80 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



in Massachusetts would be destroyed. The leaves were badly- 

 curled, and there was every indication that the crop would 

 greatly suffer. But it is on record how speedy was its recovery, 

 and how rapid its growth after a change of weather. So great 

 is the dependence upon heat and moisture combined, that, 

 knowing the results of observations of the thermometer and 

 the rain gauge in any section, during the three growing months 

 of April, May and June, one might predict with great certainty 

 the results of the harvest in that section ; and, on the other 

 hand, the returns of practical farmers in different sections of 

 the State, indicate so clearly and uniformly the excess above 

 the average, or the partial failure of the crop, that a meteoro- 

 logical map of the State might be constructed from them. 



Corn will often succeed well in the Northern States, with a 

 cool, rainy summer, provided there is a week or two of hot 

 weather in the month of June, or early in July, and a late 

 fall with warm weather at the period of ripening, A high, 

 midday heat is so essential, that without it there will be no 

 formation of saccharine matter in the plant, nor will it mature, 

 though with it, the night temperature may be quite low without 

 apparent injury to its growth. This is, therefore, one of the 

 most eHential conditions of its successful culture, and this con- 

 dition is fulfilled in almost every part of the country, except in 

 the mountainous districts already alluded to. 



The season of 1858 was remarkable in most parts of New 

 England, as a season of frequent rains and cool weather in July 

 and August, and farmers generally predicted a failure of the 

 corn crop, and wondered all the summer at the luxuriant 

 growth of this plant. The secret of it was, without doubt, 

 that the last week of June and the first week of July were 

 excessively hot, though the rest of the season was unusually 

 cool and moist. The ground had become warmed to a great 

 depth, and this was sufficient to give the plant a rapid growth 

 during the remainder of the growing season. 



Nearly every part of the country is, therefore, adapted to the 

 growth of Indian corn, so that, though there are great staples 

 of the Southern States which are more profitable owing to their 

 extremely limited range of climate, yet as a plant for the whole 

 country, there is no other which can compare with it in 

 importance. 



