68 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Worcester North. 

 From the Report of the Committee. 



The corn of Joseph Goodrich was harvested September 6, 

 twenty-three hills to the square rod, and the weight of ears 

 was 40|^ pounds. November 6, the ears weighed 30| pounds ; 

 shrinkage 9| pounds, shelled corn 24| pounds, cobs 6| pounds. 

 This would give on an acre, on the cob 4,940 pounds, shelled 

 corn 3,960 pounds, cob 980 pounds ; and would give 70|- 

 bushels to the acre. 



The corn of Cyrus Kilburn was harvested September 6, 

 thirty-three hills to the square rod, and the weight of ears was 

 40|^ pounds. November 6, the ears weighed 26| pounds ; 

 shrinkage 13| pounds, shelled corn 20 pounds, cobs 6| pounds. 

 This would give on an acre, on the cob 4,260 pounds, shelled 

 corn 3,200 pounds, cobs 1,060 pounds, and would give 57^ 

 bushels to the acre. This falls below the society's standard of 

 weight, to entitle the competitor to a premium. This field 

 suffered in two ways : first, by being too thick both in the row 

 and in the hill ; and, in the second place, from the drouth, it 

 did not fill out well ; it was very loose upon the ear, conse- 

 quently it was light. 



The corn of Edwin D. Works was harvested September 26, 

 twenty-three hills to the square rod, and the weight of ears 

 was 37f pounds. November 6, the ears weighed 32| pounds ; 

 shrinkage 5|- pounds, shelled corn 24^ pounds, cobs 7| pounds. 

 This would give on an acre, on the cob 5,140 pounds, shelled 

 corn 3,880 pounds, cobs 1,260 pounds, and would give 69| 

 bushels to the acre. 



The committee venture to offer a few suggestions on the cul- 

 tivation of grain, not because they are new, but to stir up the 

 minds of agriculturists by way of remembrance. 



And the first thing to be done, to insure success, is to 

 thoroughly prepare the ground by ploughing, harrowing and 

 removing stones, so that its surface, to the depth of six or eight 

 inches, may be made fine, that the roots of the young plants 

 may easily and readily find food from which to grow. The 

 next thing is to apply the manure in such a way that the 

 growing crop can appropriate it to its own increase. 



Distance of hills is another subject on which there is a diver- 

 sity of opinion and practice, and this, to a considerable extent, 



