138 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



He that begins wrong need not expect to end 

 well. I have informed some people that at the 

 harvest I reap across and bind relurning, and 

 sliock all before qnitting work. This has been 

 imitated and attended with considerable loss, 

 occasioned by beginning icrong. According to 

 tradition, or custom, thej enclosed large quan- 

 tities in long bands, drawn strenuously close by 

 a severe pull, excluding the circulation of air 

 from the enclosed grain. They found that this 

 husbandry would not answer — mouldy straw and 

 musty grain was the consequence. My sheaves 

 are small, and bands so loose that those who 

 have not left their strenuous pnll, judge it would 

 all spill out — Now he that begins wrong to ir- 

 rigate, finds the land will not produce well with- 

 out manure. In one case, the sheaves are too 

 large — in the other, thi trenches are too smeilt. 



We need not much fear drifting too much wa- 

 ter on either dry or wet land. — But, as some 

 farmers must wait till the dew is gone before 

 they will allow hay to be opened, so they must 

 wait till the fiood is gone before they will have 

 the water. 



***** 



Water shoidd pos.t over, and not remain on, irri- 

 gated laad. This 1 find to 1)6 essentially neces- 

 sary, both for soft and hard meadow. Where 

 soft meadows have a narrow outlet, it often hap- 

 pens that half or a whole acre, according to its 

 strait, is ponded near the outlet, in time of a 

 tlood. On this, we may suppose more sediment 

 is deposited than on the oxbow bend. Yet here 

 grass will not be so large nor so good as on tlie 

 bend. Farmers will generally recognize this. 



difficulty exists not much in Ihe power to produce 

 great crops, as in so grossly erroneous opinion, with 

 a large portion of the community, as to the ex- 

 pediency and vtility of that system oi cultivation 

 necessary to etlect that object. 



The first great and common objection is, 

 that it is expensive and unprof table to the tarmer. 

 This deserves a moments consideration, and for 

 those who do not take assertions often repeated 

 for proof, it can require no more. We entreat 

 those who make this objection, to examine the 

 subject, and with all the certainly of mathemat- 

 ical demonstration to undeceive themselves. 

 Your committee have satisfactory evidence be- 

 fore them, that the land on which the largest 

 wheat crop was raised, may be fairly valued at 

 about filty dollars the acre. 



A years interest of which sum at 6 per cent is $3 

 Cost of two ploujhings, one in fall and one iu 



spring, 3 



Harrowing, 2 



'two and a half bushels of seed at 9s. 3 75 



Harvesting, 3 



Thrashing and cleaning, 4 50 



Whole cost of crop and use of land, $19 25 



Value thirty-nine bushels and one peck wheat 



at 9s. per bushel, |58 87 1-2 



19 25 



From the Portsmouth (N. H.) Journ.il. 



ROCKINGH.\M /VORICULTUR.M, SOCIETY. 



T.ne oommltlee appointed to examine the 

 claims for premiums upon Crops — Jveport : 



That they recommend premiums to ue award- 

 ed as follows, viz : — 



First premium on Wheat $8 to Mr, John Gordon of 

 Exeter. I'h : quaulity was 39 busneis and one peck 

 upon one acre and jU rous ol land. 



First premiuai on Cora, :pl:.i to ihomas Jenness, Est). 

 ofDeertield. 'I'he quanuty was luu busiaels and uuii; 

 uarts upon oaj acre of laud. 



Second premium on Corn, $8 to Mr. John Gordon, 

 of Exeter. 'Ihe quantity was 7tJ l-il busliels upon oui 

 acre and ten rods of land. 



The premium on Carrots, |6 to Mr. Bradbury Rob 

 inson, of Greeulaud. The quantity was i91 1-2 bush- 

 els upon one quarter of an acre of land. 



The premium on White Beans, 'jb to Simon Magoon, 

 Esq. of Kast ivingstou. The quantity was 11 buslieis 

 3 1-2 pecks upon hall an acre of laud. 



Of the sum of nearly one hundred dollars ap- 

 propriated by the .society lor premiums upon 

 the did'erent crops, the above sums of much less 

 than one half the amount lor want ol competi- 

 tors, are all that your cotninittee can recommend 

 to be aivarded. Tue evidence ot ilie claimants 

 and their statements of the uianuer of cultiva- 

 tion, &.C. were conlormaole to the regulations 

 of the Society and are transmitted Herewith for 

 their consideration. 



Your committee would here present to the 

 society their own views of the difl'erent modes 

 of cultivation pursued by the several competi- 

 tors, with such remarks as occurred to them 

 from the examination of the evidence in rela- 

 tion to their claims, if they did not leel discour- 

 aged from aucii labor, by a conviction, that a 



Net profit on the above crop, $39 62 1-2 



One acre of corn land, valued $50 per acre, 

 interest on which for one year at 6 per 



cent, $3 



Ploughing in fall, 2 



Ploughing in spring and planting, 5 50 

 Seed corn, 75 



Hoc ing three times, 4 60 



Cutting stalks, harvesting, husking, 4 



i^xpence of manure, SO 



$39 75 

 By value of one hundred bnshels corn, at 67 



cents, $67 



By stocks and butts, 10 



$77 

 39 75 



Net profit on one acre of corn, $37 25 



But it is said the system of confining cultiva- 

 tion so as to secure great crops, is not actually 

 unprofitable, still it is not the best. 



First, because the same expense on more 

 ground will yield a better income. 



Again let us refer to fads and calculations. 



The dilference between a crop, such as the 

 one to which the premium is awarded, and the 

 more common one of from 30 to 50 bushels per 

 acre, is occasioned principally by applying to 

 one acre the quantity of manure usually distrib- 

 uted to three acres, with also a little more at- 

 tention in ploughing. 



Suppose then 3 acres of land to be planted, va- 

 lued at $50 per acre, the inter( st is $9 



All the other expenses will amount as much 

 per acre as for the best crop (except the ma- 

 nure) and amount as by former estimate to $50 15 



Manure, 20 



Allow an average crop of 40 bushels per acre, 



at 67 cts. 120 bushels, 

 V;ilue of stocks and butts, 



Net profit of 2 acres corn. 



80 43 

 12 



$92 40 

 79 15 



A certain quantity of any crop raised is in 



payment tor the labor and expense. It is 

 amount beyond that only, that is profit — and t 

 great object then surely should be to incre 

 that part of the quantity which is the pro 

 For instance, if 50 bushels of corn only pay t 

 expense of cultivation , he who raises 60 bush 

 with the same labor as he who raises 55, mal 

 double the profit, though his quantity is incre 

 ed only five bushels. 



Your committee would feel bound to apo 

 gize for detaining you with calculations so pi; 

 and apparent to all who have an acquaintar 

 with the first rudiment>i of arithmetic, w 

 not the objections we have stated still ev 

 day urged, and had it not been heard in our h 

 of legislation. 



A second objection urged to limiting the qti 

 tity of tillage is, that the grass lands dema 

 frequent ploughing and, if neglected, they sr 

 are bound out. They do become so upon I 

 .system of running over them without dies 

 the plough of itself, in grass land, does ve 

 little but produce a temporary efl'ect upon t 

 soil, which scarcely is perceived in a secc 

 season, and the same argument that should 

 duce us to cultivate in a manner to prodt 

 the greatest crop of corn, or grain, proves i 

 utility of the system in relation to crops tl 

 are to succeed. 



A premium is offered by the society for t 

 largest tpiantity of any vegetable, protitabie 

 feeding cattle, for which no claim is ma. 

 while the keeping of slock for beef and fori 

 dairy is so great a part of the business of eT« 

 farmer in this section of the country. Y< 

 committee cannot but consider the fact, that 

 claim is made for this premium as a strik 

 proof of a want of attention to the great obj, 

 of economy in the mode of supporting call 

 through our long and expensive winters. J| 

 pensive they surely are, when a stock of cai 

 is supported entirely upon hay. Two tons 

 hay is justly esteemed a very liberal crop fr> 

 an acre of mowing, and suppose the expensf 

 it to be but half that of growing an acre ofpt 

 toes ; Ihe san>e land will yield from 3 to ■ 

 bushels, which cannot be denied to be equa 

 three times that quantity of hay. While I 

 bushels of carrots may be produced Irora 

 acre of land, by labor which may be perforn 

 in a manner and at times, much more conve 

 ent than is usually required for making hi 

 To those who have made such roots a part 

 the food for their cattle, through the wii 

 monllis, it need not be said, that it is much 

 ter as it is cheaper, than keeping them enti 

 upon hay. No claim is made for a pre 

 on Barley, a crop, which if not great, is al 

 here more certain than most other grain, ai 

 always a cash article in the market. 



Your committee cannot believe, that it 

 want of suitable crops of potatoes, tha] 

 claim is this year made for a premium in 

 highly valuable root. While our farmers 

 every day learning to appreciate its value, iC 

 already become an extensive article of sale ts 

 who convey it to m.irket. Gentlemen of 

 accurate calculation, and who have mean! 

 ascertaining, have estimated, ihat no less 

 ^40,000 was paid Ihe last year for polati 

 the market of Fortsmoulh alone. 



From Ihe apparent inattention of farmers 

 the invilalions ol the Society, and from ihe to 

 of complaint, which perhaps prevails too 



