432 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



THE MOST PROFITABLE CROPS AT OLD MISSION. 



Old Mission, December 8, 1873. 



The club met at G| o'clock P. M., Mr. J. E. Savage in the chair, E, H. Mc- 

 Callnm, Secretary. Subject for discussion : What farm crops were found most 

 profitable during the past season, and what were the causes of their being so ? 



The chairman proceeded to open the discussion of the evening by reading 

 the following address: 



Gentlemen: — There are certain crops which it seems incumbenc on us to 

 raise whether they pay or not, so to speak. These crops are something to eat 

 ourselves, and something to feed our horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs on. In 

 these days "hog and hominy" has played out, — not the hog but the hominy ; 

 although I am inclined to believe that if there were less hog and more hominy 

 eaten, mankind would be all the more healthy for it. Flour, potatoes, and 

 pork seem to be the main food for the farmers of to-day. Wheat, therefore, is 

 one of the crops that it is necessary to raise, and it is one of the crops that 

 generally pay, especially winter wheat. As to the kind that best pays, it prob- 

 ably rests between the Diehl and the Soule, some preferring the one and some 

 the other. It is said by some that the Soule wheat having the thinner skin 

 yields more flour to the bushel than the Diehl. Last fall I had 600 pounds, 

 or ten bushels, of Diehl wheat ground : the yield after the toll was taken was 

 425 pounds of first quality flour, or 42^ pounds to the bushel. If we allow 

 one tenth for toll the yield would be 47^ pounds to the bushel, which is 7} 

 pounds above the average yield of wheat, so I am told by the millers. 



As to potatoes, I think the Peach blow is the best for these reasons: 



First, it yields about as much as any other good variety ; second, its quality 

 is best; third, it is well and favorably known in the markets, and brings the 

 highest price. For an early potato, grown on sandy soil, I prefer the Early 

 Bose. 



For food for farm animals I think the most profitable crops are corn and 

 clover. I have raised several kinds of corn in the last five years, including the 

 early eight-row Vermont, the large eight-row yellow, white flint, Sanford, Ohio 

 dent, and a kind I obtained in Wisconsin called the Brindle dent. The Ver- 

 mont corn W'as too small and did not yield enough, though the fodder was 

 good. The eight-row yellow and white flint yield well, but are very hard to 

 husk. The Ohio dent and Sanford corn are too late for us here. But the 

 Brindle dent is, I think, the best of all,because, first, it yields well ; secondly, 

 it is as early as white flint or eight-row yellow, and that is early enough to 

 insure its ripening every year if planted in season. The first year I raised it, it 

 ripened in 90 days from planting. Last year was not so good as a corn year, 

 and it took longer, although some I planted the 11th of June ripened perfectly. 

 Thirdly, it is easy to husk. I had rather husk six bushels of it than five of the 

 eight-row corn. I mentioned clover as a profitable food for stock, both on 

 account of its qualities as food and its benefit to the land. 



Frof. Tracij. — Not having made up my accounts for the year I cannot state 

 definitely which of my crops have proved most profitable; but I am convinced 

 that we shall find it more remunerative to raise the finer products than 

 general farm crops. Our climate and soil are well adapted to the production of 

 several of the fine products. We cannot cova^eto favor ahly with the large farm- 



