Proceedinos of the Farmers' Club. \*i^ 



plowed the year before. On one-half I spread fifteen loads of 

 manure, harrowed and planted the 20th of May. The other half 

 manured in the hill and planted about the same time. Result: 

 1st acre, manure spread, forty baskets sound, sixty unsound corn; 

 2d acre, manure in hill, one hundred and ten baskets sound,' twenty 

 misound corn. 



Is land with a subsoil which is impervious to water more likely 

 to retain the fertilizing qualities of manure than land which is said 

 to leach, or will land leach to its detriment? 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — This question of manuring in the hill develops 

 the fact that much depends upon the length of the season. To tell 

 the truth, agricultural knowledge as taught, is applicable to long 

 strips of country east and west, not to strips north and south. A 

 class of facts suitable to forty-two degrees of latitude, cease to be 

 facts when applied to forty degrees of latitude. The sooner we 

 recognize this truth, the less confusion we shall have. This is an 

 idea of such vast importance that it is not destined to be devel- 

 oped till agricultural literature will be based upon analysis. 



Mr. Quinn. — I wish to call attention to the report of my remarks 

 on plastic slate. It was in Mr. Harrison's place of business that 

 another gentleman made the remark, which I repeated, about this 

 roofing. I did not say that Mr. Harrison himself, but another gen- 

 tleman, had the roof. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — I wish a committee would be appointed 

 to investigate the whole subject, that people may know what to 

 depend upon. Thereupon, a committee was voted for. 



The Chairman. — I appoint P. T. Quinn as chairman, Solon Rob- 

 inson, S. Edwards Todd, W. S. Carpenter, and Edward Hiclts. 

 All matters on plastic slate will be referred to this committee, and 

 those who have anything in its favor, or who are opposed to it, can 

 address the chairman of the committee. 



FIELD CORN STALK CUTTER. 



A letter was read from Mr. Isaac W. Burgess, Pleasant Plain, 

 Iowa. — Extensive corn growers long have needed a machine for 

 cutting up the dry stalks on the ground, since, if plowed in their 

 whole length, the young corn is apt to be torn up by the passing 

 plow. This machine is like a roller, is drawn by two horses, and 

 the stalks are cut into pieces a foot long. 



IInbt.] 12 



