1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



19 



Some time in March last, I commenced draw- 

 ing manure from Ihe barn-yard with two boys 

 anil a pair ol" sieers, for the purpose of making 

 them handy; the most of the time we used a 

 horse before them. One of the boys lives with 

 me, the other I hired at §5 per month. We 

 drew the manure on a clover lay of three years' 

 standing, about three acres. We put on the 

 whole, 150 common wagon loads, spread it as 

 even as we could, then ploughed, turned it over 

 smooth, rolled and dragged it well, and planted 

 the 11th and 12th of May, with Robbins' drill- 

 barrow; planted what we call the 12 rowed yel- 

 low corn, but some ears have 20 rows, and from 10 

 To 15 inches long. Aimed to have the rows 3^ feet 

 apart, hills from 1^ to 2 leet ; from 2 to 3 kernels 

 in a hill; rows nonh and south. I soaked the 

 seed first planted in warm water, with a little salt- 

 petre in it. The drili did not work well; I then 

 look the dry seed and planted the remainder of it, 

 which generally came up well; but belbre I knew 

 it, the crows and worms had devoured a great 

 deal of it. I planted it over, and part of it the 

 third time, with the little golden corn. It nearly 

 all stood finely. I went through it three times 

 with a horse and cultivator; hoed it well the first 

 time, was not quite so particular the next. I 

 think it the best piece of corn that I ever saw in 

 the state. Sometime the fore part of September, 

 we cut it up at the roots, and stocked it up, but 

 did not husk any until 15th October. It turned 

 out so well, and was so sound, that I thought I 

 would measure an acre, and see how much was 

 on it. So we took the August No. of the Culti- 

 vator, the square and a rope measuring two roods 

 Ions, went to the field and measured an acre, ac- 

 cording to the rule laid down in said number; we 

 measured the wagon box, or first load, 24 baskets 

 full,holdin2 almost 1^ bushels each; we had on 

 the acre 169 baskets, or seven loads and one bas- 

 ket. We took one basket out of the heap, just as 

 it came, and shelled it, and it weished 87^ lbs. 

 We husked a load more, and Mr. Cronkhite, one 

 ■of my hands, thought the corn was siill better; 

 we then measured another acre as accurate as 

 possible in the same way, 12 rood 3 feet by 13 

 rood 2^ feet; we husked ofi' of that 166 baskets, 

 or seven loads, wanting two baskets; we shelled 

 one basket as before, and it weighed 39| lbs. ol 

 shelled com; the corn was husked and thrown 

 down, the wagon going round to gather; shook 

 down the corn, so that the loads might have been 

 a little larger, and the corn rather sounder as there 

 was not so much damage done on the second acre 

 by crows, &c. Thus you see, the first acre had 

 on it 112 bushels 23^ lbs, of shelled corn; the se- 

 cond had on 118 bushels 28 lbs. or 118^ bushels; 

 the second acre had on it eight loads of pumpkins. 

 The stalks are well saved, and are excellent fod- 

 der. I sowed turnip seed on the whole piece, but 

 the corn and pumpkin vines so covered the 

 ground, that the turnips are worth but little; a i'ew 

 bushels grew to good size since the corn was cut. 



Expense of crop. 



10 days with team and boys at manure ^\0 00 



5 days with young man and team do. 7 60 



Parts of days ploughing, perhaps 5 - 7 50 



1 day with drag at 12s. - - 1 50 



1 day planting at 6s, - - - 1 75 



1st hoeing, went through with horse and 

 cultivator, 3^ days, with 2 men and 2 

 boys, worth - - - - 6 37 



2d hoeing, 2 men and 2 boys 2| days 



each - - - - - 3 75 



3d hoeing, 3 men and 2 boys 2 days 



each - - - - - 4 75 



4| days cutting up, with a man and boy 3 94 



^46 35 



One-third of the above, is ^15 35 

 3J days husking 1 acre with 2 men and a 



boy - - - - - 5 25 



Whole expense of one acre 

 Value of crop. 



^20 60 



118| bushels of corn from an acre, at 6s. 6d. 



amounts to - - - - iB96 31 



8 loads of pumpkins, worth - - 8 00 



Stalks would sell quick at - - 4 00 



Deduct expenses 



ilOS 31 

 20 60 



Net profit of one acre - $87 71 



I am yours, with great respect, 



Joseph F. Osburn. 



Mentz, Nov. ISth, 1838, 

 This may certify, that I helped raise the said 

 corn, or tend it, and measure, husk, shell and 

 weigh it, and believe the above to be true to the 

 best of my knowledge. John Hadden, 



This may certify, that I helped measure the 2d 

 acre as above, and husk it, and believe the above 

 statement to be true. Abram Kells. 



P. O. Port-Byron, toion of Mentz, ) 

 Cayuga county, \lih Nov. 1838. \ 

 I am personally acquainted with Mr. Joseph F. 

 Osburn, and have no hesitation in saying that his 

 statement contained within, is in all respects true; 

 and further that any statement in agriculture con»- 

 ing from him may be relied on, 



HoKACE Perkiivs, P, M, & J, p. 



For ttie Farmers' Register. 

 REMARKS ON PENNSYLVANIA FARMERS. 



For the benefit of travel to a member of my 

 family, I left home in August, and was absent du- 

 ring the month of September, and a part of Octo- 

 ber, My wanderings were confined to some of 

 the counties of Pennsylvania, east of the moun- 

 tains. As I moved slowly, I had an opportunity 

 of making some observations on the state of the 

 country, and its agriculture. The farmers there 

 depend but litde upon books; few of them have 

 heard of the theories and experiments of the 

 Count Chaptal, and Sir Humphry Davy; but 

 their practical agriculture and economy are of the 

 best order. It is not uncommon lor the southern- 

 ers to esteem lightly the intelligence of the Penn- 

 sylvanians, (not including Philadelphia, where re- 

 gular lectures, are delivered on all sorts of science, 

 and the English language spoken in its purUy;) 

 but, as far as I was capable ofju.lging, the liirmcra 



