78 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



small, so-called, Canada, are the favorite varieties. Each man 

 consnlts the records of his experience, the nature of his soil, 

 the amount and quality of his manure, and selects for plant- 

 ing that kind of seed which he thinks (taking these things into 

 consideration,) most likely to yield the largest crop. So uncer- 

 tain, however, is our climate, that the largest crop may not 

 always be safest, and common prudence would dictate that, in 

 the selection of seed, a farmer should remember the possibility 

 of an early frost. He can afford to make some deduction from 

 the yield to insure its early ripening. 



It will be seen from the interesting report of Mr. Clapp, that 

 guano may be used under corn to advantage. If all our farm- 

 ers, who are able, would conduct their experiments with equal 

 care, and note the results with equal minuteness, a large amount 

 of useful knowledge would soon be obtained. What we want 

 is certainty — at least definite statements of experiments accu- 

 rately conducted — including all the elements of the operation. 

 Then if the experiment is a failure, we should know why it 

 failed ; if successful, we can profit by it. In either case a pos- 

 itive addition is made to our agricultural knowledge. 



Every year we have the same question propounded and dis- 

 cussed as to the profitableness of Indian corn. On no other 

 subject do opinions vary more widely. On no other do farmers 

 more nearly agree in practice. We do not believe they would 

 continue to grow corn and to enlarge their fields according to 

 their ability, unless there was good reason for the common opin- 

 ion that it pays for cultivation. The average yield in this coun- 

 ty is about thirty bushels to the acre. Farmers c-an better afford 

 to raise fifty bushels than thirty. Is it too much to hope that 

 the time is coming when, in consequence of increased knowledge 

 and facilities of operation, fifty bushels to the acre will be the 

 Average production in this county ? 



J. M. Merrick, Chairman. 



Statement of Lnciiis Clapp. 



The kind of corn raised by me is the brown corn, originally 

 from New Hampshire. Its weight, when dry, is sixty pounds 

 to the bushel. My piece of land contains, by measurement, just 



