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It has often been a question by many farmers, whether one 

 hundred bushels of shelled corn can be produced on an acre. — 

 The fact, however, of its having been done has been so repeat- 

 edly established, that it can no longer be disputed. If we look 

 at the matter more nearly, we shall see ground to hope that 

 we may do even more than this. If we suppose the hills of 

 corn planted at three feet apart each way, we shall have upon 

 an acre 4840 hills. Now, upon the farther supposition that four 

 bearing stalks should remain in each hill, each producing one 

 ear, and each ear producing seven ounces avoirdupois of shelled 

 grain, the whole amount of the acre would be 8470 lbs. of 

 grain ; and, allowing sixty lbs. to a bushel, (50 lbs. are the 

 legal weight,) the yield would be over one hundred and forty- 

 one bushels. Or if, instead of one pound and three quarters to 

 a hill, as above, each ear should average eight ounces, yielding 

 two pounds to a hill, the crop would amount to 9G80 lbs. ; or, 

 at 60 lbs. to a bushel, to one hundred and sixty-one bushels to 

 the acre. But if this can be done, why is it not done ? Only 

 one answer can be given, which is, in general, want of suffi- 

 cient care in the cultivation. There is want of care and exact- 

 ness in not making the hills, so that the number mentioned shall 

 be comprehended on an acre. There is too little seed sown, so . 

 that little chance is had to select from the hill, for continuance, 

 the most vigorous and thrifty plants. Manure enough is not 

 always given to the land ; and by placing the manure in the 

 hill without spreading it upon the land, the plant is prematurely 

 forced in the beginning, and does not find food enough -to bear 

 it out in the latter part of the season. In truth, the habits of 

 our farmers are any thing but exact in their cultivation. Few 

 fields of corn do not present many missing hills; and few hills 

 present four thrifty stalks in a hill. We have still much 

 to learn in this matter ; but there is every reason to hope, that 

 the time is not distant when, to a careful farmer, one hundred 

 bushels of shelled corn to an acre will be no more uncommon 

 than are fifty bushels at the present time. I remember well 

 when fifty bushels to an acre were considered as the maximum 

 product ever likely to be reached ; yet the average yield of a 



