1856.] More Ahout Terra Culture. 575 



lui ahnut iKura €^\\\m. 



We publisk tlie followiag letter from Dr. Cobb, of jMicMgan, both on account of its own 

 worth and interesting matter, as well as for appending thereto some furtliei' remarks 

 upon the same topic. 



Ingham, Ingham Co., Micli., Sept. 25th, 1855. 

 Prof. F. G. Gary, College Hill : 



Dear Sir : — Yours of the 5th was received last Saturday the 1 3th ; 

 and in reply, I must give it as my opinion, most decidedly, that al- 

 though my opportunities for testing the application of the laws of 

 vegetable physiology, discovered by Prof. Comstock, under the name 

 of ' Terra Culture,' will not enable me to do him, or the subject, jus- 

 tice ; yet the facts and results coming under my observation and 

 experience, fully demonstrate the truth of his doctrines ; and most 

 freely will I furnish them to you. 



As farming is not my legitimate business, my experience has been 

 necessarily limited ; being confined to the cornfield and garden, and 

 a little fruit trees. Last year I had the best crop of corn I ever 

 raised, with far less labor than I had previously considered necessa- 

 ry. This year, the drought has not injured my fields half so much as 

 those of my neighbors. I have a good growth, well eared, and should 

 have had a good crop if the frost had held ofif two weeks longer. 

 Many have told me this fall, that in consequence of the drought, 

 more than half of their corn was not eared at all, and none have 

 fair ears ; mine is well eared, with as fair ears as usual. Previously 

 to last year, I have often had my corn blown down, while growing, 

 by heavy winds. Prof. .Comstock's explanation on this point has 

 proved perfectly correct. The growth being more vigorous, the stalk 

 will break before it will bend. This summer a heavy wind Iroke 

 down some, but not a stalk hcnt down. ^' '^ * ^ 



I consider his theory of great value in the cultivation of garden 

 vegetables, both as it regards the vegetation of the seeds, and ma- 

 turity of the plants, as my garden has borne ample testimony for 

 the last two seasons. Previously, some seeds always failed to vege- 

 tate, now I have to pull out many plants to give the desired number 

 room in which to grow. 



If, in my reply, I have missed the points which were the object ^ 



