NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



511 



iield, where the hills were on an average 3 1-2 feet 

 apart each way — giving 12 square feet of land to a 

 hill — where the yield would he 6 cars to a hill, of 

 the largest eight rowed corn — ears averaging one 

 loot in length, well filled out ; this gives one ear to 

 each two feet of land. We have made no experi- 

 ment to determine the exact product — hut think it 

 will compare well with the hest Plymouth corn — 

 which we have never hclieved, under fair manage- 

 ment, exceeded one hundred bushels to the acre. 

 Sixty bushels to the acre is a good crop ; more fields 

 fall short of, than overrun this amount. Even 

 this, when viewed in all its bearings, makes the 

 corn crop one of the best our farmers can raise. 



Potatoes are much tainted. The yield is mod- 

 erate, and many of those grown soon decay. We 

 have seen very few specimens of the genuine rot ; 

 the crop, as a whole, is moderate. 



English Hay, although it was estimated to fall 

 short twenty-five per cent, in weight of an aver- 

 age crop — still where the quality of the hay is con- 

 sidered — and the present promise of a second 

 crop, we think there is no reason to fear any con- 

 siderable deficiency. On Mr. J. How's farm, in 

 Methuen, we saw, last week, ten acres together, 

 where the second crop will be very little short of 

 a ton to an acre. Mr. How's pastures, by means 

 of about two bushels of plaster applied in the 

 Spring to the acre, appear as green and flourish- 

 ing as they did in June. If any one wishes to 

 witness farming carried on in a manner that will 

 pay, let them call on Mr. How. Few men move 

 in their labors with less ostentation, or more in- 

 telligence. Everything about his grounds shows 

 indications of good sense. p. 



Sept. 25, 1852. 



Remarks. — We thank friend "P." for placing in 

 our hands what he suggests, that it is our "pro- 

 vince to do." It is also his to do the same, and 

 well has he done it, many times. We can assure 

 him, that with a heart entirely devoted to the 

 cause in which we are engaged, we often have 

 strong realizations of our deficiencies ; the very 

 magnitude of the labor before us sometimes be- 

 comes oppressive, — and were it not that we find 

 other willing hearts and hands, in the frequent 

 favors of friends, the labor would be still more on- 

 erous and discouraging. 



COUNTY CATTLE SHOWS. 

 These take place in such rapid succession, or, in 

 some instances, two or more on the same day, that 

 we find it difficult to find time or space to give them 

 that attention we should be glad to. But we 

 shall give the leading events of them all as fast as 

 possible. 



WORCESTER COUNTY SIIOW. 



Worcester County did itself no little credit last 

 week, by its Agricultural Exhibition. The work- 

 ing oxen, milch cows, and neat stock generally, 

 were of superior quality, and prove that the intel- 

 ligent farmers in that section of the State have 

 taken much pains to introduce the best breeds. 

 The Ayrshires and Durham* wore numerous. Of 

 Devons, but few were presented, and we have of- 



ten seen finer specimens of that breed than any 

 which were on exhibition. The display of swine 

 was not remarkably good. In that article, the 

 counties bordering on Boston hold a decided pre- 

 eminence. 



The Horticultural Exhibition was very fine. The 

 pears and apples would make any man's "mouth 

 water." Gov. Lincoln presented several speci- 

 mens of apples, which would do honor to any gar- 

 den or table. We noticed several mammoth 

 squashes, any one, of which would apparently serve 

 a family for the winter. 



The address, at the dinner, by Prof. Mapes, was 

 admirable for its simplicity and practical character. 

 Every farmer, of whatever degree of "book learn- 

 ing" could easily understand him, and we have no 

 doubt, that many of his excellent suggestions will 

 be reduced to practice next year by the agricultur- 

 ists of that county. The occasion drew together 

 an immense assemblage of the farmers and their 

 families from all parts of the county, and their 

 intelligent, hale and healthy appearance showed 

 that the "heart of the commonwealth" is in a sound 

 condition. The perfect order and decorum which 

 prevailed, both the last and present years, speaks 

 well for the moral habits of the people. 



For the New England Farmer. 



BROOM CORN, (SORGUM SACCHARA- 

 TUM.) 



Though the cultivation of this crop is very lim- 

 ited, I have thought some suggestions relative to 

 its culture and productiveness might be accepta- 

 ble to the readers of the Farmer. 



'Till about the year 1830, the cultivation of 

 broom corn was confined almost exclusively to the 

 Connecticut river valley. It gradually extended 

 thence to the valley of the Mohawk and to New 

 Jersey. And now it is produced, in great abun- 

 dance in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois ; 

 also in Pennsylvania and to some extent in Mary- 

 land. In New England, however, it is still con- 

 fined to the banks of the Connecticut, compara- 

 tively, to a very small territory. Northampton, 

 Hatfiehl,Whately, Deerfield,Northfield, Montague, 

 Sunderland, Amherst, Hadley and South Hadley 

 produce, probably, four-fifths of all that is raised 

 in New England. 



Two causes have conspired to produce this re- 

 sult. 1. The plant requires a peculiar soil and 

 will flourish in no other. 2. Its cultivation^ and 

 manufacture demand a regular apprenticeship. — 

 Rich alluvial, with sand liberally interspersed, 

 seems best adapted to its growth. It requires a 

 long season, and is an uncertain crop north of the 

 north line of Massachusetts. In its culture there 

 is nothing really difficult. But it requires a course 

 of treatment so different from that bestowed upon 

 Indian corn, that no one will succeed in raising it, 

 without first learning the trade. 



The ground should be prepared as for Indian 

 corn. Nothing more is needed. Let me not be 

 misunderstood. For Indian corn, the ground should 

 be so prepared, as to ensure, in a good season, 

 fifty bushels, at least, per acre. But far mi- 



