60 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 



statements of practical farmers differ so widely that some esti- 

 mate the cost of cultivating an acre at ten dollars, and others 

 at seventy-five. One farmer shows a profit of seventy-eight 

 dollars from an acre ; another says he can clear the stover, 

 while another can barely make it pay the cost, and if he can 

 keep the homestead in his own hands, it is all he expects to do 

 in raising Indian corn. 



There are, no doubt, great difficulties in the way of forming 

 an accurate estimate on these points. The culture of Indian 

 corn is usually connected with that of other crops and other 

 farming operations, and it requires much time and care to 

 arrive at a result absolutely correct on many of the points of 

 investigation ; and few men have the time to devote to it, to say 

 nothing of the infinite number of varieties of corn, each of 

 which modifies the result ; to say nothing of differences of 

 climate, soil, elevation, exposure, facilities of marketing, com- 

 mand of labor and manures. These items may have an 

 ultimate certainty in them, but it is rare that they are all so 

 closely observed and noted as to enable an individual unac- 

 quainted with the locality to grasp and understand them all. 



I cannot hope to answer the innumerable questions which 

 suggest themselves on this subject, but I shall endeavor to indi- 

 cate in the course of the following pages, some points which 

 may be considered as already settled, and others on which we 

 need further information, more accurate observation and experi- 

 ment, and more exact and careful statements of the results 

 attained. 



As already said, Indian corn has often been the subject of 

 scientific investigation, both in Europe and this country. 



In 1784, M. Amoureux presented a memoir upon maize to 

 the Academy of Sciences at Bordeaux, France. In 1785, 

 M. Parmentier wrote on Indian corn an essay which was 

 crowned by the Royal Academy of Bordeaux. In 1788, Signer 

 Harasti published in Italy, " Practical Instruction " on the same 

 subject. In 1809, M. Burger wrote, in Germany, a work " On 

 the Natural History, the Cultivation, and the Use of Maize." 

 Other works on maize appeared in Europe from time to time. 



In 1828, William Cobbett sought to give his name to it and 

 introduce it into England. He eat it, he smoked its husks, he 

 planted it, imported it, published a book printed on the husks, 



