228 



Management of Peach Trees and Indian Corn. Vol. VIII. 



this it may do; but I do not believe that 

 such a case occurs once in a thousand — I 

 have produced the yellows in young trees, 

 about which there never was a peach worm, 

 and upon taking them up have examined 

 them, but no trace of that insect could be 

 found. 



The worm I believe to be the effect of 

 bad culture, or an error in general culture, 

 and as much as this idea may be laughed 

 at — for I think I see you smile — I believe I 

 can prove it practicallj'. I have five trees 

 that have been in full bearing for five or six 

 years, about which a worm has never been, 

 although I have endeavoured to have them ; 

 but as a few years will test this matter with 

 me, upon an extensive scale, I will take 

 leave of the subject for the present, and 

 attend to your inquiry about corn. 



Time of planting : — As soon as the tem- 

 perature of the earth is sufficient to produce 

 germination quickly, which is with me from 

 the 1st to the 10th of May, though my neigh- 

 bours prefer planting in April. 



Distance : — Two and a half to two feet 

 nine inches square, or three feet by fifteen 

 inches drilled, leaving two stalks in the hill. 

 As the corn plant probably grows more lux- 

 uriantly, and obtains a greater height of 

 stalk with you, I would suggest for drilled 

 corn, three feet by not over eighteen inches. 



Kind : — I have not experience enough in 

 the diffisrent varieties to name any particu- 

 lar kind, my plan being to select a kind 

 adapted to my soil, that will give the great- 

 est yield of shelled corn per stalk, without 

 reference to the number of ears upon the 

 stalk, and with that view I plant a variety 

 of gourd seed. 



Manure: — Stable manure spread upon a 

 clover sod in the spring, — the grass not to 

 be disturbed — ploughed in the fall, and the 

 succeeding spring cross-ploughed when the 

 ground is dry, breaking the sod and turning 

 it partly up again. I have no experience 

 with swamp mud, and not sufficient with 

 night soil, to say any thing about its appli- 

 cation. 



Working the crop: — I should like to see 

 the matter taken hold of by an abler hand — 

 for I seriously believe, that the general crop 

 of corn throughout the country, is shortened 

 one fourth, if not more, by an error in cul- 

 ture, and there is as much more labour ex- 

 pended upon the working of the crop, as 

 there should be. When a plant is maturing 

 organs for the deposit of matter, for its re- 

 production, it cannot be disturbed without 

 injury. It is well known to gardeners, that 

 by hilling plants, when coming into bloom, 

 early maturity is obtained ; though the quan- 

 tity of fruit or seed may be lessened ; too much 



working prevents nature from performing her 

 part. As 1 have given my views of this mat- 

 ter to the public, 1 will close this hasty letter 

 by saying, that as soon as my corn will admit 

 of it, after it is up, I throw a furrow from it, 

 and the next day flake it down — if drilled, I 

 hoe out the grass and weeds that have 

 started between the hills — in about ten days 

 to two weeks after this working, I throw a 

 furrow to it and flake it down ; this is all 

 the working I give the crop, and at this last 

 working, the plant has probably attained 

 about one sixth of its matured height. I 

 have no weeds in my corn-field ; the shade 

 of the corn keeps them in check, and I do 

 not believe that my crop of Indian corn ever 

 fell short of seventy-five bushels per acre, 

 except the dry summer of 1838, when I had 

 four bushels to my neighbours' one, per 

 acre — his corn being planted four feet or 

 four and a half feet square. 



With much respect, 



I am, dear Sir, yours, &c., 



Lyttleton Physick. 

 To John S. Skinner, Esq. 



NeAvcafetle Co. Del., Agrricultural Society, 

 Report of Committee on Coavs. 



The Committee on Cows, have carefully 

 examined those exhibited in the pens, and 

 are gratified in being able to state, that some 

 of our agricultural friends, impressed with a 

 proper sense of the value of this useful ani- 

 mal, have, disregarding the trouble, brought 

 forward a large number of their flock. 

 Chauncey P. Holcomb, exhibited eight beau- 

 tiful native Devons, among them his cele- 

 brated cow, " The Lady." The result of 

 twelve weeks trial with this cow, gave 174 

 pounds 12 ounces of butter, averaging 14 

 pounds 9 ounces per week — the highest 

 product in any one week, being 19 pounds, 

 and the lowest 12.^- pounds. To Mr. Hol- 

 comb, for this cow, the committee unani- 

 mously award the first premium. 



The following is the statement furnished 

 by Mrs. Eliza Morrison, dairy-woman : 



" I have had the sole charge of the milk 

 and butter of the " Lady ;" she calved Feb- 

 ruary 20th : we began to use the milk from 

 the 23rd ; she has made the following quan- 

 tity of butter per week, since. First five 

 days, Sj lbs. 7 lbs. 10^ lbs. (in ten days,) 

 '9 lbs. 8i lbs. 8 lbs. 9 lbs. 8 lbs. 8 lbs. 9^ lbs. 

 9 lbs. 12^ lbs. 14ilbs. 14|lbs. 15 lbs. 19 lbs. 

 15i lbs. 13 lbs. 14^ lbs. 14^ lbs. 14-1- ibs_ ig£ 

 lbs. 13 lbs. 7 lbs. 3 ounces, (lame with foul 

 claw,) 9i lbs. 8 lbs. 9^ lbs. 9 lbs. 5i lbs. (last 

 four days,) to September 11th. Her cream 

 was churned twice a week, and I regularly 

 entered the quantity of butter made, in my 

 dairy book. Her milk and cream were kept 



