130 MY FARM. 



average corn crop grown upon light soils at the East, 

 will cost the producer four years out of five, ten per 

 cent, more than the market price of the Western 

 grain. In this estimate, I make due allowance for 

 the value of the stalks and blades for forage. 



I shall enter into no array of figures for the sake 

 of proving this point ; figures can be made to prove, 

 or seem to prove so many things. And however 

 clearly the fact might be demonstrated, there are 

 two classes at least, upon whom the demonstration 

 would have no effect; the first being those over- 

 shrewd old men, who keep unflinchingly to their 

 accustomed ways, counting their own labor for little 

 or nothing (in which they are not far wrong) ; and 

 the other class consisting of those retired gentlemen 

 who bring so keen a relish for farming to their work, 

 that they rather enjoy producing a crop at a cost of 

 twice its market value. I heartily wish I were able 

 to participate in such pleasant triumphs. 



But if the economy of maize growing for the 

 grain product be questionable, there can be no ques- 

 tion whatever of cultivating the crop as a forage 

 plant, for green cutting, and for soiling purposes. 

 In no way can a full supply of succulent food be fur- 

 nished more cheaply for a hei'd of cows, during the 

 heats of August and September. For this object, I 

 have found the best results in drilling eighteen 



