MAIZE. 



MAIZE. 



"This estimate," says Mr. R., "is predicated 

 on practical husbandry, with a fair season. It 

 is not found economical, in a regular course o 

 cropping, to manure corn land beyond hi 

 dressing. The decomposing sward will b 

 found equal to its production. The renovatin 

 process of manure should be applied in puttin 

 in the winter crops with the cultivated grasses 

 Lime should not be immediately applied befor 

 sowing the winter crops. Its application ough 

 to follow the maize in the fall, or at the lates 

 in the following spring. By such a course o 

 culture ground may be kept improving in fer 

 tility. It is not the part of practical farmin; 

 to increase the crop of corn by an expensiv 

 manuring; it must be taken as one of a serie 

 of ploughed and green crops. On a good soi 

 and with a good season, corn may run to 70 am 

 80 bushels an acre. Good management wil 

 be directed to produce a series of good crops 

 with an improvement of soil." 



With great deference to an agriculturist ol 

 such matured experience, we cannot help ex 

 pressing an opinion that some of the items in 

 the statement are rated too high, and that i 

 would perhaps be more correct to bring down 

 the expenses at least as low as those in the fol 

 lowing estimate furnished by Judge Buel. This 

 last, it must be remembered, does not include 

 manure, so much more of which is usually re 

 quired at the North, as greatly to increase the 

 expense of the crop. 



Estimated expense of cultivating an acre of 

 Indian corn in the State of New York : 



One ploughing (suppose a clover lay) 



Harrowing and planting - 



2 hoeings, 4 days, and horse-team 



Flarvestine, 2 days - 



Cutting and harvesting stalks - 



Rent ....... 



$200 

 200 

 3 75 

 1 50 

 1 50 

 5 00 



$1575 



In the New England States the expenses of 

 culture are stated to exceed these calculations 

 considerably. Mr. Colman, in his Fourth 

 Agricultural Report to the Legislature of Massa- 

 chusetts, gives the following estimates for dif- 

 ferent townships. 



"In Northfield, the estimate was made as 

 follows : 



Plouehing - - - . . . . - $4 00 



Dragging -----... 1 00 



5 cords of manure in the hill - - . - 12 00 



Getting out and putting in the hill - - - 4 00 



Seed corn 1 peck planted 3i feet each way - 37i 



Planting - ] 34 



1st hoeing with man and horse - - - - 2 34 



dhoeine. $1 17; 3d hoeing, $1 17 - - - 2 34 



Gathering and busking - - - . - 5 50 



$32891 



Fodder equal to 1 ton of hay ... 

 40 bushels of corn, at $1 - ... 



Balance in favour of com - 



10 00 

 40 00 



$5000 

 $1710* 



"Another farmer in Northfield gives the fol- 

 lowing estimate of the expense of an acre of 



| Ploughing, $2 50; harrowing, $2 50; holeing, 



1 50cts. 



6 bushels leeched ashes - 



1 bushel plaster or gypsum, 65 - 



Seed, 10 quarts, .<U 00; putting on ashes and 



plaster, and planting, $1 20 - 

 Harrowing, 30; weeding, $1 50 - 

 Cultivating twice in a row, 30 ; 2d hoeing, $1 10 

 Cultivating, 15; last hoeing, $1 20 - 

 Gathering and husking, 05 00 ; gathering stalks, 

 *1 50 - - 



Corn fodder equal to 1 ton of hay 



Crop 50 bushels corn, at $1 00 per bushel 



Balance in favour of crop - - - - - $40 50 



"It will be seen," says Mr. C., "that in the 

 above case nothing has been charged for ma- 

 nure, excepting ashes and plaster. The corn 

 was raised after a stubble clover-crop ploughed 

 in, or a green sward inverted. His corn usu- 

 ally averages 70 bushels per acre. 



44 The estimate of the expense of a corn crop 

 in Deerfield is thus given by a very careful 

 and successful cultivator : 



Plouehine, $2 31; harrowing, 50 ; holeing, $1 00, 

 4 cords of manure, $8 00; spreading iii.-imirr, 



2 67 - - - - - - - - 



Seed, 25; planting. $1 00; weeding, $200; 



home, 25-'---... 

 2d hoe ing, $ I 58 3d hoeing, $1 58 - 

 Topping stalk*, f 1 00; husking, *2 50 

 Cutting up and gathering butts, $1 00 



Interest on land 



Dr. the above crop ... 



Proceeds of crop: 

 Fodder equal to * to,n of hay, $9 00 



50 bushels corn - - - - 



$3 84 

 10 67 



350 

 3 16 

 3 50 

 1 00 



25 67 



- 600 



- $31 67 



Balance in favour of corn 



900 

 50 00 



*5900 

 27 33 



"In Shelbum.the estimate of the cost of cul- 

 ivating an acre of corn is given by a farmer, 

 whose skilful and successful cultivation needs 

 no commendation. 



Ploughing, 3 50; 20 loads manure (7 cords), 

 $15 00 



letting out and spreading manure 94 50; drag- 

 ging or harrowing, $1 00 .... 



eed, 1 peck, 38; manure for the hills (8 loads), 

 $6 00 -...___. 



'laming and manuring in the hill, $4 00 - 

 Weeding and hoeing, f 3 33 ; 2d hoeing, $2 33; 

 3d hoeing, $2 33 - - - 



uttiug and shocking, $2 00; husking, $ 4 00 - 



t!890 

 550 



6 38 

 400 



790 

 6 00 



t4827 



Proceeds of above crop : 

 odder equal to 1| ton of hay 

 bushela corn, at $1 00 - 



ilance in favour of corn 



1250 

 7000 



18250 

 $3423 



Several other estimates of the expense of 

 ultivating an acre of Indian corn, varying 

 rom 14 to 25 dollars, are given by Mr. C. The 

 bove statements are from farmers of the 



ighest respectability for intelligence and ex- 

 ctness, and may be relied upon. 



755 



