134 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTUKE. 



and manured similar to this y^ar, but not near so heavy ; how- 

 ever it produced a fine crop of corn; in 1866, a heavy crop 

 of oats, not less than forty-five bushels to the acre ; in 1867, 

 a good crop of clover, two tons to the acre — second crop, 

 rowen, not less than one ton per acre ; in 1868 I had as 

 good a crop of herdsgrass as I ever saw cut — two and a half 

 tons or more to the acre ; in 1869, a handsome crop of red- 

 top, not less than one and a half tons to the acre ; 1870, about 

 one ton per acre. Seventy-one came in dry, and the land I 

 believe was entirely run out, and produced what the Dutch- 

 man calls nothing — seven to eight hundred to the acre. 

 Leaving out the Dutchman's crop of 1871, I had four heavy 

 crops of hay on this land after the oat-crop, which I think, 

 and am almost sure, averaged two tons to the acre for four 

 years after the oat-crop. Now, gentlemen, if the corn-crop 

 took half the manure and the oat-crop the other half, please tell 

 me, if you can, what made the four aftercrops of hay, which 

 surely averaged two tons per acre for the four years ? Let 

 us suppose, for a moment, that the corn-crop did take half 

 the manure, you charge all the carting, spreading and har- 

 rowing. This is also an injustice to the corn-crop, as it 

 should be only one-half. 



I have heard a great many farmers say it does not pay to 

 raise corn, and it is no wonder, as it is always charged with 

 a third more expense than belongs to it, which ought to be 

 distributed back to the aftercrops of hay ; then our most illus- 

 trious president crop would receive its due merits which it 

 has been defrauded of for all past time. 



Gentlemen, these are quack farmers that say it does not 

 pay to raise corn, when they can buy it for seventy-five cents 

 per bushel. They generally go to work with their gloves on. 

 They also say that farming does not pay at all. Now I 

 will try and convince these gentlemen farmers that it does 

 pay to farm, and also to raise corn. I know a man of my size 

 in the town of Southborougli ; his general crop has always 

 been the coni-crop. From November 1, 1867, to November 

 1, 1872, that is five years — and he says that he can and will 

 prove by cash and satisfactory written documents, and by 

 human evidence — he has cleared, free of all expenses, eight 

 thousand five hundred dollars ; besides, in that time his capi- 



