334 On Corn and Potatoes, 



had been occupied by corn planted in the usual way, but 

 of this the experiment has fallen short nearly one half, 

 for 118 bushels of shelled corn has been grown per acre; 

 this was a wager crop, perhaps too highly manured for 

 wheat to follow, yet from my observations on the ridged 

 rows of com last year. 1 did not expect to be far behind 

 that very superior crop. The ears of my present crop 

 have been generally larger than any I have grown here- 

 tofore, two of the largest size which have been laying 

 four or five weeks on a shelf close by a stove and arc 

 perfectly dry, have been shelled, and measure full a 

 quart, or a pint each, but it is impossible to determine 

 w^hether the ears of this crop would have been dimi- 

 nished in size, or if so, to what extent, had the re-plant- 

 ed been able to contend for their share of nutriment, 

 and had the number of clusters originally designed been 

 planted, this remains to be determined hereafter : but 

 the result of this crop clearly determines, that this mode 

 of planting will produce large crops of corn, while it 

 reserves one half the ground for other valuable purposes, 

 provided the quantity of plants do not exceed the num- 

 ber of fruitful plants in this field, to wit, about 33 with- 

 in the length of every perch on each ridge ; and also, if 

 topping and blading be omitted, and the plants are not 

 cut off until the grain has nearly arrived to perfection, 

 arid the effect of storms are left with nature to repair ; 

 and although re- planting is frequently beneficial to crops 

 plai"ited in the usual way, in the case under considera- 

 tion it proves injurious, and every possible precaution 

 should be used to render it unnecessary. I once suc- 

 ceeded by planting eight grains where only three were 

 designed to stand, and a boy of eleven years old, with 



