Report of Committees. 17 



FALL CHOPS. 



Whole number of entries, 276. Classed as follows : Fire acres Corn, 12; 

 three acres Corn, 32 ; one acre Corn, 44 ; sowed Corn, 22 ; planted Sweet Corn, 

 8; Buckwheat, 29 ; Potatoes, 53; Beans, 8 ; Sugar Beets, 10; Mangel Wurzels, 8 ; 

 Carrots, 8; Turnips, 7; Cabbage, 9; Onions, 8; Farms, 40 acres, 5; 100 acres, 13. 



The entries of fall crops this year amount to 100 more than they 

 were last year. The season up to the first part of August was un- 

 usually favorable for crops, and there was every prospect that the 

 fall crops would be prolific; hence the great amount of entries. But 

 when the crops were half grown, dry, cold weather set in to the 

 great detriment of corn and root crops. Then the early frosts so 

 damaged corn that several farmers withdrew their entries. 



In examining so many entries as were made this year, a committee 

 must necessarily find that in several ways of raising crops, some of 

 the ways are preferable to others. In briefly mentioning the results 

 of our observations in this respect, our conclusions apply only to 

 well cultivated crops growing upon well fertilized land. It is of no 

 use for a farmer to let a cropgTow in neglect, or on poor soil, for 

 it is then a loss to him. Farmers are coming more and more to be- 

 lieve in this, but there are still many of them who do not put it in 

 practice. ^ 



In examining most of the 84 entries of corn, there can be no 

 doubt that the most productive pieces had from 30 to 32 hills in a 

 square rod, and three plants in a hill, the advantage being a little in 

 favor of 32 hills. One piece that had but 23 hills in a rod had good 

 weight, and takes a premium; it would probably have taken first 

 premium if it had had 32 hills. But it is certainly better to have 

 the hills several too few than several too many. In pieces of com 

 having about 40 hills in a rod the growth was too dense for the de- 

 velopment of large well glazed ears. The best means between these 

 extremes we find to be about 32 hills. Relative to hoeing we do 

 not hesitate a moment to say that the best corn crops were hoed twice 

 with moderate hilling. Where the horse-hoe was used no crop was 

 of high production, for that implement cannot go sufficiently near to 

 the tender plaDts without injuring them and retarding their growth, 

 and if it does not go near to them the plants do not get the cultiva- 

 tion they need. Without doubt it pays to hoe the corn crop twice 

 and well, making the hills of moderate size only. The most produc- 

 tive corn this year was the 12 rowed. 



There was an excellent yield of a good quality of potatoes this 

 year. The most productive fields were planted in drills about 14 

 inches apart in rows three feet apart. 



With a small amount of seed this method of planting excelled any 

 other. It made the work of hoeing a little more, but the gain in the 

 yield much more than compensated for it. An almost common fault 

 is the planting of too much seed ; hardly anything will make so much 

 difference with this crop as a variation of the amount of seed used. 

 The best results were obtained this year from two eyes in a place in 

 drills and rows as stated above. After examining quite a number 

 of the crops we could even tell from the size and yield of the pota- 



