66 



CHARLES C. SEW ALL'S STATEMENT. 



My crop of com was raised upon a piece of ground which had 

 been in grass for five years past. The measurement of the ground, 

 as made by John W. Adams, Esq., is 218 rods. The soil is a 

 gravelly loam. It was ploughed eight inches in depth the last 

 week in April. Three cords green manure were then spread and 

 harrowed into it. It was furrowed, one way, in rows three and a 

 half feet apart. Plymouth county, or smutty white corn was 

 planted 15th of May, in hills two and a half feet apart. Good 

 compost manure was put into the hills, at the rate of half a shovel- 

 ful to each hill. Pumpkin seeds were also planted in the alter- 

 nate hills in alternate rows. These vegetated well, and were 

 thinned out at first hoeing of crop. Cultivated and hoed the 

 crop twice. Cut the stalks 16th of September. Harvested the 

 corn 23d October and 2d November. Crop was 136 baskets 

 good, sound corn, and twenty baskets refuse, containing many 

 large but soft ears, and equal to ten baskets good corn, making 

 the whole crop 146 baskets. A basket full of ears weighed forty- 

 two and a half pounds. After being shelled, the cobs weighed 

 eight and a half pounds, making the crop of shelled corn 4964 

 pounds, or, at fifty-six pounds per bushel, 885^ bushels, which is 

 equal to sixty-five bushels and a fraction more per acre. The 

 basket of corn, when shelled, though weighing thirty-four pounds, 

 yielded only half a bushel in measure. Taking this measure 

 for an estimate, the crop would be reduced to fifty-two bushels 

 and a fraction more per acre. This would be, perhaps, the fair- 

 est way to estimate it, while the corn is not entirely dry. It 

 ripened slowly and was much injured by winds and storms. 

 Many ears were broken and beaten to the ground, where they 

 were chiefly devoured by a large flock of turkeys. But for this 

 circumstance, the crop would have reached or exceeded the first- 

 named estimate per acre. 



Expenses of the crop as nearly as can now be given are as fol- 

 lows : — 



Ploughing, manuring and planting, 

 Manure, say five cords, at $5 each. 

 Cultivating and hoeing twice, 

 Cutting and storing stalks. 

 Harvesting corn, . 

 Seed, interest and taxes on land, 



^15.00 



25.00 



8.00 



5.00 



6.00 



10.50 



79.50 



