404 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



lecture, to bear testimony of the fact, when on the 

 one hand beholding an edifice for a human habita- 

 tion with one corner lower than the others, with 

 windows and doors of all shapes but right angu- 

 lar ones, with its main timbers more resembling 

 the natural growth of trees than right lines, and 

 with numerous other similar outrages upon me- 

 chanical skill ; and, on the other hand, beholding 

 one with proportions of perfect order, denoting 

 adaptation to convenience and durability as well as 

 to the canons of a well cultivated taste, and this 

 moreover encompassed with equally well construct- 

 ed out-buildings, so arranged as to furnish mate- 

 rials for an elegant landscape? There is not one 

 person in a thousand who would not mark the 

 difference. There is not one person in a hundred 

 who would not be impressed with the difference as 

 we have stated. 



In this country there has generally been a de- 

 plorable deficiency of taste, in regard to conven- 

 ience and comfort in farm edifices. In multitudes 

 of cases the barn is known from the house rather 

 because the occupants of the one have four legs 

 and those of the other have two, than from any 

 prominent difference of architecture. By remov- 

 ing the windows and chimneys from the latter to 

 the former, the occupants of the two might ex- 

 change quarters without much loss to the one par- 

 ty, or gain to the other. For this there is no ne- 

 cessity. It is the result mainly of a want of good 

 taste, and a little architectural knowledge within 

 the reach of all. The difference of cost between 

 such a style of structure, and one that commends 

 itself to the man of taste, is not of any magnitude; 

 the materials in both cases are about the same. 

 All the difference is in the amount of labor re- 

 quired, and this cannot be considerable, if the 

 builder understands his business. Surely it is as 

 easy to erect houses and other buildings in good 

 taste, as to erect those presenting every species of 

 incongruity and deformity ; and these different 

 structures shadow forth the good sense of the pro- 

 prietors, or the want of good sense, as the case 

 may be. We think a good agricultural education 

 should include correct notions on rural architec- 

 ture. These notions are to be acquired principal- 

 ly from reading and studying books relating to the 

 subject. Fortunately such books are not rare. 

 Several have recently been published that will do 

 much in remedying the evils of which we com- 

 plain. 



As little importance as farmers have generally 

 attached to rural architecture, it is believed safe in 

 affirming, that farms would frequently sell for ten 

 per cent, more, when due attention has been paid 

 to this subject ; that every dollar of extra outlay 

 upon it will bring to the proprietor ten dollars in 

 return — a thousand per cent. And this is in addi- 

 tion to the pleasure every day experienced by him 

 in the occupancy of well devised architectural 

 premises. There is now an improving taste in 

 our country relating to this matter. Several of 

 the books alluded to have been instrumental in 

 promoting it. We name a few of them. The 

 first that fell under our notice was Downing's Ru- 

 ral Architecture, published by John Wiley, of 

 New York. The next was Country Houses, by 

 the same author, published by D. Appleton & 

 Co., New York. These books are beautifully got 

 up, and are among the most appropriate for Holi- 

 day Gifts, or for ornaments on the centre-table, as 



well as the advancement of their more legitimate 

 aims. More recently there has been published by 

 Charles Scribner, of New York, Wheeler's Rural 

 Homes, a work much less extended and expen- 

 sive, but equally well calculated to be useful, and 

 equally beautiful as a book for ornament. There 

 are other works richly deserving commendation, 

 but these are among the best of their class, and we 

 think the very best. Several of our agricultural 

 journals are also contributing to an improved taste 

 for Rural Architecture. All such efforts are of 

 great value, and will lead to the best results. Let 

 the improvements of which we speak become gen- 

 eral in our country, and there will be a charm in 

 rural life hitherto but little realized; the occupa- 

 tion of husbandry will experience an elevation 

 hitherto but little imagined ; and, a residence on 

 the farm will be mainly relieved from that repul- 

 sive attribute now by many in the city ascribed 

 to it. Fleming Grove. 



Essex County, N. /., Nov. 18, 1851. 



For the Netv England Farmer. 

 THE CORN CROP. 



BY JOHN BROOKS. 



Mr. Editor : — In a conversation with you, last 

 winter, I remarked that I was collecting statistics 

 to show the comparative average crop, cost and 

 profits on growing corn and wheat, and the profits 

 on raising hogs in New England and the Western 

 States. I have the average crop and cost of culti- 

 vating one acre of corn and one acre of wheat, in 

 sixteen of the principal grain-growing States in 

 the union ; but for fear of lieing tedious, I will com- 

 pare only three New England States, viz : Massa- 

 chusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, with three 

 of the Western States, viz : Ohio, Indiana and Il- 

 linois. I have collected what I give below, from 

 the Patent Office Reports, and from other reliable 

 sources, and I believe it will be found as near the 

 truth as the present state of information upon the 

 subject will admit. 



The crops and prices and cost of cultivation are 

 an average of ten years, from 1840 to 1850. 



Corn, average crop in Mass., 40 bushels the acre, 

 price the bushel, 80c, is 32,00 



Value of stover the acre. 



7,00 



Value of the whole crop per acre, 39,00 



Cost of cultivation, including interest on land, 20,00 



Profits per acre, 



$19,00 



Wheat, average crop in Mass., 18 bushels the acre. 



" " price $1,34 the bushel, is 24,12 



Value of straw the acre, 5,00 



Value of the whole crop the acre, 29,12 



Cost of cultivation, including interest on land, 18,00 



Profits per acre. 



$11,12 



Corn, average crop in N. H., 40 bushels the acre, 

 price the bushel 80c, is 32,00 



Value of stover the acre. 



6,00 



Value of the whole crop the acre, 38,00 



Cost of cultivation, including interest on land, 20,00 



Profits per acre. 



$18,00 



Wheat, average crop in N. H., 20 bushels the acre. 

 " " price $1,34, is 26,80 



