^I)c ianiKv's iHontl)!]) Visitor. 



59 



or a night after liming, nnd tlieii sow. The lime 

 Hnd cah lire a remedy against sftiiit, as has been 

 proved in nnmerons case?. We linve never 

 known it to fail, ihoiijrh nnpreiiared seed sown at 

 the same lime heside the limed has been much 

 Bmutiy. — Boston Cultivator. 



Another Lnventio.n. — Colonel Reed, of Bos- 

 ton, has hit upon an invention, which, if success- 

 ful, is likely to he a formldahle conipelilor to 

 Morse's mnirnelic tele;.'raph. lis chief purpose 

 is to transmit letters or packages any distance, 

 e with the rapidity of liirlilninir. The Boston Post 

 says : "The process hy which this is accomplished 

 is very simple, consislin^ merely of an air-chest 

 vvhii-h is charged willi air hy a force-pun)p con- 

 tiguous Ui the Chest. Whin the chest is suf- 

 ficicnily cliarjied with air, tin; letter or package 

 is placed in the feeder, and it is immedialely 

 discharged through the piiie with great velocity 

 and perfect safety. Col. Keed, the inventor, is of 

 opinion that an oiulay of S60,000 would ensure 

 the transmission of letters and packages between 

 Boston and N'ew York, with perfect safety, in 

 the space of half an hour. 



Relative Rank of Commercial Nations. — 

 The fDllowiiis is the nmuiint of tonnage owned 

 !>y several of the leading commercial nations of 

 Europe and the United States. It will he seen 

 that this country ranks next to Great Britain, and 

 far ahove any other European power: — 



Tons of Shi|)(iiiig. 

 Great Britain, 3,047,418 



Uniled Slates, 2,158,602 



Franco, 589,517 



Norway and Sweden, 471,772 



Holland, 375,094 



Prussia, 222,094 



Two Sicilies, 214,198 



Austria, 208,.551 



. Turkey, 182,000 



Sardinia. 167,300 



Denmark, 153,400 



Spain and Portugal (each) 80,000 



RuBsia, 50,000 



hocin<; twice, 3 days work, 

 harvesting, 3^ days work, 



2,25 

 2,63 



g'jo.sa 



The product was 70i bushels— at 4s=$35,25 

 —20,e8=S 14,37, for the use of the land; or the 

 corn cost, besides the use of the land, $0,29,0 (ler 

 hiishcl. 



Experiment No. II. 

 The other acre was cidtivaled as follows: One- 

 tenth was planted in hills three feel hy Iwo feet 

 apart, six kernels in a hill, and tvithout any manure. 

 The account of the cost of cullivution is us fol- 

 lows, reiluced to acres : 

 To pIou^'hiniT and harrowing one acre, 

 lilarumi; 2 day8, 

 c'jllivaUiig, 

 hoeing Iwicc, 4^ days, 

 harvebllMg 3 days, 



The product was sixlvand one-quarter hushels 

 to the acre, at 4s=S30, 12— 9,12=821,00 for the 

 use of Ihe land ; or the corn cost, besides the use 

 of the land, $0,15,1 per hushel. 



Experiment No. HI. 

 Anoilier tenlh was planted the same distance 

 aj.art, nnd the same luimher of kernels in llie hill 

 as ihe last, and was nuinnred, hy filling each fur- 

 row, as it was ploughed, lull of harn-yard ma- 

 nure, unfermented — the amount used being at Ihe 

 rate of 150 loads lo the .acre. The cost of pro- 

 duction was as follows, reduceil to acres : 



To plounliing and harrowing one acre, ^1.50 



2 men lo fill tlie lurrows with manure, 1.50 



2 days work planting, 1.50 

 4^ days hoeing, 3,37 

 cullivalincr, 50 



3 days harvesling, 2.25 

 150 loads of coarse manure, 18.75 



From the Albany Cultivator. 

 Experimeuts in the Culture of Indian Corn. 



We are indebted to our friend, George Gcddes, 

 Esq., of Onondaga comity, lor ihe following de- 

 tailed account of several experimenis made by 

 him, with great care, the past season, in the cul- 

 ture of Indian Corn. They will he read nilh 

 interest, and our readers svill hu gl.id to learn 

 that these experiments will be continued with 

 the same exactness the ensuing season. Mr. Ged- 

 des says : — 



The soil is a deposit of gravel mixed with sand 

 nnd clay, resting upon a gypseous shale. The 

 previous coiir.se of cultivaiion has been as fol- 

 lows, vii! : In 1837, a crop of corn was raised on 

 a heavy sod lurned under that spring, and slight- 

 ly manured wilh harn-yard manure. Titt! yield 

 was cstimaled at 65 hushels to llie acre. In 1838, 

 corn was again raided, and wilhont any iiiaiinre ; 

 estimaled to yield 50 hushels lo the acre. In 

 1839, it was sowirsvilh oal.<, .nid yiehhda very 

 heavy crop. Grass seed was sown with the oats, 

 which succeeded well. The next four years il 

 was pastured. Plaster was put on both corn 

 crop.s and on the oats, and once or twice on the 

 pasture. 



The ground was ploughed about ihe tirst day 

 of May, si.v inches deep, and planted on the third 

 and fourth days of that nioiith. 



The vaiiely of corn was the improved Dntton; 

 that is, Dutlou that had been selected from the 

 earliest ears for a series of year.=. 

 Experiment No. I. 



One acre was planted in hills three feet apart 

 each way, six kernels in ihe hill. Fifty loa<ls of 

 half rolled manure, was put on this acre, after it 

 was ploughed, and hart (iweil in as well as it could 

 be done ; il heing so coarse that it |iiled up a 

 great deal before the harrow. The hills had a 

 hoe full of the best manure drawn in hy the 

 planter, and the com dropped into it. It « as hoed 

 twice, and a cultivator ".'is run once along ea('li 

 row both, watjs, at carh hoeing. The acconnt of 

 Ihe cost of cultivation is as follo^^■s, viz: 



To ploughing and harrowing one acre, ^1.50 



50 loads of manure, drawing and spreading, 12,60 

 2da}8 work nt one man planting, 1,50 



cultivating tri both iiotnurs. 50 



«29,37 

 The product was seventy bushels to the acre, 

 Rt 4s=.'S35,00— 29,37=$.5,63 for the use of the 

 land ; or the corn cost, besides the use of the 

 land, S0,42 per bushel. 



Experiment No. IV. 

 Another tenth was the same distance apart, 

 and the same iiumher of kernels in ihe hill as 

 the last, and manmed wilh co;irse manure in the 

 same way, and had beside, a top dressing of half 

 rotted niiinure, al the rate of twenty-five loads to 

 the acre. The cost of production was as follows, 

 reduced to acres : 

 To plongliiiig and h.nrrowiiig one acre, S\ ,bO 



150 loads of coarse manure, 18,75 



2.5 " line " 6,25 



2 days work to put manure in furrows, 1,50 



2 days pl.inting, 1 ,50 



4.^ d.iys hoeing, 3,37 



cultivating, 60 



4 days harvesling, 3,00 



The product was eighty bushels to the acre, al 

 4.'!=$40,00— 36,37=83,63 for ihe use of the laud ; 

 or the corn cost §0,45,5 per litishel, hesides the 

 use of ihe land. 



Experiment No. V. 



Another tenlh w;is planted in drill.s three feet 

 apart, the corn four inches apart in the drills. It 

 was manured with 25 loads of half lotted ma- 

 iiiue, to the acre, put on after the ploughing. The 

 cost of production was as follow.s, reduced to 

 acres : 



I ploughing ami harrowing one acre, 

 25 loads ot manure, 

 drilling in seed 4 days, 

 two hoeings, 3 days work each, 

 cuUivaliiig, 

 harvesling (small ears) 4 days. 



gl.50 

 6,25 

 3,00 

 4,50 

 50 

 3,r.o 



?18 



The product was fifty-five bushels to Ihe acre, 

 at 4.v=$27,50— 18,75=$8,75 for the use of the 

 l.ind ; or the corn cost .*0,.''4 per hushel, besides 

 Ihe use of ihe land. 



Experiment No. VI. 

 The remainder of the ground was planted in 

 hills three feet hy two lijel, six kernels in the hill, 

 with a top dressing of twenty-five loads of half 

 rotted manure lo the acre. The cost of produc- 

 tion was as follow.s, reduced lo acres : 



To ploughing and harrowing one acre, ,§1,50 



25 loads of manure, &.~d 



2 days work planting, 1,50 



4^ davK hoeing, 3.37 



cullivating, 



3.J days harvesting, 



50 



!,41 



g 15,66 



The product was sixty-five nnd one-half hush- 

 els to the acre, at 4s=S'32,75— 15,56=S17,I9 for 

 the use of the land ; or the corn cost, besides the 

 use of ihe land, §0,23,7 per bushel. 



It is proper lo say, that the cost of labor for 

 such small parcels, is a difiicult thing to deter- 

 mine wilh peil'ect accuracy. 



The stalks heingof such equal value upon each 

 piece, I have supposed it unnecessary to attempt 

 any separate measurement ; neither have I kept 

 any separate acconnt of the cost of the seed, hir 

 the siiine leason. The whole was plastered, but 

 the expi.'iise lieiiig so slight, and costing llie snnio 

 for each piece, no accomit has been made of it. 

 The mauiire is charged at its full value in each 

 case, though the land is greatly beiufilled for fu- 

 ture pmpo.ses. Hardly a qiiailer of its cost is 

 justly chaigeahle lo this crop. In No. 2 we liavo 

 an example iu which the effecls of Ihe maiiine 

 are easily traceil ihron^li muny year.--. The last 

 manuring this piece had was in 1837, and it now 

 produced 60^ hushels to the acre. No charge 

 being made against il fur manure, it appears lo 

 he prolilahle above every other experiment. But 

 if the account could he staleil liir a period of 

 years for each piece of land as we have it fortius 

 year, I donht not the inanure would be found lo 

 pay fully all its costs. 



These eX|ieriuieiils were made chiefly lo de- 

 termine hoio thick corn should he planted — what 

 is the most convenient form to place the plants — ; iid 

 whether the manure should he rotted and applied 

 to the surface, or plouiihtd under nnfermented. 

 The conclusion that now appears likely lo he ar- 

 rived at is, that hills three feel hy three feet apart, 

 put iu tows, so that a cuhivjitoi can he used hoth 

 ways, is the most convenient form for cultivation, 

 and that six kernels put iiiio each hill, will nnike 

 the corn thick enough. I coiinled, and made 

 examinations that satisfied me, that at harvest 

 my hills averaged five stalks lo the hill — no thin- 

 ning was done, except hy insects and nccideiits. 

 That this is not loo thick, is proven by experi- 

 ment No. 6, where the hills were three (eel by 

 IWO feet, liie product being C5i bushels to the 

 acre, and with one- half the manure that was [lUt 

 on No. 1, which was three feet by three I'eet apart, 

 and the product only five hushels lo the acre. Iu 

 fact, I believe that more hushels with the same 

 manuring would have been raised wilh the hills 

 two hy tiiree feel, than three hy three feet, hut 

 the extra labor of planting, hoeing and harvesting, 

 will more than counterhalance the gain. 



The labor required to plough under iin/ernie7i<- 

 ed manure in any coiisiderahle quauliiy, is so 

 great, and its great hulk compared with its value, 

 making il so expensive lo draw, and the fact that 

 il is not fell until late iu the season — and that the 

 next ploughing must he deejier, iu order lo hring 

 it all 11(1 and mix it wilh the soil — are great oh- 

 jeclious 10 ils use. That the next ploughing 

 must he deeper, iu order to hring up all the ma- 

 nure, is evident from the consideration that every 

 time the soil is saturated wilh water it imist sink 

 deeper, unless it is held up by some stratum that 

 is in |iervions In water. If the contents of the 

 harn-yard are piled up iu the spring as soon as 

 Ihc frost is out, and covered with gypsnto so as 

 10 prevent the escape of any of ils gases, and 

 turneil and re-[iiled at midsummer, and again 

 covered with gypsum, the seeds of weeds will he 

 destroyed, and the manure will he entirely rotted 

 in lime to put on the corn the next spring. Tho 

 manure used in these experiments was hut half 

 rotted in consequence of neglecting to luru and 

 re-pile it. From Ihe decrease of the bulk, the 

 expense of handling and mixing the manure with 

 the earth, will be so much lessened as fully to 

 coiTipeiisale fi>r till the expenses of piling and 

 rolling it. 



The cost of the gypsum, too, will he hut slixdit, 

 as hut little is reqiiiied ; merely enough lo whiten 

 the heap. The corn will then li:ive its stimulus 

 at the lime it needs it most; ard hut few weeds 

 will spring up from the manure. All these con- 

 siderations lead me to prefer fine manure to 

 coarse. 



Il is worthy of remark that in No. 2, where no 

 m;mure was used, thai the yield was CiO'i hiisliel.s 

 in No. 3, w here 150 loads of imfermeiiled ma- 

 nure were used, the yield was 70 bushels — a g;iiii 



