GRAIN CROP?. 231 



Statement of D. O. Fisk, Shelburne. 



Corn. — The corn entered for a premium was raised on a piece 

 of two acres of good tillage land, worth from $40 to 150 per 

 acre. I took the rocks all out clean, by digging and blasting. I 

 planted the eight-rowed variety of yellow corn, and harvested 

 from the piece 188 bushels of sound corn, weighing 58 pounds 

 to the bushel. 



I raised corn on the same land in 1869, and Surprise oats in 

 1870. The land was ploughed in April, seven inches deep, 

 ploughing in twenty loads (of 30 bushels each) of manure, and 

 then harrowed thoroughly. The corn was cultivated with a one- 

 horse cultivator, and hoed three times. I harvested the corn by 

 cutting up at the roots, stooking until well cured, and then 

 husked and put in the bin. According to the best estimate I 

 can make, my corn for the last three years has not cost me over 

 50 cents per bushel. 



PLYMOUTH. 



Winter Rye. — Joseph Kingman, of West Bridgewater, raised 

 23 bushels of rye upon 165 rods of land, being at the rate of 

 22^ bushels per acre, and 3,200 pounds of straw. He says, in 

 his statement: "The land on which I raised my rye is what 

 farmers call ' old field,' having been under cultivation since the 

 early settlement of the country. It has been cropped repeat- 

 edly and but slightly manured. In 1868 and 1869 it was plant- 

 ed to corn, and in 1870 to potatoes, manured each year with 

 15 loads of 30 bushels each of barnyard manure. Sept. 9th 

 and 10th, 1870, it was ploughed 6 inches deep, and sowed with 

 one bushel of rye, of the kind grown on the farm for more than 

 fifty years, and also with grass seed ; harrowed twice and rolled 

 with a heavy roller. The grass seed looks remarkably well. 

 The expenses were, for ploughing, harrowing, &c, $ 6 ; seed, 

 $1.50; harvesting $4.50 ; total, $12." 



Richard Thayer, of West Bridgewater, entered a field of win- 

 ter rye for premium, but as it appears from his statement that 

 the piece contained but about three-fourths of an acre, the entry 

 is not within the rules. His crop was a good one, being at the 

 rate of 221 bushels per acre, and was grown on light sandy soil, 

 on which corn was raised in 1869, and potatoes in 1870. 

 Ploughed 7 inches deep, and sowed with rye, Sept. 15th, 1870. 



