110 



GRAIN CROPS. 



The Committee on Grain Crops report that only two claims 

 were entered for premium ; one by Oliver P. Killam, of Box- 

 ford, for his crop of Indian Corn, and the other by Eugene W. 

 Day, of Bradford, for Oats. 



Mr. Killam, it appears, had 3 3-4 acres in Corn. The es- 

 timates in his statement refer to the whole piece. One meas- 

 ured acre of this Corn yielded 84 3-4 bushels of 80 pounds 

 per bushel. Two of the Committee saw Mr. Killam's Corn 

 when a part of it had been harvested. It is an eight rowed 

 variety with a very large kernel. Some 300 bushels of uni- 

 formly large ears were then lying on the floor of his Corn 

 chamber and presented a magnificent appearance. The acre 

 measured was then standing, and as we went through it, we 

 were satisfied that the yield was unusually large. We noticed 

 that this Corn, as in most cases where a very large crop has 

 been obtained, was closely planted, the rows being only three 

 and one half feet apart each way. There were no missing 

 hills, and the allotted number, four stalks, were in nearly every 

 hill, each stalk bearing its full ear. Heavy seeding, and then 

 leaving to grow, only strong and vigorous plants, contributed 

 largely to secure this important element of a large crop. 



The cultivation was judicious, though many good farmers 

 would demur in regard to burying most of the manure eight 

 inches beneath the sward. It appears that 20 1-3 loads per 

 acre of barn manure were ploughed in, and 5 1-3 loads per 

 acre of good compost were put into the hiH to start and feed 

 the j)lants until they reached the ample nourishment buried 

 below. It was cultivated both ways three times, and regularly 

 hoed twice, and then the weeds were knocked out with the 

 hoe. No hill was made. 



This very large crop, obtained in a season not remarkably 

 o-ood for Indian Corn, was raised on a field from which the 

 whole crop of hay in 186(3, "was taken off in two loads. 



Two things are worth noting : 1st. the fodder from this 



