39 



mostly clear profit ; for it costs, probably, little more to raise a 

 crop of one hundred bushels than one of thirty-five or forty bush- 

 els ; and ^vhile the latter barely pays its cost, the former yields a 

 handsome profit. He who goes to work grudging every dollar's 

 worth of manure he must use, and every hour's labor he must 

 apply to his crops, seldom reaps much beside disappointment in 

 the end. And as far as our observation extends, we believe those 

 who used manure most liberally, but judiciously, have made most 

 money on their farms. 



Our practice has been to cut stalks as soon as the corn 

 is well glazed, and, after exposing them to the sun for a day or 

 two, to cart them to the barn, hang them on poles over the beams, 

 until dry, and then pack them away. Cured in this manner they 

 are worth, in our estimation, $10 per ton. Corn, we usually cut 

 up about the middle of October and store it for husking. The 

 time for gathering it is, however, best determined by the charac- 

 ter of the season and state of the crop. We this year, from 

 necessity, adopted in part a different course. At the usual time 

 for cutting stalks, our corn had been blown down and broken so 

 much tliat it was very difficult to get through the rows ; and after 

 proceeding awhile in the usual way, we began to cut it up at the 

 bottom, laying it in heaps of three hills each. Having exposed 

 them to the sun for two days, we bound these heaps together and 

 stooked them on the ground, where they remained until the usual 

 time of harvesting, when they were removed to the barn and 

 husked. After this process, the bundles were again exposed to 

 the sun for a day or two and then packed away for use. Judging 

 from present appearances, we are inclined to favor this course. 



The amount of labor which a workman may perform depends 

 very much on the character of the land where he goes to work ; 

 this varies so greatly that no definite amount can be assigned for 

 a fair day's labor. Upon our own grounds, this year, three men 

 together with a boy, — using a horse with the cultivator, — culti- 

 vated and hoed an acre in a day. But this is rather more than 

 the average day's work on our grounds. On many light lands an 

 acre is more easily hoed than a quarter of an acre would be else- 

 Avhere. 



We usually raise an acre or more of early potatoes, and in the 

 manner already stated. We plant them in any soil that may be 

 under cultivation at the time, and using any manure that may be 

 at hand, (preferring horse manure if Ave have it,) applying it as 

 before stated. We dig the potatoes early for market, and ordi- 

 narily, get from two to three hundred bushels. This year, the 

 crop was less than one hundred, — having been seriously injured 

 by a late frost. The variety Ave esteem best for an early market, 

 is the white chenango ; and but for the rot, to which they are 



