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 of 

 cropping, to manure corn land beyond hill 

 dressing. The decomposing sward will be 

 found equal to its production. The renovating 

 process of manure should be applied in putting 

 in the winter crops with the cultivated grasses 

 Lime should not be immediately applied before 

 sowing the winter crops. Its application oughl 

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

 in the following spring. By such a course of 

 culture ground may be kept improving in fer- 

 tility. It is not the part of practical fanning 

 to increase the crop of corn by an expensive 

 manuring; it must be taken as one of a series 

 of ploughed and green crops. On a good soil, 

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

 80 bushels an acre. Good management will 

 be directed to produce a series of good crops, 

 with an improvement of soil." 



With great deference to an agriculturist of 

 such matured experience, we cannot help ex- 

 pressing an opinion that some of the items in 

 the statement are rated too high, and that it 

 would perhaps be more correct to bring down 

 the expenses at least as low as those in the fol- 

 lowing estimate furnished by Judge Duel. 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 (tuppoae a clover lay) 



Harrowing and planting 



2 ho'iii!>', 4 days, and horse-team 



1 me, '2 days - 



Cutting and harvesting stalks - 

 Eent ------ 



In the New England States the expenses of 

 culture are stated to exceed these calculations 

 considerably. Mr. Col man, in his Fourth 

 Jlgriculturul Report to the Legislature of Massa- 

 chusetts, gives the following estimates for dif- 

 ferent townships. 



"In Northfield, the estimate was made as 

 follows : 



Ploughing 



Draining -----.. 

 5 rcmls of manure in the hill - 

 (vetting out and putting in the hill - 

 Seed corn 1 peck planted 3 feet each way 



Planting 



1st hoeing with man and horse - 



M hoeing, $\ 17 ; 3d hoeing, $ 1 17 - 



Gathering and husking - 



Ploughing, $2 50; harrowing, $2 50; holeine, 



50 cts. _ 



6 bushels leeched ashes 



1 bushel plaster or gypsum, 65 - 



Seed, 10 quarts, $1 00; putting on ashes and 



plaster, and planting, $1 20 - 

 Harrowing, 30; \veeding, $1 50 - 

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

 Cultivating, 15; last hoeing, $1 20 - 

 Gathering and husking, $5 00 ; gathering stalks, 

 1 50 



Corn fodder equal to 1 ton of hay 



Crop 50 bushels corn, at $1 00 per bushel 



220 

 1 80 

 1 40 

 1 35 



6 50 



$1950 



- 10 00 



- 50 00 



$60 00 



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. 



"The estimate of the expense of a corn crop 

 in Deerfield is thus given by a very careful 

 and successful cultivator: 



Ploughing, $2 34; harrowing, 50 ; holeing,$l 00, 

 4 cords of manure, $8 00; spreading manure, 



$2 67 .--_._._ 

 Seed, 25; planting, $100; weeding, $200; 



horse, 25 



2d hoeing, $1 58; 3dhoeing.fi 58 - 

 Topping stalks, $1 00; husking, 02 50 

 Cutting up and gathering butts, $1 00 



$3 84 

 10 67 



Interest on land - 

 Dr. the above crop 



- $31 67 



Fodder equal to 1 ton of hay 

 40 bushels of corn, at $1 



"In Shelburn,the estimate of the cost of cul- 

 tivating 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 - - - $18 50 



letting out and spreading manure #4 50; drag- 

 ging or harrowing, $1 00 - - - - 5 50 



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



6 00 6 38 



Planting and manuring in the hill, $4 00 - - 4 00 



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

 3d hoeing, $2 33 7 99 



Cutting and shocking, $2 00; husking, $4 00 - 6 00 



4827 



Proceeds of above crop : 



Fodder eqnal to 1| ton of hay - - . 12 50 



70 bushels corn, at $1 00 - - - . - 70 00 



Balance in favour of corn - 



8250 

 $34 23 



Balance in favour of corn - 



$50 00 

 $17 10 



"Another farmer in Northfield gives the fol- 

 lowing estimate of the expense of an acre of 

 corn: 



Several other estimates of the expense of 

 cultivating an acre of Indian corn, varying 

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

 above statements are from farmers of the 

 lighest respectability for intelligence and ex- 

 actness, and may be relied upon. 



755 



