THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



117 



compared together. The lightest kind is the 

 pure gourd-eced ; the heavieet is the white and 

 yellow Hint, which is cultivated chiefly in the norih- 

 ern and eastern slalee, witere the iarjire south- 

 ern corn will not ripen belbre frost. The most 

 productive variety has proved to be tiie twin-corn, 

 alter a trial of five years, during which it was 

 fairly compared, each year, wiih two or three 

 other popular kinds, until the whole number men- 

 tioned above had been subjected lo comparison. 

 On each occasion there was no guess-work, 

 no striding off the yround, no conjecturing the 

 contents ol' cart-loads ; but the surveying tape, 

 and the half-bushel were used in every case, and 

 the number ot corn-stalks accurately counted. 

 I had no pet-corn among them, but was anxious 

 only to ascertain the best, lor profit's sake. As a 

 proof of this I will here state, that I am still de- 

 sirous to make a trial of every new variety I can 

 hear of, and have the promise of two or three 

 lor the coming spring. My own experience in 

 regard to the superior productiveness of the twin 

 corn, which weighs as much as any of our large 

 varieties, and is heavier than most of them, is 

 confirmed by several gentlemen with whom ! 

 have corresponded on the subject, in Maryland, 

 and several diflierent parts of my own state. 

 Moreover, I have the authority of two repniable 

 millers for saying that it produces more meal from 

 an equal measure, than any kind, out of several, 

 wiih which they have yet compared it. The 

 other advantages which I myself have ascertain- 

 ed that it possesses, are, that it may be planted 

 about six inches closer each way ; that it will 

 ripen about ten days or a fortnight earlier than any 

 of the large varieties usually cultivated in the 

 tide-water part of Virginia ; and having a inuch j 

 smaller cob in proportion to the grain, will mea- 

 sure more to ihe bulk. I can speak only conjec- 

 turaliy in regard to the respective quantities of nu- 

 trition contained in the different kinds of corn of 

 which I have made trials, having no apparatus 

 by which to analyze them. But if the nutritive 

 properties in each variety depend on its weight, 

 still the most productive per acre should be pre- 

 ferred for a crop, unless the excess of nutrition in 

 the heavier kinds exceeds that in the lighler, con- 

 siderably more than the productiveness of the 

 latter surpasses that of the former ; for we should 

 take into the account the extra quantity of food 

 for stock yielded by the most productive kinds. 



But some still think it most profitable to culti- 

 vate the yellow varieties of corn, even admittinor 

 they produce less, because they command from 3 to 

 6 cents more per bushel, in the northern markets. 

 than the while. Now, if either of the white kinds 

 yields 15 per cent, more on an averaire, than the 

 yellow, (and I have proved by several accurate 

 trials, that the "twin-corn does so in our climate, 

 over all with which I have compared it,) then 

 is it perlectly easy to demonstrate, that he who 

 cuhivates a crop of twin-corn will sell it for more 

 at the usual prices of the white kinds, than he 

 could get for a crop of yellow, made on the same 

 Jand, even if sold at 6 cents a bushel more. Sup- 

 pose, for instance, that an acre produces 20 bush- 

 els of yellow corn. This, at 55 cents per bushel, 

 would bring SH ; at 65 cents $13; and at 85 

 cents §17. The same acre in twin corn would 

 have produced 23 bushels, which at 60 cents 

 would bring ^11.60 j— at 60 cents ^13.80; and 



at 80 cents $18 40 cents ; Ihe superior profit, in 

 each case, being greater in pro[iortion as ihe 

 price per bushel was liighcr. 



Another gieat mistake about yellow corn is 

 the common notion, that it is generally heavier 

 ihan while. The weight, however, of any kind 

 depends not upon its color, but its Jlintineas, of 

 which quality some of our white varieties have 

 as much as any of the yellow kinds that we cul- 

 tivate, and consequently are full as heavy. 



Should any of your rearders suppose that I 

 claim (or Indian corn a higher rank among our 

 various grains than it is justly entitled to hold, I 

 will conclude this communication by referring 

 ihem, first, to the opinion of ihe late Professor 

 Cooper of South Carolina ; and next lo the recent 

 census of Eastern Virginia. The professor as- 

 serts in his 'Emporium of Arts and Sciences," 

 (a very valuable work, now, I believe, out of 

 print,) that "it contains more nutritive matter 

 than any other grain." And then he proceeds to 

 say, that "the greatest quantity of nutritive mai- 

 ler, under ihe least weight, can be put up in ihe 

 form of bacon-fat, moiierately salted, to be eaten 

 with ^'■Tossamanonny,^'' which is an Indian name 

 lor "Indian corn just ripe, parched to a light, clioco- 

 late or brown color, and ground lo a powder." 

 The whole article is highly instructive and inter- 

 esting, especially as regards the economy of food, 

 and its effects upon Ihe health of both man and 

 beast ; but it is too long to copy. 



My reference to our late census will show a 

 vast difference in the quantities of the various 

 grains which we cultivate, and thereby affords 

 a still more conclusive proof of the superior value 

 of Indian corn, when compared with any one, or 

 ihe whole of them. Here is the item to which 

 I refer. " No. of bushels of wheat 4,825,851 ;— 

 of barley 5,449 ;— of oats 7649, 592 ;— of rye 382, 

 433 ;„of buck-wheat 26,785 ; — and ol Indian corr> 

 21,756.87d." Even this statement, as large as it 

 may appear, falls short of the truth, for we are 

 authorized lo say, that "in several ofihe counties, 

 answers were altoL'eiher reliieed to the questions 

 relating lo products." 



I remain, dear sir, yours, verv sincerely, 



James M. Garnett. 



N. B. From what I have said of the twin- 

 corn, I shall hardly escape being suspected by 

 those who never themselves do any ihinsf from 

 disinterested molivee, of seekino' to Thorbornize 

 ihem. But I hereby notify them that I have 

 none to sell at any price. If, however, the peru- 

 sal of this letter should excite a wish in any person 

 lo buy, I am almost sure they can procure what 

 they want at reasonable rates, from any one of 

 ihe following individuals,— Mr. J. Goiildin of 

 Caroline, Mr. J, Derieaux of Essex, Dr. Braxton 

 of King-William, and Mr. Lewis Berkley's agent 

 in the same county. 



DAMP STABLES. 



From the New Gonespe Farmer. 

 A correspondent of the Farmers' Cabinet siaifs 

 that on lakinff possession of a newly purchased 

 farm, his horsBs beca.Tie poor, diseased, and incapa- 

 ble of labor; hie cows became sickly, their milk di- 



