506 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



keep the leader down to the six feet, and when 

 the new wood has started out, and two or three 

 bunches of grapes are set, pinch off the end of 

 the shoot, and continue to do so through the sum- 

 mer. In this way you will be likely to produce a 

 few bunches of large and well-matured grapes, 

 probably weighing as much as a large number of 

 ill-formed, scattering bunches, half of which never 

 get far enough to be covered with bloom. It cer- 

 tainly does seem a little savage to prune as closely 

 as the best cultivators direct — but the best results 

 flow from such a practice. 



It gives us pleasure to learn that your people 

 have attempted the cultivation of wheat, and that 

 there is a prospect that some will "try to raise 

 enough for their own use, after this." They must 

 not be discouraged, because the late season was 

 unfavorable for all the small grains. Wheat came 

 out as well as any of them. If managed judicious- 

 ly, it will be found a pro6table crop. 



The strawberry is easily cultivated, and every 

 family that has a few feet of land can have a sup- 

 ply, by taking a little pains. 



We would not recommend transplanting the 

 raspberry in the fall. Prepare the ground in the 

 autumn and have it ready for the plants in the 

 spring, and have plants as soon as they are entire- 

 ly free from frost. Land that will produce fifty 

 bushels of corn per acre, will bring good rasp- 

 berries, and a good mode of setting them is very 

 much as we plant a field of corn. If a slight stake 

 is set in each hill, and a string passed round the 

 whole, they are more easily tended, and perhaps 

 may be more prolific. 



For the Note England Farmer. 

 THE CULTIVATION OF GRAIN CROPS. 



STATEMENTS BY N. mTCUCOCK, DEERFIELD. 



Mr. Editor : — By request of one of your read- 

 ers, I submit the following revised and detailed 

 account of my corn, rye and oat crops. I should 

 have written a more full account at first, but 

 feared, perhaps, my room would be better than 

 my company in your valuable paper. 



There are several things to be considered, some 

 to my advantage, and some not. The land on 

 which these crops were raised is situated in the 

 Deerfield meadows, a common field of several 

 thousand acres, each man's lot distinguished by 

 bound stones ; these lots varying in size as well 

 as in price, it being valued from $50 to $175 per 

 acre. I am obliged to go, on average, li miles 

 to get to the land, taking food enough for man 

 and beast through the day, and by so doing, I 

 contend that a man accomplishes more in a day 

 than when the land is directly around the home- 

 stead, for we work early and late, and have but 

 little interruption. My team was two yoke of 

 steers and a horse ; the steers somewhat like a 

 boy, benefited by being worked. My labor reck- 

 oned at $19 per month, and board. It is consid- 

 ered a day's work here for a man to hoe and cul- 



tivate 1 acre the first time, 1^ the 2d and 3d 

 times ; cut and bind 1 acre of top stalks, pick 

 and husk 20 bushels of shelled corn and put in 

 the bin. In carting, I load both ways if possible 

 — carry a load of manure, bring home a load of 

 pumpkins, and take one or two loads of manure 

 in the morning, when we go to work for the day. 



STATEMENT OF OAT CROP. Dr. 



To 6.^ days' work, 1 man, 1 pair cattle, plowing 6 J acres. $9,50 

 To IJ " " " " " sowing e.J acres. ...3,00 



To 194 bu'hels of seed 8,39 



To part of the manure of the previous year 9,00 



To 6^ days' work cutting and carting 7,00 



To threshing 8,50 



To interest on land 24,00 



$06.39 



By 221 bushels of oats, at 43 cents, for 32 pounds $95,03 



By 4 tons of straw.. 36,C0 



$131,1-3 



STATEMENT OF RYE CROP. Dr. 



To plowing 3^ acres, at $1 per acre $3 50 



To sowing and seed 3,55 



To 4^ days' work cutting and carting 5,40 



To threshing .4,60 



To part of the manure from the corn crop 7,00 



To interest oa the land 18,00 



$42,05 

 Or. 



By 71 bushels of rye, at 80 cents per bushel $E6,80 



By 3 tons of straw, at $7,60 per ton 22,60 



$79,30 

 STATEMENT OF CORN CROP— SIX ACRES. 



Dr. 



To 17 days' work planting $17,03 



To 9 days' work of team, carting manure and plowing. . .10,f 3 



To 15 cords of manure, at $3 per cord 48.00 



To ashes and plaster 3,00 



To seed corn 1,25 



To 7 days' work hoeing, Ist time, at $1,20 per day 8,40 



To 5^ days' work hoeing, 2J time, at $1,20 per day 6,60 



To 6 days' work hoeinp, 3d time, at $1,33 per day 7,80 



To cutting weeds in corn 1,76 



To 6 days cutting top stalks, at $1,17 per day 5,85 



To I5 days' work, cutting corn fodder 1,75 



To 13i days, picking and husking corn 16,87 



To interest on land S4,00 



$162,80 

 Deduct I of manure 16,00 



$146,80 

 Cr. 



By 1088 bundles of stalks, at 1 J cents per bundle $13,60 



By 664 bundles of corn fodder 9,96 



By 1 ton of corn husks, for mattrass 12,C0 



By 256 bushels of corn, at 75 cents per bushel 192,00 



By 4 loads of pumpkins 4,00 



$231,56 



N. Hitchcock. 

 Deerfield, Mass., Sept., 1861. 



Fine Pears. — The finest collection of pears 

 we have seen this autumn were sent us by Ozias 

 Morse, Esq., and were grown in his grounds in 

 Cambridge, near Porter's Station. The basket 

 was ample, and the fruit as high flavored and per- 

 fect as any we saw last year. Some months since, 

 we spoke of having visited his grounds, of the 

 excellent condition of his trees, and promise of 

 fruit which they then afforded. The liberal pres- 

 ent now before us is the fruition of that promise. 

 Mr. Morse well understands the culture of the 

 pear, and is giving many excellent examples for 

 those not so skilful as himself. 



