66 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE COKTiT CHOP. 



Mr. Editor : — Disparity of statements and es- 

 timates amonrj your practical famring correspon- 

 dents in relation to the "cost" of the "corn crop," 

 has doubtless attracted the attention of many. 

 Mr. Piukham, of Chelmsford, throws down the 

 gauntlet, and labors at length with figures, (as the 

 politicians say,) "that can't lie." Mr. Sheldon, of 

 Wilmington, and J. R., of Concord, by another 

 showing of figures, make a more hopeful case. We 

 much prefer the latter shoAving, as it results in 

 round profits, while the other ends in serious loss. 

 Huskings, and red ears of corn, with their pleas- 

 ant associations, would come to an end. Sad and 

 discouraging is the picture of our friend P., which 

 would not particularly promote the public weal. 

 New England farmers need the home incentive. 

 Unhappily, they too often sigh for a home in the 

 West, and when obtained, they too soon begin to 

 pine and sigh again for the old ho^nc of their 

 youth, with its once cheering comforts, its hal- 

 lowed associations, its consecrated hearth-stone, 

 so dearly remembered. 



But I was about to give you a little of my own 

 corn experience, and in so doing, I think it not 

 amiss to state, that in 1845 or 6, I applied for a 

 premium at the Essex Agricultural Show, having 

 by careful measurement, raised ninety-two bushels 

 to the acre. I supposed iiiyself sure of the premi- 

 um, but the Byfield Alms-house presented their 

 claim for 116 bushels, so I took the premium that 

 I felt Avas scarcely second best. About that time, 

 Rev. Mr. Allen, (I think it was him,) of Plymouth 

 County, presented a claim of some 12.5 to 130 

 bushels or more to the acre, out of which arose 

 quite an acrimonious debate between himself and 

 Mr. Buckminster of the Plou(jliman, the latter per- 

 tinaciously doubting the quantity. 



1 name the above three cases of corn growing, 

 (to say nothing of "some pumpkins" that went out 

 of my field in cart loads) to show that in good 

 seasons, no farmer should be content wdth 30 or 

 even 60 bushels to the acre. Why haul manure 

 half to three-fom-ths of a mile, to put on sliallow 

 soil, say ten loads to the acre, and obtain 100 

 bushels of corn from four to five acres ? Because 

 it "hoes easy." Why not plow up deep, and pul- 

 verize one good acre nearer home, and put in with 

 the plow the forty loads of manure, and get as 

 much from the one acre as from the four or five on 

 poorly cultivated land ? It costs no more to cul- 

 tivate the one acre that will give the 100 bushels, 

 than it does one out of the five that shall give you 

 but 20 bushels. It is a labor crop, very unlike a 

 graiti crop ; once planted, then to wait patiently 

 till it matures. The fatal errors of the day are, the 

 too much cultivation, or breadth of land, for the 

 manure to be applied. H. p. p. 



Brooklyn, New York, 1859. 



To Correspondents. — We have received sev- 

 eral seasonable and valuable articles, which we 

 shall soon find room for ; and while we express 

 our obligations to the attentive and intelligent 

 correspondents of the Farmer, for their numerous 

 favors, we would say that their circle is constantly 

 increasing, and that in order to give a hearing to 



all, it becomes necessary for each to be as concise 

 as the nature and importance of his subject will 

 permit. The critics are after Mr. Pinkham with a 

 sharp stick ; he has sent us other important que- 

 ries, and Avill not be alarmed at any fair treatment, 

 though it may be a little severe. 



We are sometimes requested by correspondents 

 to have an article appear in the Monthly Farmer, 

 that is then next to be issued, but are rarely able 

 to accommodate them. The Monthly is made up of 

 the agricultural matter of the weekly papers, and 

 is printed and stereotyped as fast as matter enough 

 accumulates to cover a sheet, and the whole num- 

 ber is got out ten days in advance of its date, in 

 order to enable us to mail it so that it may be re- 

 ceived by tho first of the month on which it is 

 dated. 



For the New England Fanner. 



THE NATIVE BLACKBERBT— THE 

 LAWTOlSr. 



Mr. Editor : — We have in this vicinity what 

 appear to be throe varities of the blackberry. 



1. Theti'ailing variety, withberries nearly round, 

 often imperfect, each seed enclosed in a larger en- 

 velope of pulp and juice than the high-bush ber- 

 ries, and the surface usiuilly rather uneven. This 

 variety is quite acid, and ri])ens immediately after 

 the common red raspberry — is very acceptable for 

 pies, but worthless for the dessert. 



2. A variety which seems to be intermediate 

 between the trailing and the high-bush. The bush 

 sometimes grows to a considerable bight, but is of 

 a pendant or drooping form. The fruit, in form 

 and size, very nearly resembles the trailing varie- 

 ty, but is much less acid, and when well ripened, 

 is quite palatable — not generally very productive, 

 but sometimes specimens may be found bearing 

 very large crops. 



3. The high bush, which grows much taller and 

 more erect than the last, usually producing fruit 

 much more elongated, seeds less prominent, but 

 little acid, even before fully ripe, and the quality 

 much superior to either of the others in all re- 

 spects. 



These three varieties are, I think, sufficiently 

 distinct to be classed separately, although, by mix- 

 ing, specimens are produced of all grades from one 

 to the other. These last, however are not nearly 

 so abundant. 



The Lawton or New Rochelle, which I have tried 

 to cultivate to a small extent for a few years past, 

 evidently belongs to the intermediate variety, al- 

 though I have found it considerably more acid than 

 the wild berries of its class, and so far as my ex- 

 perience goes, this acidity is retained to such an 

 extent as to make the fruit unfit for the dessert even 

 when allowed to remain on the bushes until per- 

 fectly ripe. Add to this the w-ant of hardiness — 

 the plants having been almost invariably killed to 

 the snow line — and you have my opinion of the 

 value of this fruit for Massachusetts, at least. 



The Lawton is certainly very large, and probably 

 quite productive when not winter-killed, and for 

 aught I know, may, in a milder climate, be all it 

 is recommended, but is it not possible, Mr. Editor, 



