158 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



[Grain Crops. — So many of the awards on grain crops were 

 made contrary to law that the statements cannot be regarded 

 as of value and are of necessity omitted. Section 2 of chapter 

 232 of the Acts of 1859 reads as follows: 



" No incorporated agricultural society shall award a premium 

 for a field crop, without satisfactory evidence, under oath, 

 presented to its committee or other officers, that the whole 

 merchantable crop so entered has been weighed when harvested, 

 if a grass or root crop, and when threshed or husked, if a grain 

 or corn crop." See Appendix. 



According to the statements and reports of committees as 

 returned, it appears that several of the societies were not 

 aware of the requirements, and, doubtless unintentionally, failed 

 to comply with the above section. Special attention is there- 

 fore called to it, as a strict compliance with the law will in all 

 cases be required. — Ed.] 



INDIAN CORN. 



PLYMOUTH. 



From the Statement of the President. 



Since the last annual meeting the supervisor of the society 

 weighed out on the first of January 103| bushels of merchant- 

 able shelled corn, of the Whitman, or Smutty White variety, 

 the product of a single acre, grown by Robert Perkins, Esq., 

 the treasurer of the society in 1858. It was proved from 

 various experiments of the two last years, that the shrinkage 

 upon corn between October and January varied from 18 up to 

 even 30 per cent., so that it would be fair to estimate the 

 weight of this corn at the time of harvesting at 120 or 130 

 bushels, and the supervisor informs us that he has no doubt 

 Mr. Perkins might have raised more corn in that season, had 

 he planted nearer, or in drills. The year 1858 was not favora- 

 ble to the growth of corn. 



We have thus set at rest the numerous doubts, we might 

 almost say sneers, with which we have been harassed by some 

 of our agricultural friends, who would not believe that one 



