CALIFORNIA FARMING. 
141 
five loads of scrapings of the bottoms of char¬ 
coal pits, 30 bushels poudrette, five bushels of 
ashes, and four bushels of plaster, thoroughly 
mixed together. This compost remained seven 
days, and was then tossed over and left for 
eight days, at the end of which time, it was put 
upon the ground in a high state of fermentation. 
As a load was spread, the harrow was passed 
immediately over it, to prevent the escape of 
the gases. The seed was drilled in on the 25th 
of June—harvested in the month of October. 
Expenses of plowing sod, $4.00 
Harrowing and light plowing, without 
moving sod, 3.00 
Harrowing in manure, 1-00 
Spreading manure, 2.00 
Two pounds of seed, at 75 cts. per pound, 1.50 
Drilling in seed, 1-00 
Horse and man with steel-toothed cul¬ 
tivator, 3.00 
Thinning and hoeing seven days, at 75 
cents a day, 5.25 
Harvesting into cellar 14 days, 10.00 
Interest on land, valued at $100 per 
acre, 14.00 
$33.75 
1,800 bushels, at 12£ cents, $225.00 
Net profit, $191.25 
I have taken the low rate of one shilling per 
bushel, as it appears like a large story at that; 
but, in truth, I am receiving for 500 bushels, 
18 cents, and retailing as many as I can spare 
at 25 cents per bushel, which would very much 
enlarge the amount. Valentine H. Hallock. 
Northeast Centre , Feb., 1851. 
The above is the actual result of one of our 
best practical farmers, in old Dutchess county. 
We hope it will not frighten anybody from 
doing likewise, now that it is recorded in a 
book. Carrots are also much raised in this 
county. Will any of our good friends there 
give us an account similar to Mr. Hallock’s of 
their experience in this crop ? 
-►©-•- 
CORN AND APPLES, 
Some years ago, my father was in Dutchess 
county, and saw some nice corn, and took with 
him to Long Island, a few ears to plant, but 
forgot it in the following spring, until two weeks 
after his other corn was planted. He then 
planted it, and had corn to boil two weeks ear¬ 
lier than from his first planting. The next year, 
it was but little earlier, and the third year he 
could perceive no difference. 
This reminds me of the Baden corn, and our 
old friend, Thorburn’s Chinese tree corn; and 
about which there were so many contradictory 
reports. According to the various statements, 
they were both very early, and very late, 
medium in ripening, and by some, highly ex¬ 
tolled, and by others bitterly condemned. 
Some attribute the late ripening of corn, 
mainly to the quality of food given it, without 
taking into view the difference of latitude where 
it grew, and where it was planted. Corn plant¬ 
ed either north or south from where it grows, 
will ripen either earlier or later, as the case 
may be, which has led many into error, in re¬ 
gard to the quality of different varieties. 
Apples .—A neighbor of mine, who has paid 
much attention to the culture of fruit, (in West¬ 
chester county, N. Y.,) recently informed me 
that his Vanderveer apples had, of late years, 
become so poor and worthless, that he thought 
of cutting down most of the trees. He had both 
young and old trees, growing in different soils 
and situations, and the produce was all alike. He 
also stated, that several years ago, his golden 
pippins were very poor and worthless, and 
greenings also; but both kinds are now doing 
better, and produce good fruit. The Newton 
pippins have produced very poorly, and the 
fruit has been quite indifferent for a number of 
years. I am not aware that his trees showed 
any marked difference in their appearance, at 
the different periods alluded to. It would be in¬ 
teresting to know whether these peculiarities 
have marked the above varieties in other sec¬ 
tions of the country. W. 
CALIFORNIA FARMING-. 
A correspondent from San Francisco thus 
writes us: f. Although everything of the grass 
kind gets parched here in the dry season, still 
it is a first-rate farming country. It is only ap¬ 
parently dry. Dig down three or four inches, 
and the ground is moist enough. We have only 
to plant in the proper season; the crops then 
get a good start, and however dry it may be 
after that, they grow well, owing to the reten¬ 
tion of the moisture a little below the surface. 
Any quantity of the best and largest vegetables 
I ever saw are grown here. I Aveighed a flat 
turnip, last evening, and found it 30£ lbs.; a cab¬ 
bage head 30 lbs.! Just think of that! Po¬ 
tatoes are proportionably large, dry and 
mealy. One of my friends planted 30 acres at 
Bodega, 60 miles up the coast; only plowed 
them once after they were up—did not hoe 
them at all, and yet he got at the rate of nearly 
