TOWN FARMS. 319 



hoeing, and increased the crop three or four hushels to the acre. The 

 plaster was used at the same time, and its effect was to better the 

 crops, but not so evidently as the ashes. This acre produced thirty- 

 bushels of sound shelled corn. On a lot of land north-east of the 

 house, containing two acres, was spread broadcast, and put in the hill, 

 about forty cart loads of barnyard manure. This lot was planted 

 with corn, about the twentieth of May, and produced seventy-eight 

 bushels of sound shelled corn, equal to thirty-eight bushels to the 

 acre. • 



Comparing these two fields of corn, and estimating the barn manure 

 worth one dollar the load, or twenty dollars the acre, it is found that 

 the cost of manure, per bushel of corn, is fifty-two and ^Vo cents ; and 

 estimating the guano at the cost, nine dollars, the twenty bushels of 

 ashes at two and -/g^o dollars, the plaster at two dollars and fifty cents, 

 the cost of the fertilizers on this lot would be fourteen dollars, equal 

 to forty-six and ^^^ cents the bushel of corn, showing a diff"erence in 

 favor of guano, ashes and plaster, of five and -^^^ cents the bushel, or 

 one dollar and eighty cents the acre ; but if we take into account the 

 additional labor expended in spreading and carting the barn manure, 

 it would add to the balance at least two dollars, showing a profit in 

 manuring with guano, ashes and plaster, in the manner described, of 

 nearly four dollars per acre over barnyard manure. 



Another trial with corn was upon land south-west of the house ; 

 this lot, containing one hundred and eighty-nine rods, was ploughed 

 about the tenth of May, and planted upon the sod about the twentieth 

 of May ; was manured with six hundred pounds of De Burg's phos- 

 phate of lime, costing thirteen and j-^^ dollars, and was applied to 

 the corn one-half in the hill, and. one-half at the second hoeing. 

 Three rows across the middle of this lot, measuring six and y^o square 

 rods, was planted without any manure whatever, and produced four 

 quarts of poor corn, or at the rate of two and -^-^^ bushels the acre ; 

 while the remaining one hundred eighty-two and -f^^^ rods produced 

 thirty-five bushels, or at the rate of thirty and one-half bushels the 

 acre, showing that the crop was almost wholly due to the phosphate. 



The cost of manure upon this lot was equal to thirty-nine and -^^^ 

 cents the bushel of corn, thirteen and -^Y-q cents less than that ma- 

 nured with barnyard manure, and seven and -j^^ cents less than the 

 corn manvired with guano, ashes and plaster. 



The next trial with guano was upon a lot of land west of the barn, 

 containing one acre, sowed to winter rye in September, 1855. The 

 fiuperintendent staked off" through the middle of this lot, land as near 

 the average quality as possible, and sowed upon it in April, guano. 



