Mr. Hersey. On some of my ground I did not have any 

 trouble with weeds at all. I did not put any thing in the 

 hills. Of course, that was clean. In my method of cultiva- 

 tion, the ground is all ploughed up both ways, and there 

 could be no weeds there ; and, when the cultivator separates 

 it, that finishes every thing that has come up after it was 

 ploughed. My field was perfectly clear of weeds. 



Question. Was your land ploughed up where the corn 

 was growing in the hills? 



