182 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



from the heap to the acre ; ploughed it in and harrowed it 

 thoroughly, then planted the first four rows without any com- 

 mercial fertilizer, then four with a spoonful of Wilson's phos- 

 phate in each hill, three feet between the rows and hills ; next 

 four with the same quantity of Bradley's superphosphate ; to 

 the next four I applied Fale's fertilizer, of New York, in the 

 same manner and quantity. The land was fitted and manured 

 as evenly and alike as possible ; up to the time of the first 

 hoeing the Fale's fertilizer was ahead, the corn looking a little 

 the darkest green. At the second hoeing, the 20th of June, it 

 was very even : all looked splendidly, save the neglected rows 

 with no warming stimulus to start them ; they looked pale, cold 

 and sickly. At the last hoeing, about the middle of July, most 

 judges thought the Bradley corn was the best, which at harvest- 

 time proved to be true. The rows averaged two hundred and 

 fifty hills each. The rows with Wilson's and Fale's fertilizers 

 yielded six bushels of ears, fully ripe, to the row ; Bradley's six 

 and one-half to seven. The only soft corn came from the rows 

 with no commercial fertilizer, and these gwefive bushels of ears 

 to the row. 



For the last ten years I have used these and other fertilizers 

 on my corn with good effect, and, I think, with profit, though 

 purchased at the enormous price of $55, $60 and even $65 per 

 ton, always giving sound corn two weeks earlier than without 

 them. If these fertilizers could be bought at a fair price, I 

 should use them as a top-dressing on grass land, but have not 

 found them to pay as well so applied, as when used as a stimu- 

 lant for corn. Let me close this statement by saying that my 

 corn does not cost me over 50 cents per bushel, when raised in 

 this way. 



ORCHARDS. 



MIDDLESEX SOUTH. 



Statement of John G. Morneburg. 



Encouraged by receiving the first premium on apple orchards, 

 in 1858, 1 decided to set out another one. The land I had left 



