82 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 



pounds of caseine, 143 pounds of zeine, found in the kerne? ^ 

 171 pounds of wax and chlorophyl, and about 420 pounds of 

 glutinous matter. Of these substances, 8,000 pounds were 

 taken off the farm and sold in the grain, while the biilk of the 

 remainder, 14,500 pounds, was fed out on the farm and returned 

 in the form of manures. Of the inorganic substances, of 

 which there were, as already stated, 881 pounds, about 100 

 pounds were carried off in the grain, and the remainder, about 

 781 pounds, consumed on the farm and returned in the 

 manure. 



The soil best adapted to the growth and perfection of Indian 

 corn, is a deep, rich, mellow loam. The roots extend to great 

 depths in such soils. A light porous soil is permeable to the 

 heat and air, which contribute to its rapid growth, while a stiff 

 clay or hard soil are unfavorable to it. At the same time it may 

 be said, that this plant has a wonderful degree of flexibility, and 

 easily adapts itself to a great variety of circiunstances and soils, 

 so far, at least, as to give remunerative crops, on such as are 

 not in the highest degree favorable to it. INothing more need 

 be said on this point. 



The manures best adapted to it depend somewhat, of course, 

 on the character of the soil to which they are applied, but on 

 an average of the soils of New England, organic manures, such 

 as barnyard dung and muck well decomposed, decayed vegeta- 

 ble matters, &c., may be said to be the best. At the same time 

 it should be stated, that some soils are lacking in a proper 

 amount of phosphates, and these can be supplied in ground 

 bones, ashes, salt, and plaster. On this point, the statements of 

 practical cultivators, given from year to year in my previous 

 Reports, are so full and valuable that it is superfluous to dwell 

 upon it here, and reference is respectfully made to those state- 

 ments and to the essay on this subject presented in the second 

 part of this Report, page 195. The bestmodesof preparing the 

 ground by ploughing, &c., will also be found in full from the 

 same sources. 



With respect to the selection of seed, after the choice of the 

 variety is determined upon, and this will be governed by local 

 circumstances, the reader is referred to the experiments on a 

 previous page in the report of the committee on the State 

 farm, showing, so far as they go, the relative advantage of using 



