114 



GENESEE FARMER. 



May. 



Culture of Indian Corn. 



Mr. Editor : — I think with yourself and some 

 others who are engaged in rural occupations, that 

 the cultivation of Corn is entirely too much ne- 

 glected by farmers in Western New York. If 

 cultivated as it should be, there is no doubt en- 

 tertained in my mind as to its value, in dollars 

 and cents, to him who will engage in its cultiva- 

 tion. I am convinced, from what little experi- 

 ence I have had in farming, that a corn crop is 

 quite as profitable as any other, (wheat not ex- 

 cepted,) from many considerations; and espe- 

 cially since w^e have a foreign market for that 

 article, which, in all human probability, will con- 

 tinue as long as the population of Europe shall 

 continue jis dense as at present. 



It is nevertheless true that the cost of raising 

 corn is no inconsiderable item of expense to the 

 producer. But when we take the value of the 

 production into consideration, we soon find, by a 

 carefal and close calculation of the cost, that we 

 are amply remunerated for our labor. For in- 

 stance — take for example five acres of ground; 

 let it be planted to corn. Then we will allow 

 for interest on purchase money for an ordinary 

 farm, say at -f 60 per acre, about $4,00 per acre. 

 For use of land, live acres at $4 per acre,. -$20,00 



" lilting, planting, wear of tools, &c., li.GO 



" seed, one bushel, 50 



" 3 days planting, at 50 cents per day, ... 1,50 

 " man and horse 2 days to plow 1st time, 



at $ I per acre, 2,00 



" 4 days hoeing, at fiSj cts. per day, 2,50 



" 2 d;iys plowing, 2d time, $1 per day, .. 2,00 



" 8 days hoeing, at C2^ cts. per day, 1,88 



" 5 days cutting up and slacking, at 62 cts. 



per day, :{,12 



•' husking, drawing, and cribbing, 10,00 



" hauling stalks,... 2,00 



" shelling and marketing, _. 5,00 



" board of help, 8,00 



Whole amount of cost, $71 .00 



Revenue, say 35 bush, per acre, at 50 cts. per bu. $87,50 



Stalks, $5 per acre, 25,00 



Pumpkins, $2 per acre, at least, 10,00 



Total Revenue, $122,50 



Deduct expenses, 71,00 



Balance after paying all expenses, $51,50 



By the above calculation or estimate we find 

 that the farmer clears, exclusive of all costs, after 

 paying the interest upon purchase money, over 

 ten dollars per acre. 



Now, Mr. Editor, when we direct our attention 

 to tiie revenue from other crops commonly raised 

 in Western New York, we find that it will al- 

 most universally fall short of tiie above income 

 from but an ordinary corn crop. One of the ad- 

 vantages of corn over a wheat crop is, that we 

 can grow two of corn to one of wheat ; another 

 is, we can raise it upon fiat or low land, whereas 

 wheat is very uncertain, and if we get any it is 

 generally of an inferior quality. Not vso with 

 • corn. We can raise it upon any soil that will 

 grow wheat, and upon many other kinds that 

 will not whh any certainty produce that article. 



Another suggestion, and the last now, though 

 not least, but of paramount importance, in my 

 view of this subject is this, viz: by tilling our 

 corn we exterminate from our soil an innumera- 

 ble host of noxious weeds, thistles, grasses, and 

 every species of foul stuff" with which our lands 

 are already too much infested — such as cockles, 

 red-root, shepherd sprout, blue-grass, quack-grass, 

 Johnswort, white daisy, Canada thistles, &c. 



It is a lamentable fact that the use of the hoe 

 lias already been too long and too much neglect- 

 ed by those who profess to till the ground. Take 

 for example farms that have been cropped for 

 wheat principally for a term of ten or fifteen 

 years. We will find, (in the Genesee Valley 

 country, at least,) that they are invariably foul. 

 I need not add that if we would eflTectually rid 

 our lands from every thing but that which ought 

 to be there, that we must apply the hoe more 

 vigorously and thoroughly. And I am of the 

 opinion that if wheat growers would practically 

 investigate this subject, experience (which is the 

 best teacher,) will convince them that their own 

 interests require them to grow the corn crop 

 more extensively. 



Your readers, by the above estimate, which is 

 thirty-five bushels only to the acre, will readily 

 calculate the advantage of corn over almost every 

 other crop of grain that is cultivated in Western 

 New York. But suppose we can raise from 50 

 to 60 bushels per acre — all above 35 bushels 

 would be nett gain or profit upon the above esti- 

 mate, as the cost of growing would be but a mere 

 trifle more than if we should have but 35. 



I have, now barely hinted at some of the ad- 

 vantages of growing Indian Corn, and will leave 

 the subject in the hands of those who have had 

 more experience, and who are better versed in 

 writing for agricultural journals than myself, to 

 do that justice to the subject which its importanco 

 demands. H. B. H. 



Rush, N. Y., 1847. 



Hedges and Fencing. 



Mr. Editor : — What is this country, in a few 

 years, or even the next generation, to do for 

 fencing materials — especially those legions de- 

 void of stone ? In clearing up a new country 

 the land does not produce more than enough rail 

 timber to fence it, and often not even that. Cul- 

 tivated farms do not average over one-tenth left 

 in wood-land, therefore what is the other nine- 

 tenths to do in a few years for fencing ? Why, 

 says one, resort to posts and boards. But, my 

 sapient friend, arc you aware that they are too 

 fragile and expensive for common and general 

 use 1 The life of lence posts of the ordinary size, 

 of any of our indiginous timber, is only about an 

 average of ten years or thereabouts. Red cedar, 

 j which is the only enduring article to be depend- 

 'ed upon, is quite expensive; beside it is about 



