136 



were sown broadcast and worked in with Randall Harrow ; im- 

 mediately after this, on May 17th, the seed and 4 bags of same 

 fertilizer were sown at same time by the Ross Horse Planter. 

 The seed was of the eight rowed variety. 



Total cost of raising crop, including interest and 

 taxes, seed, labor in planting, tending and 

 harvesting, $48 66 



Cost of 13 bags Fertilizer, .... 58 50 



moi 06 



I have harvested 136 bushels of first quality and 24 bushels 

 of second quality, corn-on-cob ; also, 2 tons 1172 pounds of tops 

 and 5 tons 1442 pounds of butts and husks, making 8 tons 614 

 pounds stover. 



If corn stover, well dried, is worth $6.00 a ton, then my 

 corn-on-cob from this field cost me 45-^- cents a bushel ; or, 

 shelled corn about 91 cents a bushel. 



It is my present intention to continue to plant the smaller of 

 these two fields with fertilizer next year, and I will report the 

 result. 



I ought also to say that I was greatly troubled by crows eat- 

 ing the freshly sown seed and digging up the early growth, on 

 the about 22 974 feet at the west side of the larger of these 

 fields. On tliis part came nearly all of the second quality of 

 corn, thereby reducing the total yield considerably. 



I state this fact to partly explain the very high cost per 

 bushel of shelled grain, and to show one of the many annoy- 

 ances to which every one is liable, and which may tend to make 

 land and fertilizer (or manure) appear much less good and ef- 

 fective than they may be. 



Various questions arise in connection with all crops, and in 

 this case let me consider what is best to do with our stover. In 

 my locality it is almost a universal custom to cut the tops of the 

 corn earlier than the rest, cure them separately, and get them 

 housed before the remainder of the crop is touched. Some 



