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AND H O R T I C U L T U fi A L REGISTER. 



PUBLISHED BY JOSKPH BRECK & CO., NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Aqbicultural Waeehouse.j-ALLEN PUTNAM, EDITOR. 



OL,. XIXO 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 27, 1841. 



[NO. 30. 



N, 



FARMER 



HARTWELL CORN. 



Ca'lintr upon the Agricultural Commissioner last 

 inter, we saw, in a glass upon liis table, a small 

 lanlity of corn. "Mr Coluian," saiil we, "/want 

 at corn." " You can't have it, for I am to ex- 

 bit this at the State House, where I shall read a 

 tier from Dr. Hartwell, of Southbridge, by whom 

 was raised, in which he wives an account of his 

 ode of cultivation and of the yield." "Can some 

 1 obtained from him ?" " Yes, I will furnish you 

 ith some in the spring." He fulHUedhis promise 

 id I received two ears. The reason of my re- 

 lest, made before any inquiry ii\to its e.vcellence, 

 IS the size of the kernel. I had never before seen 

 northern yellow corn so large. What I subse- 

 ;ently received on the cob, was somewhat less in 

 le. This was planted by my lather, Daniel Put- 

 m, of Hanvors, in the .same field with six other 

 rieties, viz : a large late redish corn, (probably 

 8 Brown corn increased in length of ear, size of 

 ilk, and lateness of ripening, by liaving been for 

 my successive years grown on fields which are 

 ually pretty well manured,) the Parker corn, the 

 iscarora, a Badenized Canada corn, an early 

 jht rowed corn, called there the Richards corn, 

 d another eight-rowed corn obtained from Schuyl- 

 Shepard, Esq., of Mansfield. 

 The redish corn and the Parker were much more 

 ^hly manured than the others. The first of these, 

 der similar treatment, was from 15 to 20 per 

 nt. inore productive than the Litter. The Hart- 

 dl, Richards, Shepard, large Canad.i and Tusca- 

 :a were on land that had been pastured for five 

 six years preceding, and the only manure was a 

 mmon shovelful to the hill of barn and hog-yard 

 mure, mixed and partially rotted ; say 3 to 4 

 rds to the acre. The ground and crop were not 

 lasured with the accuracy which is needful to 

 ;isfaetory statements for the public. I will only 

 f that the HartwoU corn ripened the earliest of 

 y on the field; gave the greatest yield of any of 

 ;se last named corns; was very large C(m3ider- 

 r its mode of cultivation ; that the stalk is small, 

 ! ear eight-rowed, cob medium sized, and kernel 

 ite large. We think it combines the two desira- 

 ! qualities of productiveness and early maturity 

 a greater extent than any corn which has come 

 der our notice. We have ordered and received 

 m Dr. Hartwell a bushel and a half for our own 

 inting next season ; a friend to whom we de- 

 •ibed it has obtained the same quantity ; and 

 jssrs Breck & Co, have procured a few bushels 

 it for supplying those whom our statements may 

 ider desirous of giving it a trial. The ears on 

 J top of the box just received are not as large as 

 )se furnished us last spring, and we have not 

 ice seen as large kernels as those wliich origin- 

 y attracted our notice. Still the corn on hand 

 very lair. The accompanying letter will per- 

 ps assign a satisfactory cause for the diminution 

 size. We do net in this crop or any other, ad- 

 le farmers to plant for the main crop any variety 



with which they are unacquainted ; but a trial of 

 different kinds in small quantities, is attended with 

 but little risk of loss, and may lead to valuable dis- 

 coveries. — Ed. 



Southbriilge, Jan. 8, 1840. 



Dkab Sir — Agreeable to your request, I have 

 forwarded twelve bushels of my seed corn per rail- 

 rnad — six of which is shelled and the reiuainder in 

 the ear. It is directed to Jos. Breck & Co., Nus. 

 51 &. 53 N. .Market St. 



The history and origin of this corn, I am unable 

 to trace farther back than the year 1835. It was 

 selected by myself in consequence of its maturity 

 during the short and cold seasons of 18.35 and d, 

 when most of the crop was cut oflfin New England 

 by frost. In consequence of my having selected 

 and improved this corn, and also of my bringing it 

 into notice, it bears the name in this section, of the 

 "Hartwell corn." The best method I have found 

 from difierent experiments which I have made in 

 growing this corn, is to prepare the ground, by 

 spreading on it about 40 loads (13 cords) of green 

 or long stable manure to the acre, vvitli two or three 

 ploughiiigs according to the adhesiveness of the 

 soil ; then to furrow the ground one way only — 

 furrows four feet apart About one quart of fine 

 fermented manure, the geine of which has become 

 soluble, should be put in the hills (3 ft. apart) for 

 the purpose of invigorating the tender plant during 

 the cool weather which we experience about the 

 last of May. I should insist on the distance of 4 

 feet one way in the rows for the purpose n^ plough- 

 ing between them. Perhaps an improvement might 

 be made in planting three kernels in the hill, at a 

 distance of 1 1-2 ft., which would give the same 

 numlier of stalks to the Mcre and also would in- 

 crease somewhat the labor of cultivation. I re- 

 commend unfermented manure for spreading in 

 consequence of a large portion of tlie geine being 

 in.sohible until the last of August, when the most 

 nutriment is needed, at the age of fructification or 

 seeding: if the whole of the manure were fermen- 

 ted and the geine made soluble, so that the absor- 

 bent vessels could take it up before August, too 

 much of it would be exhausted by the stalk, which 

 would produce an overgrowth, and too little nu- 

 triment matter would remain for supplying the 

 great draft at seeding time. By planting the corn 

 in hills four feet one way by three the other, with 

 si.x kernels in the hill, it gives twelve square feet 

 of surface to the hill, or two square feet to each 

 stalk — making 3630 hills to the acre. Eight large 

 ears of this corn will produce a quait of kernels — 

 and with a good season, the land well prepared 

 and the crop well tended, with the double ears up- 

 on the stalk, will yield one quart to the hill or 1 12 

 bushels to the acre — which I have actually raised. 

 Last year, however — (owing to the ground on 

 which it was raised, it being the poorest piece of 

 land we cultivated) — the yield was somewhat 

 smaller than the year before. 



My corn was planted la=t ynar on the 9th and 

 11th of May, and hoed the first and third weeks in 

 June and first week in Julv. The soil was cold. 



wet and springy about the time of planting and 

 hoeing. The crop was ripe and harvested by the 

 20th of September — which gave me an opportunity 

 of seeding the ground with winter rye and grass, 

 which I find the best way of obtaining a crop of 

 grass. Last year I had 8512 lbs. of hay (herds 

 grass and red top) from I 1-4 acre of land — the 

 first cutting obtained in the above way. 



Much argument has been had by agriculturists 

 with respect to the farming implement, the cultiva- 

 tor. I use the plough e.\clusively. I think a 

 little reflection will determine the peculiar merits 

 of each. In moist and adhesive soil, where the 

 surface becomes compact by the falling of the 

 spring and summer rains, (like mine,) the plough 

 deserves the preference ; and also the hilling up of 

 the corn : but in sandy, loose soils, which have lit 

 tie attraction for moisture, I think I should prefer 

 the cultivator. 



Yours, respectfully, 



S. HARTWELL. 



EXTRACTS FROM GEN. DEARBORN'S AD- 

 DRESS Al'PlTTSFIELD. 



"The first act of civilization was the cultivation 

 of the earth ; and during the progress of nations in 

 the route of improvement, no other branch of indus- 

 try has maintained such a direct, uniform, powerful 

 and salutary influence. It has not only accom- 

 plished more than all the others, but has been the 

 primary cause of those remarkable physical and 

 moral developements which have been produced by 

 the unceasing efiijrts of man, to ameliorate his con- 

 dition and elevate his character. 



"Agriculture clothes and feeds nearly the whole 

 civilized population of the globe; rigs, spreads the 

 sails, and supplies the great bulk of the freight of 

 navigation, and its multifarious products constitute 

 the chief articles of trade. It has still other and 

 higher claims to respect ; and among the most im- 

 posing, are its magnificent achievements and wide- 

 spread conquests ; and however inapplicable these 

 belligerent terms may appear, when applied to that 

 pacific pursuit, it is confidently believed that they 

 have been more truly glorious than those of all the 

 fleets and armies which have ever triumphed on the 

 deep and (ui the land : but in such a gradual, noise- 

 less, and unobtrusive manner have they been ac- 

 complished, that they have not attracted that mark- 

 ed attention of the historian to which they are so 

 pre-eminently entitled. There was no remarkable 

 movement which became tlie subject of universal 

 speculation and comment — no splendid event — no 

 startling incident — no dazzling pageantry, which 

 either excited astonishment from their magnitude, 

 or special and deep interest from their direct or ul- 

 timate influence on the civil and military institu- 

 tions of nations. Yet when attentively examined 

 as the silent, peaceful and unostentatious, but mo- 

 mentous causes of human advancement, and the 

 extent of their influence is measured by tlie mag- 

 nitude and real value of the results, the seemingly 

 rash assertion which has been made, instead of be- 

 ing in any degree extravagant, will be found, on a 



