iS2 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



FEB. 19, 1840. 



AND HORTICCITURAL REGISTER. 



Boston, Wedn^das-, Febhuaby 19, 1840. 



THE FIFTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING 



Was held at the Representatives' Hall on Thursday 

 last. The attendance was large, and there was no abate- 

 ment of interest in the objects of these meetings. 



The Commissioner presented to the meeting several 

 specimens of spririg and winter wheat, of oats, barley, 

 and tares, which weie much admired. 



The Chair then announced the subject of the evening's 

 discussion to be Indian Corn. 



Tiie Commissioner then proceeded to give some views 

 of the importance of this crop to the State, and the pro- 

 duce per acre which had sometimes been reached. In 

 Pennsylvania, on five acres of land in the same field, one 

 hundred and thirtyfive bushels of corn to an acre had 

 been produced. In New York State, at Whitesborough, 

 near Utica, more than 170 bushels had in three several 

 instances been produced on an acre. In our own State, 

 in Essex county and Middlesex county, more than one 

 hundred and sixteen bushels. In Plymouth county one 

 hundred and thirtysix bushels, as measured at harvest on 

 the cob, and one hundred and ten bushels, as meas- 

 ured in the succeeding March, after being shelled. He 

 likewise had the pleasure of giving them an account of a 

 crop grown the present season in Southbridge, by Dr 

 Samuel Hartwell, vhiah yielded, as was certified in the 

 most respectable manne: one hundred and fifty and one- 

 half bushels upi>n one acre, one rood, and four rods of 

 land: this would exceed one hundred and seventeen 

 bushels per acre. The Commissioner then, proceeded to 

 read the statement of Dr Hartwell, giving all the particu- 

 lars of his cultivation, the nature of the soil, the mode of 

 manuring and planting; and to exhibit a sample of the 

 corn grown."* 



After this, Mr Allen Putnam, of Dansers, and Mr Wm. 

 Clark, of Northampton, members of the House, and Mr 

 H. C. Meriam»of'rewksbury, and Mr James G. Carter, 

 of Lancaster, proceeded to address the meeting in a lull 

 and instructive manner, in regard to their modes of culti- 

 vation and the uses and value of the product. 



Mr Putnam considered the value of Indiancorn. as food 

 for man and cattle, and pronounced it one of the must 

 profitable crops which could be grown : he referred par- 

 ticularly to his farm in Danvers. The comparative value 

 of different crops will vary of course in different situa- 

 tions. The soil of the farm on which he resides is loamy 

 and gravelly. The depth of the loam is not uniform : in 

 some parts it is black ; in others it is heavy but not wet. 

 Formerly, the practice on the farm was to put ten 

 loads of manure to the acre, and this was placed in the 

 hill. A good crop at that time was forty bushels. Fifty 

 would have been considered very large. The crops now 

 are much more than that, and this increase conies from 

 an increase of manure and improved cultivation. The 

 kind of corn planted and which has not been changed on 

 the farm for years, resembles what is colled the Brown 

 corn. It was formerly an early, now a late corn. 



The crop obtained on the farm in 1839 was at the rate 

 of 77 bushels per acre; in 163S, 60 bushels |ier acre ; in 

 1837,35 bushels of ripened corn and 37 bushels imper- 

 fectly matured but not worthless ; in 183(j the crop suf- 

 fered more than in 1837, but in tliis year he was absent 

 from home, and he must therefore leave it out of the ac- 

 count. The crop has been cut oil" three times only m 60 

 years, viz : in 1816, '36 and '37. In 1835, the jield was 

 95 bushels per acre ; in 1834, 75 bushels per acre. Through 

 the years enumerated then, the crop has averaged 6S 'J-5 

 bushels per acre. 



The expenses of cultivating an acre were estimated at 

 73 dollars; allowing in this case 40 dollars for manure. 

 The value of the corn fodder was estimated as equal to 

 one ton of hay, 15 dollars. It would be right to allow 

 one third of the expense of the manure fur improvement, 

 as its advantages would extend beyond the first crop. — 

 Charging interfst upon the land at 100 dollars per acre at 

 six dollars, and including every expense, the net profit 

 of the crop would be $25 63. This is as fair a profit as 

 can be generally obtained from any cullivation. 



His mode of cultivation is to spread ten to twelve loads 

 of manure in the autumn and plough it under. In the 

 spring he would apply the same quantily to land which 

 for any circumstance lie could not plough in the fall. He 

 is accustomed to plough from 6 to 8 inches deep. Though 



♦This communication will be given to the pulilic hercafier. 



they have made repeated observations, they have not 

 been able to perceive any dilierence in the crop on land j 

 ploughed in the fall or in the spring. In the spring he ^ 

 applies from his compost heap or barn cellar, 23 loads i 

 more of manure, which is put into the hill. The land 

 for planting is furrowed both ways at right angles and at 

 a distance of 34 feet apart. The large crop of corn refer- 

 red to was obtained on land newly broken up, and which 

 had been some time in pasture. His crop the last year 

 was injured by a severe storm, which checked the filling 

 outof the ear, and the crop was 87 bushels 19 qts. per 

 acre. Corn planted in hills at 3 ft. apart, gives 4300 hills 

 to an acre. 



When corn was planted on land upon which the ma- 

 nure is spread, it seemed at onetime" to come to a stand." 

 Where the manure had been placed in the hill, it advanc- 

 ed rapidlv. In July, however, the corn on the first named 

 land, came up with that on land on which the corn had 

 been manured in the hill. 



His corn is harvested by being cut up and " stooked." 

 Three hills form a bundle ; four bundles a stook. lu the 

 cob, the corn weighed 83 i-2 lbs ; shelled 60 lbs. 



Mr Clark, of Northampton, followed Mr Putnam. His 

 object was not by extraordinary cullivation to obtain the 

 largest crop which could be grown ; but to obtain the 

 best return for the time for the labor and capital employ- 

 ed. 



His experiments in the cultivation of corn had been 

 made upon light and worn outsells, pine plains; and his 

 great object was to bring these lands into grass. His own 

 experience liad taught liiin that Indian corn was the best 

 crop for this purpose. He should find it difficult to say 

 what he would on this case, because the cultivation of 

 this crop involved many points on which he would gladly 

 enlarge, but the limits of the occasion did not admit of it. 

 The ploughing and preparation of the land, were matters 

 of great importance. 



Farmers should seek instruction. They should en- 

 deavor to understand why they obtain a crop, and all 

 the circumstances which must combiaie for the success 

 of their husbandry. They apply expense — of time, labor 

 and capital. Labor itself is capital. Unless they can 

 understand the reason why labor is effectual, and what 

 mode of applying it is best, they cannot apply it to ad- 

 vantage, and much that is applied will be necessarily 

 thrown away. Labor constitutes the great expense of 

 cullivation. Results are the effects of causes. We must 

 seek to understand the causes, and we can then to a con- 

 siderable degree, determine or modify the results. From 

 the want of this knowledge, misapplied labor becomes 

 money thrown away. 



In proportion to their estimated value and the cost of 

 cultivation, more may be obtained from light lands than 

 from any others. Corn, as he had stated, was the best 

 crop for bringing them into grass. Oats are an exhaust- 

 ing crop. Oats and rye and the small grains, are of the 

 same character as grasses. They exliaust the land of 

 that principle which is congenial or necessary to grass. 

 On this doctrine is founded the necessity for a rotation of 

 crops. 



He has obtained corn upon these light lands without 

 any manure at all, by taking advantage of the vegetable 

 matter contained in them. Cold heavy lands require 

 much manure. Light lands are cultivated with much 

 less labor. They are, in his opinion, favorable to grass. 

 These notions are opposed to prevailing opinions He 

 will not assert positively that moist and heavy lands are 

 not, strictly speaking, more favorable to grass ; but light 

 lands give a sweeter kind of grass, and the amount is 

 greater or the return better, than upon heavy lands, when 

 the expense of manure and labor in the two cases are 

 compared. 



Ploughing is a most important operation in reference to 

 the productiveness of the land. Differences of opinion in 

 this matter prevail among farmers. Some prefer laying 

 the furrow slices upon eaeh. other, or as it is termed, lap- 

 ping them. He prefers to lay the furrow slice as fiat as 

 it can be laid. In this way he Would cover up all the 

 vegetable matter which was on the • surface, that it may 

 be ertectually excluded from the air; und the progress of 

 decomposition go on with aslitlle waste of substance as 

 possible. The proper depth of ploughing is matter of 

 controversy. Earl Stimpson, of Galway, in New York, 

 one of the "most successful fiirmers in the country, ploughs 

 not more than three inches. He does not apjirove this 

 shallow ploughing. He has tried it and was unsuccessful. 

 He now ploughs from 6 to 8 inches in depth, where the 

 depth of soil admits of it. He goes as deep as the loam, 

 but objects to bringing to the surface the subsoil. He 

 disapproves much of what is called the "cut and cover" 

 system of ploughing. He would have the whole surface 

 completely inverted and well cultivated. This thorough 



and careful ploughing gives a better result. Farmers 

 fail more often in ploughing than in any other agri- 

 cultural operation. If it is not done well at first, it is 

 difficult allerwards to correct faults or remedy deficien- 

 cies. If patches of sward are \ei\ untouched by the 

 plough, he causes them to be turned by the hoe. He 

 straitens his furrows, and is careful to leave every thing 

 smooth. At the time of ploughing, these corrections can 

 be made at a saving of a quarter of the labor which would 

 be required to accomplish it afterwards. After this is 

 done, he is careful to pass over his fielfls with a roller, 

 and completely settles tire furrow so as to cover up all 

 the vegetable matter which was on the land. The diffe- 

 rence between this and the usual modes of ploughing, is 

 very striking in the results. The roller he considers in- 

 dispensable. If the land is not rolled, the grass will 

 grow up through the fuirovvs, and the sward will not be 

 rotted. His crops sometimes reach thirty to forty bush- 

 els per acre. He has sometimes obtained these crops 

 without manure. On these light lands, if he can have 

 but one, he prefers a roller to manure. He considers 

 grass on these light lands as the most valuable crop, and 

 indispensable to tlieir improvement ; and without the use 

 of the roller it would-be difficult to bring them into grass. 



Mr Clark here read some extracts from the address ot 

 Mr Allen Putnam, at the Essex Agricultural Show last 

 autumn. We intend soon to give this excellent ad.dress 

 to our readers in full, and therefore omit ihe quotations. 



Mr Clark proceeded to say that he thought too much 

 stress was laid upon the benefit to be derived from hoe- 

 ing corn. When there were no weeds, he preferred 

 passing a harrow among the corn to lioeing, especially 

 on account of the saving of time. He harrows his corn 

 once in four days, alternately each way, if the weather 

 admits of it. 'I'he growth of corn by this process is very 

 rapid. Where corn is hilled, it required two or three 

 days to recover itself from the injury ofthe hoe or plough. 

 The admission of light and air is most important. Some 

 persons doubt whether light has any agency in respect 

 to the crop. After three or four days of cloudy weather, 

 any one may observe that the tops of the forest trees be- 

 come yellow. After a bright sun, the appearance will be 

 changed The effect of excluding light in bleaching the 

 celery plant, every one knows. The stirring liie earth 

 around cabbage plants, a fact with which every farmer 

 is familiar, quickens their growth in a remarkable man- 

 ner ; and this from breaking the crust which forms on the 

 surface after rains or dews, and without any reference to 

 the erad^aiivn of weeds. The opening, therefore, of 

 the surface ofthe ground to the access of light and air, is 

 of great importance. The surface becomes impervious to 

 li'Tlitond air, when it is not stirred, which checks the 

 growth of the plant. This crust must be broken, and this 

 may be done by the h.arrow more effectually than by the 

 hoe, and at a tenth part of the expense. Weeds must 

 not, of course, be suffered among growing crops, but the 

 loosening ofthe surface is a matter upon which too much 

 stress cannot be laid. Some persons advise at the first 

 hoeing to take away the earth from the hill and supply 

 fresh earth. He does not know the advantage of this. — 

 The hilling of corn is not approved by Mr Clark. In 

 the accountgiven of hilling, in Dr Hartwell's crop, he 

 does not perceive any decisive evidence of its advantage. 

 Corn throws out many lateral roots : these are always 

 near the surface : here the roots find their principal nour- 

 islimenl. No advantage can come from burying these 

 roots by hilling. The roots of the corn will cover the 

 wholi! surface if suffered to extend themselves freely. No 

 advantage can come to any annual plant from cutting off 

 the roots, as must be done by ploughing and hilling. — 

 When the surface only is broken, corn advances without 

 interruption. Much labor is expended uselessly in hill- 

 int' corn. The only object of such labor should be to de- 

 stroy wc:ed8. The corn suffers much after such an ope- 

 ration, in endeavoring to accommodate itself to its new 

 condition. He deems it a very bad practice to turn weeds 

 under. Corn is in this way sometimes very much injur- 

 ed. A neighbor of his, Mr Henry Shepherd, of North- 

 amp;on, with a view to determine the utility or evil, if 

 any, of hilling corn, has made a series of experiments for 

 several years, by hilling half an acre moderately in the 

 middle of his field. The lest of the field, manured in the 

 same manner, has been cultivated without hilling. The 

 results show conclusively that the crop is diminished 

 by hilling. The hilling of the corn hastens its lipening, 

 but it is at the expense of the product. Cutting its roots 

 like topping the stalks, tends to ripen the crop premature- 

 ly ; and in a proportional manner to diminish its produc- 

 tiveness. In a season of early frosts, the crop has been 

 partially saved by thus fiircing its maturity ; butiu favora- 

 ble seasons, the ripe crop will be considerably lessened 

 by such a process. 



