No. 5. 



Co7'n Crop. 



161 



Corn Crop. 



Our Indian corn is the pride of our agriculture, as 

 Well as the great staple of the country. Nearly five 

 hundred millions of bushels arc reported as the crop 

 of 1843: but what would this have swelled to, had the 

 average, instead of twenty bushels per acre, been the 

 half of what is given below as the produce of our 

 friend Wadsworth's four acres ! Let us not be alarmed 

 at such an increase of grain as this would throw into 

 our garners. We need not fear but that with increased 

 facilities of living, an increased population will be 

 prepared to sweep off all that the earth will yield. To 

 multiply the means of living, is to multiply life itself, 

 as well as to augment its comforts. We take the fol- 

 lowing statements from the American Farmer, which 

 credits it to the Connecticut Farmer.— Ed. 



If there is any spot in the Universe where 

 more corn can be raised upon an acre of 

 ground, than has been produced upon the 

 form of Mr. Wadsworth, of Durham, Mid- 

 dlesex county, in old Connecticut, we should 

 like to know where the spot can be found. 



The following extract from the Report of 

 the Middlesex County Agricultural Society's 

 Committee on Field Crops, is perfectly as- 

 tonishing. Read it, you who are in the 

 habit of skinning seven acres to obtain the 

 product of one, under proper culture. 



The Indian corn, enFered by Mr. Wads- 

 worth for premium, was one quarter of an 

 acre, selected from near the middle of a 

 field of four acres. The field was planted 

 with the " Improved Button Corn," about 

 the first of May, in hills, three feet apart, 

 each way. The land on whicli it was 

 planted was "sward ground," manured with 

 common yard manure, at the rate of 20 to 

 30 cart-loads to the acre, turned over flat, 

 and rolled, and the corn planted on the fur- 

 rows. It was hoed four times without hill- 

 ing, or turning up the furrows between the 

 rows. The seed with which it was planted, 

 appeared to be a mixture of the common 

 Dutton corn, and a very large kind of eight 

 rowed corn, and the whole crop was com- 

 prised of a mixture of the two varieties, in 

 about equal proportions ; a bushel of each 

 kind of which was laid before your commit- 

 tee for inspection. The ears of botli kinds 

 were very large and long, many of them 

 measuring nearly, or quite 14 inches in 

 length. The kernels upon the eight rowed 

 were very large, and the cob small. The 

 kernels on the twelve rowed were also much 

 larger than the common Dutton corn. And 

 your Committee are of the opinion, that if 

 Mr. Wadsworth will continue this cross 

 mixture for a few years, he will have a kind 

 of corn far superior to any now in use. On 

 this field of corn, the suckers were allowed 

 to remain until the customary time for cut- 



ting the stalks. The product of that portion 

 of the field entered for premium, was at the 

 rate of one hundred and Jifty-one bushels 

 and eighteen quarts to the acre! Your 

 Committee are aware that it hardly seema 

 possible that so large a quantity could be 

 raised from an acre, in this old hide-bound 

 State of Connecticut, yet, from the certifi- 

 cate of the town Committee of Durham, 

 and from the statement of Mr. Wadsworth, 

 under oath, such was proved to be the fact. 

 Think of this, ye farmers of Middlesex 

 county! One hundred a7id fifty-one bush- 

 els and eighteen quarts of shtiled corn from 

 one acre! This eclipses even the far famed 

 corn regions of the great valley of the West. 

 With facts like this before their eyes, our 

 young farmers, we think, will hardly feel 

 disposed to quit the healthful home of their 

 sires, to seek a fortune among the Wolve- 

 reens and Hoosiers of the western prairies ; 

 but be content to settle down amid the hills 

 and dales, where dwell the lovely lasses of 

 our own dear Yankee land. 



In competition with the foregoing, was a 

 quarter of an acre of eight rowed corn, en- 

 tered by Joel M. Clark, Esq., of the Society 

 of Westfield, in Middletown. This corn 

 was raised on green sward land, ploughed 

 plain, and rolled. Two coats of hog-pen 

 manure were applied. One coat being 

 coarse, was put upon the land and ploughed 

 in. The other was fine manure, placed 

 upon the top, after the field had been 

 ploughed and harrowed in. The whole 

 amount of manure used was about sixty-five 

 ' cart buck loads" to the acre. It was planted 

 about the 20th of May — four kernels in a 

 hill — hills three and a half feet, by two and 

 a half apart. The soil is a gravelly loam. 

 The seed was rolled in pla.ster of Paris, be- 

 fore planting. And, if your committee are 

 not mistaken, the suckers were all removed 

 from the hills about the time of the last 

 hoeing. The product of that portion of the 

 crop which was entered for premium, was 

 at the rate of one hundred and eight bush- 

 els and four quarts to an acre; which 

 every one must admit to bo a very extraor- 

 dinary yield; and the Committee regret, ex- 

 ceedingly, that the rules of the Society will 

 not admit of a premium being awarded. 

 The quality of this corn was superior, in 

 the opinion of your Committee, to any ex- 

 hibited. The kernels were large, and the 

 ears well filled, but too short to be produc- 

 tive, under ordinary circumstances. 



In cleaning out horse stables, where there 

 is no floor, every body notices the rising of 

 a great steam — sprinkle plaster of Paris, and 

 retain it. 



