EXPBRIMENT IN HARVESTING CORN. 247 



In the first week of September we went with two 

 neighbours into our cornfield, where our men were 

 cutting up corn, and caused 36 hills to be cut up, of 

 the fair average quality of the field, and stocked 

 separately : adjoining which, 36 hills were topped in 

 the usual way, and other 36 hills, immediately ad- 

 joining the last, were left to ripen upon the entire 

 .stock. On the 23d of September we proceeded to 

 pick, husk, and weigh the corn on the several par- 

 cels. The result was as follows : 



No. 1, cut up, had 126 ears, which weighed 56 Ibs. 

 " 2, topped, " 127 " " " 52 Ibs. 2 oz. 



" 3, standing, " 125 " " " 52 Ibs. 10 oz. 



We found on trial the same evening, that it re- 

 quired 78 Ibs. of ears to give a bushel of shelled 

 corn. The field was planted at exactly three feet 

 between the rows, and at about two feet four inches 

 in the rows ; but, assuming that the distance was 

 three by two and a half feet, it would give to the 

 acre 5808 hills ; and there probably were not 20 hills 

 deficient in five acres. With these data, the pro- 

 duct on an acre, under the different modes of har- 

 vesting, would be as follows, omitting fractions : 



No. 1 would give 9274 Ibs., or 119 bushels. 

 " 2 " 84091 " JOS < 



" 3 " 8490 " " 109 " 



Although the parcels selected were supposed to 

 be similar, it was perceived, after the corn was 

 gathered, that an apple-tree, casting a shade from 

 six to seven feet broad, stood in No. 3 the whole 

 field being a young orchard which undoubtedly had 

 an influence in lessening the product of that parcel 



In regard to the condition of the grain in the dif- 

 ferent parcels, that of No. 1, which had been cut up 

 and stocked, was unquestionably the best : it was 

 dry, sound, and bright ; while much of Nos. 2 and 3, 

 which had been topped or left standing entire, had 

 fallen upon the ground, was wot or mouldy, and 



