146 



N E W ENGLAND FARMER, 



NOV. 11, 1840. 



there can be no objection to 'shutting the slice in,' ble to the benefits which have been derived from 



as it is termed, and hiyinLT it as flat ns possible; the services of these gentlemen. We have been 



but where land is wet and to be sowed with winter familiar with their operations for more than thirty 



grain, or plonghed in the spring for cultivation, we years, and with their previous history, though no 



should much prefer that the sward should be laid farther connected with them than as a member of 



obliquely or at an angle of fortyfive degrees. At the Society ; and we confidently as-ert that the 



this angle, it can be deiiionstiuted, that a larger first impulse to agricultural improvement in the 



amount of surface is e.\posed to the action of the 

 air than at any other, an influence of the highest 

 importance ; and at the same time where land is 

 wet, in the small channpis made by the lapping of 

 the furrow slices, a passage is left for the discliarge 

 of superfluous water. At the same time a deeper 

 and niore friable surface is presented for cultiva- 

 tion ; and where the ploughing is well done, the 

 decomposition of the vegetable matter turned un- 

 der is equally well secured. The turning of the 

 furrow slice so as to lay it flat or at an oblique an- 

 gle, must depend, as we have said somewhat upon 

 the shape of the plough, much upon the skill of the 

 ploughman ; and not a little upon the relative pro- 

 portions, which the width and deptli of the furrow 

 slice bear to each other; it having been found that 

 a furrow slice of ten inches in width requires a 

 depth of about seven inches to lay it at an inclina- 

 tion of 45°, When a depth of only four inches is 

 prescribed, us was the case for the single teams at 

 the county ploughing-match the ensuing day, and 

 the width of the furrow slice is at the pleasure of 

 the ploughman, it would be diflicult to lay it oth- 

 erwise than flat. 



We deem it a duty, as a warning hereafter, to 

 express our regret that any suspicions should have 

 been excited of an attempt by finesse to produce a 

 false impressi m of the actual power of draft re- 

 quired by the plough, by reducing the depth of the 

 furrow after the dynamometer was applied. We 

 do not say that this was done or if done, that it was 

 done by design ; but it was suspected to have been 

 done. We certainly shall not say by whom these 

 suspicions were entertained or to what plough they 

 applied ; but they existed, and give us occasion to 

 speak not of the intrinsic wrong merely, but to 

 say that in such cases always all attempts at over- 

 reaching or deceirtion of any kind, are sure 'to ope- 

 rate with a fatal effect against the success of a 

 competitor, where under other circumstances he 

 niio-ht hnvR claimed it. 



Upon the whole tlie experiment was well e,nn- 

 (iucted and its results will te most important -to 

 ithe country. The Trustees of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural Society, who by their intelligence 

 and public spirit so liberally seconded and forward- 

 ed the experiment, will not deem it disrespectfal 

 or any tiling more ihan an act of justice to say, 

 that this plan of a trial of ploughs originated with 

 John I'riucc, Esq., of Roxbury, for some years a 

 member of the board, and as intelligent, practical 

 and zealous a frieml of agricultural improvement as 

 has ever jaborcd in the State. We are happy 

 that he should have enjoyi'd the ])ieasure of witnes- 

 sing the success oi' his project: and of anticipating 

 with certainty its future beneficial results. We 

 hope this premium will be continued; and that an 

 earlier and more extensive publicity will bo given 

 to it. We can hardly account for l!i8 general si- 

 lence of the agricultural jiapors (ju the euhjcct pre- 

 vious to the trial. 



The Trustees of the Mnssnchiisetts Arrrjcultural 

 Society deserve, likewise, the grateful acknowledge- 

 ments of the agricultural commiinity for the libo- 



assert 

 improvement in 

 State and in the country was given by their asso 

 elation ; that the present improved condition of ag- 

 riculture in Massachusetts is mainly due to them; 

 that ti.ey have most liberally without fee or reward, 

 expended their time, money and services for the 

 useful objects of their association ; that no agricul- 

 tural board in the country has done or boon willing 

 to do more ; that no Society, with the exception of 

 the Philadelphia Agricultural Society, with Judge 

 Peters, Judge Tilghman and Dr. Mease at its head, 

 has ever done one quarter so much ; and that their 

 annual prospectus and offer of premiums, shows a 

 most judicious selection of objects and a liberal 

 and discreet distribution of the funds in their keep- 

 ing. They certainly do not need this humble tri- 

 bute at our hands; but they will not, we trust, be 

 offended that we render " honor to whom honor is 

 due." 



We have farther remarks on the trial of ploughs 

 to submit to our readers, which will be found under 

 the editorial head. H. C. 



From the Farmer's Monthly Visitor. 



THE BROWN CORN, &c. 

 Moultonboroiisch, AT. //., Oct. 12//!, 1840. 

 Hon. Isaac Hill — The lively interest that you 

 have heretofore manifested in relation to the In- 

 dian corn crop, which holds such an important rank 

 in agriculture, induces me to furnish you with 

 some remarks on another year's experience in rais- 

 ing Indian corn. As there are no society premi- 

 ums ofl^ered on crops the present year, there would 

 have been nothing to induce me to measure an acre 

 of corn so exact, had it not been by the request of 

 Dr. C. T. Jackson, who has recently visited me and 

 seen' my corn standing in the field. I have, there- 

 fore, been very exact in measuring one acre of 

 ground before harvesting the corn, and have per- 

 sona'ly attended in harvesting and weighing the 

 wholi>of the crop, of which I have sent you a fair 

 speciuien. I have made a pretty correct estimate 

 of the expens(> of manuro and labor on the said 

 acre of ground the present year, which is as fol- 

 lows ; — 



Manure, 40 loads, at .$] per load, $40 00 



Labor of drawing manure and spreading ; 



9 days work, fj 75 



Ploughing twice ;() days work, and plough !jl, 5 50 

 Harrowing twice ; ij days work, ] 50 



Planting; (i days work, $4 .50, and seed corn, 



half bushel, 75 cts. 5 05 



Hoeing; 10 days work, 7 50 



Topping stalks ; 4 days work, 3 00 



Harvesting ; 10 days work, 7 50 



Total, reckoning labor and board at 75 



cents per day, 5:77 00 



The crop of com raised on the acre is 8531 lbs., 

 and estimating 70 pounds for a bushel, makes 121 

 bushels and 3 pecks. Calculating the crop of com 

 to be worth $1, and the fodder equal to two tons of 

 hay at $10 per ton, $20; estimating the acre be- 



fore the manure was put 011 at .fSO, and $120; in- 

 ral manner in which they conducted this experi- | terest $:i for one year added on to the .$77 makes 

 menu Our comnjunity, generally, are little sensi [ $80 ; deduct the $80 expense from the $120 in- 



come, makes ,$40 nett income, and the acre of land 

 worth at Ic ast .$20 more than it was one year ago, 

 which is in reality ^(50 net incoine. Besides, 5480 

 pounds of the corn is neatly traced up for seed, and 

 is the finest lot of seed I have ever had. 



Suppose I had cultivated the same acre of ground 

 in the ordinary way : say put on 

 10 loads of manure, 

 Plough and harrow onco. 

 Planting, .$4 50; small seeds, 50 cts. 

 Hoeing, 



Topping stalks and liarvesting, 

 Interest on the land. 



The whole expense of cultivating in this 



*""> is. ° $34 GO 



30 bushels of corn would be a fair estimate, and 

 foilder equal to one ton of hay, which would make 

 i-40. Deduct the ,$.34 expense from the $40 in- 

 come, and we have $G nett income, and the land 

 not at all inqirovcd. Thus by adding 30 loads of 

 manure and a little labor, we gain $60 stead of $6. 



The above estimate is a fair contrast between the 

 two modes of cultivation, and shows the great ad- 

 vantige of the one over the otiier. I have raised 

 over two hun<Ired bushels of corn the present sea- 

 son, and have about one hundred bushels of very 

 fine seed. By the specimen of corn which I have 

 sent, you will see some eight rowed, some ten, and 

 some twelve. H he two ears braided together grew 

 on one stock. I planted all eight rowed, but the 

 abundant increase of the crop increases the rows 

 on the ear and shows that improvement is still in 

 progression. 



The specimen of wheat whicli I have sent you 

 is the superior Siberian U'hite bearded wheat. It 

 was sent to mo by Hon. H. L. Ellsworth, from the 

 Patent office nt Washington. I have raised eiuht 

 bushels the present season, and I think it bids fair 

 to be the best wheat ever cultivated in this part of 

 the country. The straw is bright as silver and not 

 liable to rust. It stands the drought better than 

 the Teo wheat, is free from smut, and is clear from 

 any other grains. 



Yours, with much respect, 



JOHN BROWN, 2d. 



Preservation of Cabbages The following me- 

 thods of preserving cabbages for winter use, are the 

 result of experience : — 



The cabbages should be- gathered before injury 

 IS done them by the severe fall frosts ; the heavy 

 outside leaves should remain on the stalk. Fix a 

 string or cord round the stump near the roots, sus- 

 pended from the sleepers witli the heads down- 

 ward in a cool cellar, and they are ready and fit 

 for use at all times. Cabbages kept in this man- 

 ner retain all their peculiar flavor and sweetness ; 

 the whole virtue of the stump and leaves is con- 

 centrated in the part which is used, are handy of 

 access, occupy but little room which would be oc- 

 cupied by other purposes, and seldom, if ever rot; 

 the outside leaves wilt and contract, and in time 

 become quite dry, which form a .sort of coating that 

 serves to exclude the air from the inside of the 

 head. 



Another method practised by some, and highly 

 recommended, is to cut the head from the stump, 

 pack close in a sack, taking care to fill up the va- 

 cancies with dry chaff", thereby excluding the air, 

 and keep in a dry cellar, — Albany Cult. " 



