1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



147 



said that in his section of the State the crops raised 

 were those best adapted to stock feeding, as they 

 were not located near enough to markets that would 

 give them good prices. Hence they chose such 

 crops as would most benefit their lands, and looked 

 to their stock for their income. Root crops were 

 but very little cultivated. Broom corn is cultivated 

 with great success ; it affords a good deal of feed 

 for cattle. Many have gone into the cultivation 

 of tobacco ; it requires double the manure of ordi- 

 nary crops. The general average of corn is about 

 40 bushels, though sometimes, on particular pieces 

 of land GO to 80 bushels are raised. Ilis system 

 of cultivation was a rotation of crops, plowing up 

 green sward, putting on ten or twelve loads of 

 manure, and getting therefrom GO bushels of corn 

 to the aero ; then plant in September with rye and 

 get 30 bushels ; and then sow it down and get 2 

 tons of hay — all by one dressing of manure. In 

 reply to an inquiry, as to whether broom corn can 

 be grown 12 or 14 years in succession without ex- 

 hausting the soil, Mr. Smith stated that he did not 

 think it did ; he Iiad a piece of land he had plant- 

 ed with it for .30 years. The cost per acre of rais- 

 ing tobacco he stated to be about four times as 

 much as that of Indian corn. He also stated in 

 reply to inquiry that he considered his thirtieth 

 crop of broom corn from the same land as good as 

 the first. It averages 600 to TOO lbs. of "brush" 

 to the acre, and is worth 3^ to 12 cents per hun- 

 dred ; G cents is a fair price. From a well ma- 

 tured crop, 10 bushels of seed can be obtained from 

 a hundred weight ; and it is as good for feeding 

 out as oats. 



Mr. Rowley, of Egremont, said the farmers of 

 the southern part of Berkshire were turning their 

 attention considerably to grass crops, and from 

 having no market near at hand, their products 

 were fed on the farm. Much attention was paid 

 to the improvement of grass lands by manuring 

 and underdraining, which latter operation it was 

 considered caused an increase of one quarter in the 

 yield of clayey, wet lands ; $10 is the average mar- 

 ket price for hay in his locality. Of grain crops, 

 corn is considered the staple production, and more 

 of it is raised than of any other crop. The average 

 yield is 50 bushels. The corn is cut in September 

 and stacked. He considered an acre of corn fod- 

 der equal to an acre of grass. Wheat, for the last 

 two seasons, had been cultivated with great suc- 

 cess. Mr. Rowley stated that a neighbor of his 

 had gathered from a field of 15 acres 282 bushels 

 by measurement, and 313 by weight, it weighing 

 G4 lbs. to the bushel. Tliis, however, is more than 

 an average. If put down at 20 bushels to the acre, 

 at $1,25 per bushel, and corn at 40 bushels, at G2i 

 cents, we find that each amount to $25 — while in 

 addition to the corn we have the fodder. The cost 

 of seed for corn 25 cents, of wheat $3, per acre, 

 and then a little addition for liming the wheat, to 



be reckoned with which is the straw. He consid- 

 ered the corn crop the most profitable. It is best 

 adapted of any kind of grain for feeding. !Mr. 

 Rowley stated the system in his locality to be thus 

 — "We mow the most of our lands,— all that we 

 can — we crop the rest, and fill our yards with stock 

 from the West — cattle, sheep, horses, &c., and 

 then we feed our grain during the winter season. 

 Living nearer New York, Brighton and Boston, we 

 have the advantage over the western country. 

 With daily communication we can ascertain the 

 condition of the market, and we can run our pro- 

 ducts quicker than tliey can." 



The speaker stated that he had had but little 

 experience in root crops ; they failed him entirely 

 last season in consequence of the drought. He 

 related an instance of extraordinary yield in carrots 

 in the town of Monterey, which come before the 

 County Agricultural Society. It was judged by 

 the committee that the yield would reach 1800 

 bushels to the acre. The soil was cold, clayey, 

 and wet. 



He stated in explanation that the estimate was 

 based upon a measurement made about the 20th 

 of September by the committee. One row was 

 dug as a part of a rod, to reckon from, and that 

 row measured at the rate of over a thousand bush- 

 els to the acre. ' This was after a severe drought, 

 and as the fall rains were tlien coming on, the 

 committee were of opinion that the crop would 

 double before it was gathered. No accurate 

 measurement had been rendered to the committee. 

 The speaker stated in conclusion that he believed 

 that 50 per cent, of the actual profits of farming in 

 southern Berkshire, came directly or indirectly 

 from raising Indian corn. 



Mr. Walker inquired of the last speaker the 

 cost of bringing corn from Chicago. 



Mr. Rowley replied that he could not tell ; but 

 the millers of Berkshire furnished western corn for 

 about GO cents. 



Col. Faulkner, of Acton, said he had paid 50 

 cents a bushel on wheat from Chicago. Col. F. 

 also desired information in regard to the use of 

 guano as a manure, and in some remarks on the 

 subject gave it as his opinion that many farmers 

 spread their manure over too much ground. He 

 incidentally stated that the value of the milk 

 brought over the Fitchburg railroad into Boston 

 the past year, at 4 1-2 cents per quart, was 

 $146,5G0,20. 



Mr. Howard, of Boston, said that in using plas- 

 ter with guano, the former should be in a state of 

 solution, in order to retain the ammonia of the 

 guano. If dry, a combination of the sulphuric 

 acid with it would not take place and the ammo- 

 nia would evaporate. It takes a large quantity of 

 water — 70 to 1— to render plaster sufficiently solu- 

 ble to form available combination with the guano. 



I\Ir. Proctor moved that the following be the 



