33 



CORN RAISED BY H. C. WEST, HADLEY. 



The field of corn I present for premium contains five acres, it was 

 cleared twenty-three years ago of a heavy growth of hard and white 

 pine and white oak timber, sowed to wheat the next fall and pastured 

 since with sheep and cattle. Plowed earl}- in the spring, and planted 

 from the 20th of May to the 2d of June ; with three dollars worth of 

 fertilizers per acre in the hill ; one acre with phosphate, three with 

 fish and potash, and one with chemicals, all at near the same value as 

 possible without an}' perceptible difference in the yield of corn. It 

 was cut U[) the second week in September. The amount of corn was 

 determined as follows : Two rods were selected and measured, as near 

 an average as possible, and the last of August they were topped and 

 allowed to stand until Oct. 26th, when it was picked and husked. 

 Weighed the same day 83 pounds, allowing 70 pounds to the bushel, 

 gives 94 bushels and 60 pounds per acre. The corn was shelled Nov. 

 1st, and the corn and cob we.ghed again, giving 14 3-4 pounds of cob 

 and 65 1-4 pounds of corn. A stricken bushel weighed 56 1-2 

 pounds, making 93 bushels and 12 pound per acre. 



The corn was planted with sixteen hills to the rod, making thirty- 

 two hills on the two rods measured. Whole number of ears 253, to 

 each hill 7 1-36, largest number one hill 9, smallest number 2, on one 

 stalk. Allowing the fodder for husking and no rent for the land, as 

 it is worth more than when I commenced, the account will stand about 

 as follows : — 



Cost of labor up to planting, $ 65 00 



Cost of labor up to time of husking, 62 50 



Fertilizers, 15 00 



$142 50 



Cr. 



By 466 bushels of corn at 31 cents, $144 46 



Hadley, Nov. 12, 1880. 



H. C. West. 



