44 



STATEMENT OF E. & J. SIAS. 



Dear Sie — The field of corn entered by ns for a premium, 

 was measured bj Mr. Charles Breck, and contained in the whole 

 one acre and thirty-four rods. Our method of cultivation was as 

 follows : The land, which was in grass, was ploughed with a double 

 mould-board plough the 24th of April. On the 28th of April about 

 4| cords of piggery manure was spread and harrowed in. The 

 field was marked out with a plough only one way, in rows three 

 feet apart, and manured in the hill with about 4h cords of com- 

 post barn manure. It was planted from the 8th to the 11th of 

 May with what we call the Plymouth county or smutty white corn, 

 in hills about 2| feet apart, four kernels making a square of six 

 inches, with one in the centre. AVe are of the opinion that we 

 can raise as much corn by planting three feet apart each way, as 

 in any other. The field was cultivated three times and hoed 

 twice ; hilled up but very little. The stalks were cut from the 

 8th to the 12th of September ; sunned one day, and then hung 

 up under the roof of the barn until perfectly dry. We think that 

 the corn was injured very much by the dry weather, and also by 

 the high winds, which injured most of the corn in this vicinity very 

 much. It was not injured much, if any, by the frost. We prefer 

 planting early ; we had rather be cut by the frost in the spring, 

 than in the fall. The corn was harvested the last of September 

 and the first of October, and there were 213 baskets of sound 

 corn and 11 of refuse (considered equal to five of good corn) — 

 making 218 baskets from 1 acre and 34 rods, being at the rate of 

 109.15 per acre. We had selected what we thought before har- 

 vesting to be the best acre, which we kept by itself, and carefully 

 Avcighed, and there were 109.89 bushels. 



Value of the Crop. 



109.89 bushels of corn, at $1, . . $109.89 



1| tons of stalks, .... 18.00 



2 " of husks and butts, . . 12.00 



$139.89 



Cost of Crop. 



Interest on land, $200 per ann. . $12.00 



Taxes, about . . . . . 1.30 



8| cords manure, 2-3ds exhausted, . 31.00 



