1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



59 



Eoitigated, if not altogether prevented, by inocu- 

 lation. The disease has also appeared in New 

 South Wales. AVcll may our people be grateful 

 that we escaped this terrible scourge with so little 

 loss. The prompt energy of our State govern- 

 ment saved a vast amount of property to our cit- 

 izens. 



For tlie New England Farmer. 



THE EELATrVE VALUE OP DIFFER- 

 ENT VARIETIES OF CORN". 



Mb. Brown : — Corn being the subject of dis- 

 cussion at a late meeting of our "Farmer's Club," 

 it was stated that there was a great difference in 

 the weight and measure of different kinds ; it was 

 also contended that as much could be obtained 

 from a bushel of ears of twelve-rowed as of eight ; 

 to settle the questions, a committee was chosen and 

 instructed to weigh and measure different samples 

 of corn, keep an accurate account of the same, and 

 make return to the club. 



The committee attended to their duty faithfully, 

 providing themselves with a bushel basket, (not 

 sealed, but holding sixty pounds of potatoes when 

 even full,) a half bushel measure, sealed, and a set 

 of scales; tliey proceeded to the residences of far- 

 mers' in different sections of the town. Their 

 manner of procedure was to select sound, hand- 

 some corn on the ear, sufficient to fill the basket 

 after being thoroughly shaken down, until the corn 

 was even with top of rim at the sides, and slight- 

 ly crowning in the middle ; this was weighed, af- 

 ter which the weight was ascertained of the corn 

 carefully shelled; then the half-bushol measure 

 was filled with the shelled corn, which was weighed. 

 This result was not entirely satisfactory, as in some 

 instances the cobs were somewhat green and the 

 corn moist ; it will be repeated in April. It may 

 not be generally known that a measure of damp 

 corn will weigh less than if filled with dry. 



The result of the committee's labor is here an- 

 nexed : 



No. 1—1 bushel basket of ears 8 rowed corn weighed.... 45;!^ lbs. 



Cob of same weighed t) " 



Whole amount of shelled corn weighed 36 ?^ " 



^^ bushel of " " " 29 " 



No. 2 — 1 basket of ears 12 rowed Button com weighed. ..46^':^ lbs. 



Cob of same weighed 9'^ " 



Whole amount of shelled corn weighed 37 ^a " 



>i bushel of " " " 28>4 " 



No. 3 — 1 basket 8 rowed white and yel. mixed weighed. .43?;^ lbs. 



Cob of same weighed 7?i " 



Whole amount of shelled corn weighed 36 " 



3^ bushel of " " " 29>4 " 



No. 4—1 basket 12 rowed Button corn weighed 45}-^ lbs. 



Cob of same weighed 8 " 



Whole amount of shelled corn weighed 37,'|' " 



■^bushel of " " " 28 >^ " 



No. 5—1 basket 8 rowed "King Philip" corn weighed. . .47^^ lbs. 



Cob of same weighed 9 " 



Whole amount of shelled corn weighed 38?^ " 



1^ bushel of " " " 283^" 



No. 6^1 basket 12 rowed "Hyde" corn weighed 45 lbs. 



Cob of same weighed 9 " 



Whole amount of shelled corn weighed 36 " 



3i bushel of " " " 28%" 



No. 7 — 1 basket 8 rowed yellow corn weighed 47?^ lbs. 



Cob of same weighed 8 " 



Whole amount of shelled corn weighed 39?^" 



}^ bushel of " " " 29/4" 



No. 8 — 1 basket 12 rowed "Button" corn weighed 48 lbs. 



Cob of same weighed 7M " 



Whole amount of shelled corn weighed 40'.< " 



« bushel of " " " 29iii " 



No. 9 — 1 basket 8 rowed "Canada Improved" corn 505:^ lbs. 



Cob of same weighed 8 '4 " 



Whole amount of shelled corn weighed 42'^ " 



3< bushel of " " " 30|^ " 



Whole amount measured 22 j^ quarts. 



Taking the first 8 samples the average weight 

 of the eight and twelve-rowed corn is as follows : 



Corn on the Cob. 



Four samples of 8 rowed corn, average weight 46'^ lbs. 



12 " " " " 49,'i « 



Whole Amount Shelled. 



Four samples of 8 rowed corn, average weight 37 13-16 lbs. 



" " 12 " " " " 37 13-]^ " 



Half Bushel Shelled. 



Four samples of 8 rowed corn, average weight 29 lbs. 



" " 12 " " " " 28 13-16 " 



WEiom OP CoB. 



Four samples of 8 rowed corn, average weight 8 7-16 lbs. 



" " 12 " " " " 8 7-16 " 



It appears that the average weight of the first 

 eight samples is almost precisely the same, going 

 to prove that Avhich is not generally credited, that 

 twelve-rowed corn will produce as much, bushel 

 for bushel, on the cob, as the eight-rowed. 



Sample No. 9 being of the Canada improved va- 

 riety, so far exceeds in product an;/ of the other 

 lots, that it is not included in the average. 



Henry H. Peters. 



Southboro% Dec. 21, 1861. 



WANT OF SOCIABILITY AMONG 

 FARMERS. 



We hear great complaints among the farmers 

 in our rural districts of the secluded life in which 

 they live for the want of that good neighborly so- 

 ciability to M'hich they had been accustomed in 

 their "old homes." This is, of all others, the last 

 kind of complaints that should arise ; and all that 

 is needed in every community to bring about the 

 needed reform, is for the residents in each neigh- 

 borhood to tlu'ow ofl" that cold formality and re- 

 serve, and visit each other in the true spirit of 

 kindness, and make known the value of social in- 

 tercourse. The loss to every community where 

 thei"e are no neighborly visits made from house to 

 house, cannot be computed in dollars and cents, 

 for not only is there a pecuniary loss to a large 

 amount, by reason of a non-exchange of the gen- 

 eral information upon farming topics, but there is 

 a loss of intellectual and moral wealth, and of the 

 highest social amenities of life that can never be 

 estimated, and when lost can never be recovei-ed. 

 It is to be hoped that those who have felt the 

 Avant of this liigher life, will not permit the pres- 

 ent winter to pass away without making an effort 

 to establish each in his own circle a series of fiiend- 

 ly family visitings. — California Farmer. 



U. S. Agricultural Society. — On Thursday, 

 January 9, the United States Agricultural Soci- 

 ety, in session at Washington, re-elected Presi- 

 dent Hubbard, Secretary Poore, Treasurer French, 

 and nearly all the old Vice Presidents. The Ex- 

 ecutive Committee was re-organized, and consists 

 of Marshall P. Wilder, of Massachusetts, Fred. 

 Sraythe, of New Hampshire, Isaac Newton, of 

 Pennsylvania, Charles B. Calvert, of Maryland, Le 

 Grand Byington, of Iowa, J. II. Sullivan, of Ohio, 

 and ]M. Myers, of California. 



