144 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BROOM CORN. 



Statement presented to t)ie Fnuklln Aj.'iicnltural Society, liy 

 ai>plicants for premiums. 



I have a field coasisiiiig of 173 rods of land, on 

 which was raised a crop of broom corn the summer 

 past. It was a dry piece of upland mowino:, hav- 

 ing been manured once in two or three years for a 

 great many years previous to plougliing, which 

 wa.? done early in the spring of 1848, and planted 

 to Indian corn. The corn was ashed immediately 

 after planting, in the following inanner. Four rows 

 were ashed, and four left without ashes. I think 

 there were 7 or 8 bushels of ashes put on in the 

 manner described, and there was a manifest differ- 

 ence in the size of the corn throughout the season, 

 the ashed corn being much tlie largest. I cannot 

 say definitely, but sliould judge there were from 40 

 to'45 bushels to the acre. It was ploughed again 

 this year on the 28th of May, and planted on the 

 '<23d witii 12 bushels ashes in the hill. Finished 

 scraping it the 9th of November. The whole 

 weight of brush 1156 lbs., or 1075 to the acre. The 

 S3ed was cleaned the 22d and 23d of November, 

 and there was 91 1-2 bushels. 



Brusii contracted in August at 6 cents per lb. 

 Seed worth probably 25 cents a bushel. 



This certifies that we, the undersianed, have 

 raised the present season on two acres and seven 

 rods of land 3075 pounds of broom coin, the land 

 being the same we leased of D. N. Garpenter, 

 April 1, 1850, and also the same bought by David 

 Wait, of Greenfield, of Asa Stebbins, of Deerfield, 

 at a cost of $25 per acre. 



The expense of cultivation was as follows: 

 Rentofland, - - - - $11,31 



Ploughin-, . . . . . 2,00 



Ashes, - 5,00 



Seed for planting, ... - 50 



Expense of planting, ... 4,00 



Hoeing — three times, - - - 12,00 



Harvesting, 4,00 



Scraping seed, - - - 10,62 



Total, $49,43 • 



Broom Corn sold at $6 per cwt., $124,00 



120 bushels seed, . - - - 37,50 



AVhole amount of crop, - - - $161,00 

 Whole amount of expenses, - - 49,43 



Balance in our favor, ... $112,57 



The above land was sowed with oats and clover 

 seed in 1819, and jdanted with Indian corn in 1848, 

 with manure in the hill. We ploughed and planted 

 about the 20th of May, 1850, on ashes, without 

 manure or plaster. 



Respectfully submitted, 



S. G. DuxVCAN. 



Elisiia Wells, Jr. 



From Ihc Boston Journal. 



POTATO ROT. 



To His Excellency the Governor, and the Honorable 

 Council of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: 



Gentlemen: — The undersigned most respectful- 

 ly begs leave to submit to your careful considera- 

 tion the following outline of his plan for the cure 

 of the "Potato Disease," so called. 



It is well known that the esculent tuber, known 

 as the potato, is indigenous in America. 



By long cultivation it has been brought to a high 

 state of perfection, as it is usually termed, ditfering 

 very matirially from its original stock. It is con- 

 fidently believed, by the subscriber, that it has 

 passed the height of its perfection, and changed in 

 accordance with fixed laws which govern the veg- 

 etable kingdom, not only so as to furnish diflTerent 

 varieties under diflTerent circumstances of climate, 

 soil, &c., but also in some degree, at least, in ele- 

 mentary constituents, or in the relations of its prin- 

 ciples, or both. The most effectual method of rem- 

 edying the evil, it is believed, is to resort to the 

 original indigenous seed and commence anew, 

 while such a procedure is strongly recommended, 

 the following course is confidently submitted as the 

 most sure and successful manner of preventing the 

 disease with the present seed. 



Let ground charcoal and sulphate of lime — (gyp- 

 sum, or plaster of Paris) be mixed in the propor- 

 tion of two parts of the former to one of the latter, 

 and used on the land according to the soil. 



On land which is rich in nitrogenized matter, one 

 quart of the above compound should be put in each 

 liill at planting; on light, sandy soil, one half this 

 quantity, or even less may be used. 



From ten to twenty days before the potatoes 

 ripen, let the vines be pruned of half their branches, 

 and let a handful of the compound be thrown on 

 each hill. 



Of course the best seedlings of the later varieties 

 should be selected and planted late, so as to ripen after 

 the earlier fall rains. When the plant is matured, 

 I lie potatoes should be dug and put into barrels or 

 bins, as usual, and enough of the compound should 

 be intermingled to fill all the principal crevices be- 

 tween them; this may be used the following year 

 at the tiine of planting. 



In the absence of charcoal, peat, tan or other car- 

 bonaceous substances may be used, and in the ab- 

 sence of gypsum, (sulphate of lime) copperas (sul- 

 phate of iron) or the pyrites of iron, may be used 

 to advantage, or any other substance which yields 

 sulphuric acid to ammonia. 



The above is believed to be the only efficient 

 (tourse for preventing the presentevil. It is founded 

 upon philosophical principles, after great inquiry 

 into tiie principal facts connected with potato grow- 

 ing, and is found successful by actual experiment. 



It is based upon the fact that the potato receives 

 nitrogen both from the earth and atmosphere in an 

 undue quantity, and requires the presence of absorb- 

 ing and neutralizing substances. 



In the further prosecution of the claim fi)r the re- 

 ward oilered by the Legislature on this subject, the 

 subscriber will take an early occasion to set forth 

 and illustrate the matter in a more extended man- 

 ner. 



I have the honor to be your obedient servant, 



Joshua F. Hatch. 



Dorchester, April 2d, 1851. 



