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made, the land may be easily laid down immediately to grass, the 

 seed being sowed at the last hoeing ; or it may be thoroughly har- 

 rowed after the crop is taken off, and then laid down with winter 

 grain and grass seed. The benefits of the decomposed sod, being 

 thus all secured in the soil, will be felt for a long time ; and the com- 

 paratively small expense of this mode of management strongly re- 

 commends it. 



The importance of this crop to Massachusetts can hardly be over- 

 stated. The imports of corn into the port of Boston in the year 

 1837, amounted to 1,725,436 bushels. Immense amounts were 

 likewise brought into other ports ; but it has not been in my power 

 to ascertain them. At one mill in Gloucester more than 14,000 

 bushels were imported and ground at one time the last season. I 

 believe that the demand might be supplied within the State, and to a 

 great profit. 



That an average of 8,000 bushels of Indian corn should be pro- 

 duced to every town in the Commonwealth would not be demanding 

 too much. In several of the towns on Connecticut river ten far- 

 mers can be found, who themselves produce this quantity. This 

 production would require only, that in every town, forty farmers 

 should cultivate each four acres, yielding, under good cultivation, 

 50 bushels to the acre. In one of the most forbidding localities 

 of the Commonwealth, in Windsor, Berkshire County, among the 

 mountains, 116 bushels have been obtained from an acre. If this were 

 done, at 50 bushels to an acre, the corn crop, under favorable circum- 

 stances, through the State would yield 2,400,000 bushels, worth as 

 many dollars, when pork is worditen cents and beef seven cents. The 

 value of the corn fodder in such case, valuing it only at $5 per acre 

 for fodder, leaving out all estimate of it for manure, would amount to 

 $240,000. There is no reason, in any but the most impracticable 

 situations, why every farmer should not cultivate his ten acres ; and 

 why many of them should not cultivate their fifty acres. No crop 

 requires a less outlay for seed. It was said by the celebrated Ar- 

 thur Young, that a country capable of growing Indian corn is singu- 

 larly blessed above others. 



Wheat has sometimes been raised in this county with success. 



