THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



25 



Bear view of the Darn, shewing Iho Rivmp and House for B:irn Doors.- 



wafl filled throughout with produce 



ComroiinlcateJforthePhiladelpliU Farnici'i 

 A RASP, 



(Fig- 8.) 



In universal use for the purpose of crushing the hoet roots throughout the sugar making '^'-i^'f^f 

 France. It is put in motion either by .team, water, horse, or hand power, and it P^Pff,.'^^ the rate 

 ' ._-'... iTxcelleut, too, tor crushmg apples lor the raakmg 



"The Brown Corn," 



Mmilluiihuruu<;h, I-'eh.Glh, 1839. 

 De.vr Sir :— I have noticed in the first number 

 of the Monthly Visitor some notice made of the 

 seed corn which I left at your publication oflice, in 

 which you invite a more particular statement of the 

 manner in which the land was prepared, and the 

 distance at which the hills were placed apart, and 

 the number of stalks in the hill. There are many 

 farmers whose intelligence and skill in agriculture 

 we respect, who greatly duubt that there can be up- 

 wards of one hundred bushels of Indian corn grow 

 upon one acre of land. They say that their soil is 

 good ; that they manure it high ; but they cannot 

 raise such great corn, and they do not believe that 

 others can. But my own practical experience and 

 improvement in agriculture have proved not only 

 to myself but to all wlio are conversant with the 

 following manner of cultivation, that there have 

 been such crops of Indian corn raised as reported 

 by the Stratt'ord Agricultural Society, and can still 

 be greater crops raised. 



In order to raise a groat crop of Indian corn as 

 well as all other crops, deep plougliing is indispen- 

 sably necessary, and to plougli in a coat of manure 

 at each ploughing, which should be done in order 

 to mix the manure well witli the soil, observing 

 at each time of ploughing to go equally as deep or 

 deeper tlian it had been ploughed before. When I 

 calculate on raising a great crop of Indian corn, I 

 begin to prepare the ground the year before. The 

 first year I draw en fifteen or twenty loads of ma- 

 nure and spread it on sward land, and plough it in, 

 and after a thorough harrowing plant it with pota- 

 toes. After the potatoes are dug in the fall, I draw 

 on fifteen or twenty loads of yard manure to the a- 

 cre, and then plough it. The ne.vt spring, after 

 harrowing, I draw on twenty or twenty-five loads 

 of green barn manure to the acre, and a few days 

 before planting, I plough it in. This last coat be- 

 innr left under the furrow, will bring the corn to 

 maturity in the last stage of its growth, while the 

 other coats, being well mi.\ed with the soil, will 

 start the corn with the greatest lu.xuriance in the 

 first stage of its growth. After the ground is well 

 levelled with the harrow, I then open for planting, 

 the rows three fi et apart, and the hills two feet a- 

 part, and have four or five kernels put into a hill, 

 but at the first time of hoeing, select three of the 

 most thrifty stalks in each hill to grow, and pull 

 out the rest. When the stalks are four or five in- 

 ches high, I commence hoeing. The first time I 

 have it done with the greatest care and neatness. 

 After this 1 only hoe to keep the weeds down with- 

 out making any hill. My time of planting is any 

 time from the twentieth to the thirtieth of May. 

 I select my seed when I harvest the corn, and se- 

 lect the best and forwardest ears, and as much as 

 I can from stalks containing two or more, and 

 sometimes five ears. 



If farmers would consider and consult their best 

 interest, and would cultivate their farms in some 

 way similar to the above statement, they would not 

 only raise their corn with half the labor, but after 

 the land is laid down to grass will cut double the 

 quantity of hay to the acre; and it will hold out 

 three times longer than land cultivated in the or- 

 dinary way ; for no good fanner would half starve 

 his cattle or swine, neither should he half starve 

 his land. Yours respectfully, 



JOHN BROWN, 2d. 

 Hon. Isaac Hill, Concord, N. H. 

 NOTE. As you have proposed a name by which 

 my corn may be designated, I wish you to publish 

 in the next number of the Monthly Visitor that it 

 may be had for seed in any quantity by applying to 

 James Molineaux, Esq. Meredith Bridge, Straftbrd 

 County, New Hampshire. J. B. 



2. The plunger, by which the arti- 



of 800 revolutions, makes 64,000 cuts in a minute 

 of cider; or potatoes for starch making. 



REFERENCES, 



Fio' 1 The rasr>, containintc eighty saws, half an inch apart. - - , = ■ r • ^i •■ i . 

 cles Sre forced down to the sawl, and kept there while crushing. ;i. The box to contain the articles to 

 be crushed. 4. The openin-^ in {he receiving, box by which the artxles, when crushed, are aken out by 

 a wooden, copper, or L shovel, (not iron,)" to be placed in cloths tor pressing, o The imme or ta- 

 b" 6 The strap by which it is propelled. 03= The frame should be made very stvong and firm. 



In fixing the machine, great care must be taken to do it very securely, as the inct.on, during the ope- 

 ration of crushing, is very great. • • 



Th-'sraspincr machine is an admirable article— can be used for various purposes occupies hut little 

 room, and costs but a trifle, compared with its value to the agriculturist. lor crushing apples or cider 

 it is ikvaluable-and the entire apparatus for the pressing of the beet, will answer equally well for the 

 nressino- of the apple pomace. We are also of opinion that farmers would find it highly ad ranta- 

 ceous for crushino- roots, which, mixed vith cut straw, witli the addition of a little Indian meal, would 

 form a most palatable, cheap, and nutritious food for stock— especially neat cattle. The cost, we 

 think, would not exceed twenty-five dollars. ,. ,t r. , i tc ,i „ =„™r h<.,.t 



We hope to see this French rasping machine extensively used in New England. If the sugar beet 

 is cultivated, it will be highly useful ; and for other purposes it must bo cheaper and more portablejtl.an 

 cider mills orlother machines for which this may be a substitute. 



Finances of the State of Maine. 



From the Treasurer's Report it appears that the 

 money in the Treasury on the 1st of January, 1838, 

 was ^45,421 74. During the year there has been 

 received $418,654 23, making a total of $464,075 

 07. Within tile year there has been paid from the 

 Treasury, )J448,li)0 08, leaving a balance on hand 

 of $15,.^75'!)0. The funded delit, which the State 

 now owes, is j{!.")84,250 26, payable at different pe- 

 riods during the next ten years. The present lia- 

 bilities of the Treasury are, $70."),73M 21, while the 

 resources of the State are estimated at ^367,764 08. 



The amount which will be required to pay the 

 bounty on wheat and corn, the Treasurer estimates 

 at from $125,000 to 150,000. The ordinary expen- 

 ses for the coming year, are estimated at $.560,842 

 47, and the ordinary resources $134,723 82, leav- 

 ing a balance of $426,118 25, to be provided for. 

 The State debt, at the close of the year, will be 

 $1,000,000 — exclusive of the bounty on whaat and 

 corn, if that should be continued. 



