26 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



uure has been applied, and repeated experiments have shown 

 that the corn stands equally well without hilling The stalk, 

 when considerably grown, throws out from four to six or eight 

 roots near the surface of the ground, w.hether the corn is hilled 

 high or not. These brace-roots get far firmer hold on the flat sur- 

 face than on the hill, for that is loose and constantly washing 

 down. 



The committee consider the corn crop of Mr. Pettingill an ex- 

 traordinary one, considering the quantity of manure applied to 

 the land, being, as per statement, only five cords. The year 

 previous, the same quantity of manure was used for a like crop, 

 and he judged seventy-five bushels were obtained. It is not 

 stated what condition the land was in when broken up. 



The committee recommend that the first premium of eight 

 dollars be awarded to Moses Pettingill, of Topsfield. 



MOSES NEWELL, Chairman. 



Moses Pettingill 's Statement. 



I offer for premium a crop of Indian Corn, obtained from one 

 acre of land, and measuring eighty-eight bushels. The land is 

 a dark loam, with a sub-soil of yellow loam mixed with gravel. 

 The corn which I planted, is the large eight-rowed yellow kind, 

 the same which I exhibited at Lynn, for two years past. The 

 ground was ploughed in September, 1843, cross-ploughed the 

 first of May, 1846, with the Eagle plough, No. 25, ten inches in 

 depth ; two inches in depth was then broken up. The ground 

 was planted with corn in 1846, with five cords of manure to the 

 acre, and, in the opinion of good judges, it was estimated that 

 there were seventy-five bushels of corn to the acre. The hills 

 were split and harrowed in May, 1847, and four cords of ma- 

 nure from the barn-cellar were spread on the ground, and 

 ploughed in seven inches in depth, and furrowed three feet one 

 way, and four feet the other ; one cord of fine hog manure was 

 put in the hills. The ground was planted on the 18th and 19th 



