18 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 1 



In consequence of a sweep-stake, which I have 

 taken, upon the crop alluded to — though conced- 

 ed, and paid over to me, wiihcjut measurement — 

 yet, I lield it proper, unrequesled, to have a subse- 

 quent measurement and ascertaiiimeni, as accu- 

 rate as possible, ofthe product, which I will annex. 

 The remarkable unitbrmity ol the crop, and the 

 hazard, and inconvenience of shelling the whole, 

 BO long before a future market, probably of next 

 summer, led me to the following method, viz: "to 

 measure one acre ; to have its product carelLilly as- 

 certained ; and to obtain a certificaie from a disin- 

 terested, judicious, and extensively known cha- 

 racter," of {he uniformity ofthe growth. 



For the latter tact, I wrote to Adam Waldie, 

 Esq., of Philadelphia, who had recently seen the 

 field in its full growth ; and because his well mer- 

 ited eminence, as an editor and publisher of litera- 

 ry and scientific journals, of extensive circulation, 

 would give additional currency and strength to 

 the fact ; and he politely favored me with the fol- 

 lowing reply. 



" I well remember the pleasant ride I had with 

 you, through your corn-field. It really required 

 ocular evidence to produce a conviction of the 

 growth of such magnificent corn, in such an un- 

 favorable season. I am really desirous to know 

 the result; to know which, the correct measure- 

 ment of one acre, I should think sufficient lor all 

 practical purposes; for, the difference must have 

 been too small to notice." 



The Ibllowing certificate of the measurement of 

 one acre, was then made by myself with affidavit. 



"1 hereby certify, that 1 carefully measured and 

 marked one acre of my corn-field of the present 

 year, at my Appleby Farm, and requested the 

 overseer to ascertain the product of said acre in 

 corn. Sworn before Jno. Newton, 



Justice ofthe peace for Dorchester county.'''' 



November,*1838." 



The Ibllowing by the overseer, Mitchell Shore. 



"I hereby certify, that I did, at the request 

 of Dr. Muse, carefully ascertain the product 

 of corn on a space in his corn-field, at his Apple- 

 by ("arm, the present year, measured and marked 

 by him, for one acre, and that it contained seven- 

 ty-one bushels, and three pecks of shelled corn, 

 the growth of said space. 



Sworn before Jno. Newton, 



Justice of the peace for Dor. county. 



November, 1838." 



It will be seen that the productof my drill-field, 

 viz: forty acres at seventy-one bushels and three 

 pecks per acre, was two thousand eight hundred 

 and seventy bushels of shelled corn, or, "suf- 

 ficiently near for all practical purposes :" and to 

 this may be fairly added, a part of the immense 

 contribution levied upon all our crops by a fantas- 

 tical morality; and self-willed infatuation, (I icill 

 not use an epithet, possibly more appropriate,) 

 which, in disregard of the laws of God and man, 

 preferring idleness and thievery, to industry and 

 honesty, have turned loose upon us, a Vandal 

 Bvvarm of freed negroes, who work none, and eat 

 much; and of necessity, and most notoriously, 

 live exclusively upon the industry of others ; and 

 this year, m evidence of the progressive boldness 

 of accustomed villainy, they have taken, and be- 

 fore removal, shelled my corn in the field to a large 

 extent. 



In this field was contained, also, thirty-five 

 acres more, which v/as planted in the usual man- 

 ner, at four and a half Icet distance, each way; 

 and leaving two stalks, upon thinning; when one 

 only at a point, was left in the other ; in all other 

 respects, the culture was like the former, except 

 that it was cross-harrowed at the close of the cul- 

 tivation. 



It will be observed that the drill had a little 

 more than nine thousand stalks ; and the other, 

 about four thousand to the acre. The growth of 

 this was equally good; but the product, though 

 not accurately ascertained, as intended, was un- 

 questionably far short of the drill ; but not in the 

 ratio of the respective number of stalks — the ears 

 being larger — yet, 1 think the difference of pro- 

 duct, per acre, at least one-third in fiivor ol' the 

 drill. 



I have had, under a similar drill culture, on five 

 acres, and in a less unfavorable season, one hun- 

 dred bushels per acre; and my present report may 

 not be interesting, as to quantity, yet. under the 

 unfavorable circumstance of an unusual drought, 

 and a ,/ieZc/ culture too, the result is flattering; and 

 I have, at least, complied with my promise to 

 make the report. 



Your politeness will excuse its length, and its 

 blols, when I assure you, the quo anirno was ab- 

 sent in both offi^nccs; and you are at liberty to 

 use it at your discretion, absolute. 



1 have omitted any notice of the geological and 

 topographical character of the field, and will add 

 it, concisel}', for a fairer judgment in the case. 



The field and the farm, with ftiw exceptions, is 

 a level upland, and by the measurement of our 

 state engineer, is twenty feet above mid-tide 

 of the Great Choptank river, near which it 

 lies: though poor, and unproductive, when I pur- 

 chased it some years a<jo, yet it was a well con- 

 stituted soil, us to " silica" and "alumina ;" the 

 latter, rather preponderaiinjr, and the ibrmer 

 chiefly coarse; but remarkably defective of "cal- 

 careous" matter, with which, and nuiritive ma- 

 nures, I have largely supplied it ; and it is well 

 repaying the cost and labor. 



Joseph E. Muse. 



P. S. Exception may possibly be taken by 

 some, to the idea of an antiseptic agency of" suti" 

 and ^^ air'''' — when it is notorious, that the "oxy- 

 gen" of the air, is one of the agents of putrefac- 

 tion; and, that ^'■heaf is another ; yet, it must bei 

 remembered, that these require to be associated 

 with " moisture,''^ to produce the chemical change; 

 otherwise they exert an energetic agency in re- 

 sisting it ; and, the presence oi' \he jnoisture, must 

 be fixed, and continued — and, not such, as casu- 

 al showers, soon evaporated from the surface, 

 would supply. J. E. M. 



From the Cultivator. 

 CORN CROP. 



Port Byron, Nov. 8, 1838. 

 Judge Buel—Sir — As I have been a constant 

 reader of your valuable paper, the Cultivator, 

 from its commencement, and think I have received 

 much instruction and profit by it, I take the liber- 

 ty to state to you some facts, that 1 think may be 

 for the encouragement of some farmers. 



