72 



ter knowledge applied to the culture of corn, eighty bushels may 

 be grown upon the acre that now yields forty or fifty. It will 

 then be found that no more profitable field crop is raised in New 

 England. J. M. MERRICK. 



Premiums awarded as follows, viz. : — 



To Philemon Ruggles, of Milton, the first premium of $8.00 



To B. N. Sawin, of Dover, the second premium of . 5.00 



To WilHam Pierce, of Needham, the third premium of 3.00 



MR. SAWIN'S STATEMENT. 



The field entered by me for premium measures one acre and 

 three quarters. Though lying in one lot, jet for purposes of cul- 

 tivation it may be considered as divided into two parts, one contain- 

 ing an acre, the other three quarters of an acre. The acre lot 

 was in corn in 1853. In December last, I carted on to it 3J 

 cords of compost manure from the barn-cellar, and ploughed it in. 

 In May, I carted on 3| cords of unfermonted manure, spread and 

 ploughed it in, — putting no manure in the hill. The other lot was 

 ploughed in November last, with Prouty k Mears' No. 36 plough. 

 In May, I harrowed across the furrows. I used 4| cords of un- 

 fermented manure, putting it all in the hill. On the whole field 

 the furrows for planting were two feet six inches apart each way 

 from the centre. Commenced planting the small, eight-rowed, 

 yellow corn, on the 24th of May, putting four or five kernels in a 

 hill. A cultivator was passed between the rows before hoeing. 

 The corn was hoed twice. The surface of the ground was left 

 level. I should have said before, that the ground was ploughed 

 eight inches deep. The stalks were cut the first week in Sep- 

 tember. On the 7th of October, Messrs. Sawyer and Merrick 

 selected one rod, which was considered a fair sample of the field. 

 The corn when shelled measured sixteen quarts, and weighed 

 twenty-seven pounds. At 56 pounds to the bushel (the Society's 

 standard) this would give 77f bushels per acre. 



The expense of the crop was as follows, riz. : — 



