11 



the kind with a large cob has been objected to, as not yieldino- 

 so much grain, in proportion to its size, as the varieties with a 

 small cob. From a careful examination of the subject, I believe 

 that this notion is not well founded. Having, in comparison 

 with the corn of a neighbor in Deerfield, undertaken to exam- 

 ine this matter, I selected, in the ear, half a bushel of an eight- 

 rowed variety of corn which he was accustomed to grow, and 

 half a bushel of a twelve-rowed variety which I had grown my- 

 self, measuring them in the half bushel in as equal a manner 

 as I was able. His corn, having been planted early, was sound 

 and in perfect condition ; mine, planted from a week to a month 

 later than his, was ripe, but not as sound as his His was saved 

 in small quantities ; mine in large. The result, as follows : — 



Half a bushel of corn in the ear, of eight-rowed vari- 

 ety, weighed 25 lbs. 



Half a bushel of corn in the ear, of twelve-rowed vari- 

 ety, weighed 24f lbs. 



This was an uncertain mode of measuring. We designed as 

 much exactness as possible ; but a few ears more might have 

 been placed on one heap than on the other without a difference 

 which could be detected by the eye. When the above corn 

 was shelled, and the grain measured, there was not a difference 

 of half a gill — the eight-rowed measuring 1 peck and 3 quarts, 

 the twelve-rowed measuring 1 peck, 3 quarts and a fraction. 



It has been said, likewise, that, although on the twelve-rowed 

 there is one third more kernels, yet the cob of the eight-rowed is 

 so much smaller, and the kernel so much larger, (which is indeed 

 not always the case,) that the quantity of shelled corn would 

 be considerably in favor of the eight-rowed. This matter, like- 

 wise, I subjected to as accurate a trial as I was able to make. — 

 The cob of the eight-rowed corn above referred to was remark- 

 able for its small comparative size. But the cobs, after the corn 

 was shelled, of the two parcels above, having been weighed 

 the result was as follows : — 



The cobs of the eight-rowed weighed 4^ lbs. 

 The cobs of the twelve-rowed weighed 4f lbs. 



