iVlOORE’S  RURAL  I^EW-YORMER. 
4 
:!fariu  (ffonomii. 
CLOVER  AS  A  SUBSOILER. 
'I'liK  fact  i«  fr<»quently  uoticed  by  old  faniiorn 
that  heavy  ami  oniwcially  clayoy  land  rapidly  bo- 
oonieH  hard  and  compact  an  tlio  country  bo- 
comea  older,  and  virgin  noil  and  tho  mold  from 
dt!<'aying  Icavca  in  exhauntod.  Tor  the  firat 
few  yearn  after  cloiuing  tlm  land  no  <lillioully 
in  (.'xpcricnccil,  large  cro])B  of  wheat  and  other 
griniiK  are  growji.  and  tho  noil  woiuh  to  jnwnesa 
unlimited  fertility.  Farmoi's  who  judge  of  the 
strengtij  of  their  soil  by  its  abnndanoo  of  black 
loam  tliink  there  is  no  end  to  it.  The  soil,  also, 
for  awliilo  sceniB  dry  enough,  except.  perhapK.  in 
spring  and  fall.  After  a  while  Homething  is 
found  to  be  tho  niatter.  The  black  mold  on  tho 
surface  is  turned  ht  the  laittoin  of  tho  furrow, 
and  in  its  place  is  turnodnp  tho  clayey  soil  to  bo 
saturated  with  water  winter  and  H]nung,  and 
bake  niul  dry  in  s’Uiunor  hwls.  In  a  few  years 
the  li<dds  majd  underdraining  — or  lacking  l.liat  , 
are  eoM<leimied  iw  until  for  n  lioat  and  grain  crops, 
and  Heeded  to  grass  for  mearhiw  or  pasture. 
Yet  such  wills  arc  by  no  moans  so  poor  a.s  is 
gonerally  believed.  The  olcmonts  of  feilility 
arc  there;  hut  in  nnavailnlile  forms— locked  np 
in  clods  of  earth  which  roots  cannot  easily  peno- 
trate.  Tho  mechanical  condition  of  (lio  soil  is  at 
fault.  While  tho  land  was  newly  cleared  and 
nuidowod  a  thick  coat  of  loaf  mold  I'overed  and 
protocted  the  surfiicc.  Reneath  this  in  tho  sid)- 
soil  were  decayed  and  deca.v'ing  roots  of  trees, 
hesld»-.s  myriads  of  placo.s  whero  llio  roots  had 
decayed  age*  before,  forming  natiiriil  water 
coiu'sca  thiajugh  which  surjdiM  water  tmnlc  its 
escape.  No  matter  Irow  liurd  and  nnyiernieabJt' 
tlm  subsoil  Hecmcd,  it  was  permcatod  with  Ibeso 
holes,  so  that  if  you  dig  anywhero  in  the  hardest 
soil  liiree  feel  deep,  plaeo  all  (ho  earth  on  aboard 
HO  as  to  lose  none,  it  will  not  noarly  HU  tho  exca¬ 
vation.  In  making  i>ost  boles  wo  have  often 
found  that,  wsith  a  four-inch  and  fivo-incli  post., 
tlio  earth  taken  from  tlie  hole  would  not  till 
around  it,  and  the  same  e.xi.H.a'ienco  liolds  good 
with  drains.  This  excavated  soil  is  apiioi'cntly  1 
loo.ser,  and  is  really  mcao  permeable  tlian  origi-  i 
nally,  and  yet  it  is  evident  that  it  has  been  miido 
more  com])act  than  before.  It  will  hold  ]it']bu|is 
as  much  water;  but  cannot  give  it  free  vent 
ihrough  tlic  cbumiels  winch  nature  osiablished 
ages  and  ages  before.  Thus  (lie  land  becomes 
w ater*so:Uscd,  retaining  moi'-lurc.  rotimling  do- 
coniposKion,  and  geiicvaliug  acids  isiisonons  (o 
tlio  roots  and  plaiifs.  \i  ilu!  Kame  time  the  mir- 
faci!  soil,  being  uni.'rotcctcd  by  IViroHfs,  bnrim 
and  dries  in  tho  KniimiG'f'H  sun,  and  tho  vegotaMo 
matter  is  washed  away  hy  rains  or  evaporated  in 
the  atmuHj'licro,  Isisides  iK-iug  taken  nji  hy  grow¬ 
ing  crops.  Under  such  oirciiinsf aiu'os  it  is  no 
wonder  that  the  Hoil  becomes  cold,  '•  sour’' and 
unyiroiluctive.  Wliat  is  tire  remedy  ?  J 
A  few  years  ago  dcqi  yilowing  was  recom¬ 
mended  as  the  panacea  for  all  the  ills  lliat  soils 
are  heir  to.  Thousands  of  acres  were  perma-  I 
neutly  injured  by  injudicious  deep  ]ikiwing,  I 
throwing  I  lie  fertile  surface  soil  to  the  lH>ttomof  j 
a  dceji  fnn  ow,  and  bringing  tlic  cold  tjubsoil  1o 
(ho  surface.  This,  naturally,  didn't  work  well, 
and  next  we  were  told  Unit  the  subsoil  plow  was 
the  si>ecific,  loosening  tlio  subsoil,  iwlmitting  air 
and  moisture,  and  allowing  the  rools  to  strike 
clco]>er  tlian  they  otlx’rwise  would.  Homo  of 
these  objects  snhsoiling  will  secure ;  but.  wluui 
it  is  recommended  in  order  to  roniovo  surface 
water  and  give  a  chance  for  its  escape  to  th<.‘  suti- 
Hoil.  wo  protest.  Nothing  in  onr  exjieiicncc  or 
observation  contimis  (his  view.  Wo  liave  seen 
many  i?xperiment»  in  sulxsoiliug  uithont  any  | 
appreciable  ndvnntnge.  and  some  wiUi  decided  | 
injury  tn  the  soil,  lioth  plowing  and  subsoiling  I 
break  n|)  the  natural  water  drains  which  ha\o  , 
been  established  in  heavy  soil,  and  may  thus  eii-  | 
able  it  to  hold  more  water  in  a  moderately  wot  | 
season,  but  with  the  certainty  of  making  the  soil 
water-soaked  and  unproductivo  whenever  an  ex¬ 
cessively  wet  season  comes.  When  land  is  thor-  ' 
ougbly  underdrnined  thoBO  vrater  courses  re-es¬ 
tablish  themselves,  as  sin'iiluB  water  linds  vent 
through  tlio  drains;  bnt  it  isn’t  safe,  j'ot,  to  give 
general  advico  fitted  only  for  land  th.at  has  been 
imdordi'aiued.  In  tlie  few  instances  whero  snb- 
Hoiling  has  proved  benertcial,  tliey  have  probably 
been  followed  by  scaisonB  when  there  was  no 
moro  rfiin  than  (ho  subsoil  could  hold  witliout 
saturation.  In  such  ciweB  Biibsoiling  would  jirob- 
ably  prove  lienelicial,  as  tho  roots  of  jilants  can 
undoubtedly  more  easily  penetrate  soil  that  has 
been  loosened  tlian  that  which  has  not.  One 
other  advantage  of  anbsoiling*must  not  he  over¬ 
looked.  It  is  probably  tho  best  jiossihlo  prepar¬ 
ation  for  the  clover  plant,  enabling  its  root  to 
strike  deep  and  make  a  vigorous  growtli.  These  j 
largo  clovei*  roots  striking  into  the  subsoil  will 
speedily  re-establish  tho  closed  water  courses,  ' 
and  Icavo  tho  land  noarly  as  light  and  rich  as 
when  first  the  forest  was  cleared  from  its  sur¬ 
face. 
Clover,  after  all,  is  the  safest  and  best  sub- 
soiler.  In  its  decay  it  leaves  rich  plant  food. 
I  which  wheat  and  corn  and  otlior  roots  can  follow 
downward,  and,  after  every  particle  of  nutriment 
I  has  been  extract chI,  tho  “Jiolointhe  ground,” 
which  tho  clovor  root  loaves,  is  useful  as  a  drain. 
It  is  jHissiblc,  by  tbe  use  of  clover,  to  restoro  the 
soil  to  its  original  janirnsness,  and  so  dispense 
with  one-baif  tbn  nndordi'ainiug  otherwise 
deemed  necessary.  We  liehove  in  underdraining, 
llioiigh  it  is  costly  and  laborious  work ;  there¬ 
fore  wc  don't  believe  in  doing  more  iinderdi'nin- 
ing  Uian  is  absolutely  uccossiiry. 
j  Clovor  is  much  more  grown  on  fight,  gi’avclly 
;  or  sandy  wills  than  on  heavy  loams  or  clays. 
Farmers  on  these  last,  find  it  ditllcnlt  to  get  a 
good  catch.  The  reaHon  is  that  tho  hard,  cloddy 
.soil  is  inipoi'vions  to  clover  roots,  yet,  on  getting 
a  good  growth  of  clover  deiiends  all  hope  of  suc- 
ce,sB  in  renovating  tlie  soil.  All  the  nuumic  that 
I  can  ho  spartsl  should  be  aiipliod  to  the  young 
clover  to  eiicom'ago  a  vigorous  growth.  With 
eacli  succeeding  clover  crop  it  will  he  more  easy 
to  gL*t  a  good  growth,  and  the  clover  roots  will 
strike  deeper  into  tlie  subsoil.  Pcrhajis  as  a  prep¬ 
aration  for  a  clovor  crop  the  subsoil  plow  may 
'  do  good  service ;  but,  excejiting  for  tliis,  it  is 
I  much  bi'tter  to  tmst  clovor  alone  as  tho  true  and 
i  safest  snlisollor. 
- ♦<  »  - 
THE  ABSORBENT  POWER  OF  SOILS. 
8iu  IIuMi’HKny  Daw  was  the  first  chemist  that 
ever  gave  a  regular  course  of  lectures  on  agri¬ 
culture.  whieli  wer<'  in  the  first  and  second 
'  dciMulcs  of  Uiis  century,  liefore  tlai  British  lioard  i 
of  iigricnltni’e  in  tlio  city  of  Tjondon.  He  found  ' 
by  exiicrimcnt  tliat  1,000  pounds  of  a  “very 
*  fertile  soil  from  Easi,  Lothian,  made  perfectly 
dry,  gained  eighteen  pounds  wc-ight  in  an  hour." 
cx)s»Hcd  to  common  air  in  the  luty  named,  A 
very  fertile  soil  from  Somersetshire  gained  six¬ 
teen  imuiids  in  the  siune  lime.  A  sandy  soil 
from  Essex  gained  eleven  pounds.  A  soil  of  : 
Bagsliot  lioath  gained  only  three  pounds.  One  ^ 
hundi'ed  and  six  poimds  of  dry  qmu'tv;  sand  , 
jilaced  in  a  proper  vessel  absorbed  twenty-five  ' 
jiouuds  of  water  before  any  came  tluough  so  as  I 
to  dro]).  Uiilcaj-cous  sand  (that  from  lime  rock) 
took  np  twenty-nino  poiuids  of  water  before  I 
dropping.  A  loamy  soil,  forty  llis.  English  challc 
gained.  forty-fi\e  iHiimds;  clay  loam,  fifty 
poiuids;  pure  clay,  seventy  iHunids.  Hero  the  | 
pi-.iclical  liiriner  has  evidence  whore  a  reliable  j 
man  fonml  1015  iHuinds  of  pure  clay,  thorouglily 
di’ied,  (irobably  in  a  large  stove,  took  seventy 
pounds  of  water  before  i-nc  drop  passed  out  of 
it.  iSiicli  a  soD  is  t<K)  tenacious  of  water  iiiul  bss 
nil  excess  of  clay.  It  needs  underdraining,  and 
does  best  in  meadow  and  pasture.  A  mon; 
leamy.  open  soil  Oiat  will  hold  forty  yxiunds  of 
water  in  100  of  earth  is  besl,  for  all  tillage  pur¬ 
poses. 
Tho  common  chyuicss  or  dampness  of  the  a  tmos- 
])bore  is  an  important  factor  in  tho  problem  of 
fertility  and  plant  growlli.  A  mixture  of  vege¬ 
table  mold,  sand,  red  clay  and  lime  salts,  made  ' 
pervious  to  the  air  by  the  use  of  the  plow  and  I 
other  implements  of  tillage,  has  generally  given  . 
the  host  rctuins  in  ciops,  and  di'awn  the  most  ■ 
moisture  and  plant  food  from  tho  ever-moving 
atmosphere. 
Plants  and  animals,  when  they  die  and  rot,  (ill 
tho  air  with  fcrtilixing  gases:  .and  (he  cnltivalor  ' 
of  tho  soil  wants  to  learn  how  lie  may  draw  inn-  ; 
nuro  from  tlio  inexhansi.ilde  storehouse  with  (he 
least  trouble  and  exjieiise.  Perfect  tillage,  to  ' 
condense  these  fertili/Ing  gaBcs  and  v.apors  in  ' 
the  poics  of  tlie  soil,  is  the  first,  step  in  this 
direction.  All  plants  that  grow  on  dead  trees, 
rail  and  iilank  fences,  rock  and  stones,  are  very 
cellular  and  porous.  In  the  granite  wilderness 
of  northern  New  York,  deer,  moose  and  ell{  | 
subsist  fhi'ongh  li  mg  and  cold  winters  on  moss, 
which  must  conialn  all  tho  clement  of  tlieii-  Hosh,  | 
bones  and  blood.  Gov.  Rcymonr  shot  a  moose, 
of  large  sisse,  which  in  oiir  view  of  tho  animal  | 
stands  out  Isildly  tlie  representaive  of  fertiUty.  in 
a  sterile  region,  between  almost  naked  granite  I 
and  what  may  bo  regarded  as  excei>tionally  piu’e  ^ 
ah'  surrounding  l.liis  primitive  crystalline  rock,  j 
Buffalo  and  huge  elephants  once  grazed  in  j 
Tennessee,  the  niunistakahle  tyiioB  of  great 
friiitfiUncss  of  soil. — Xatioml  Granger. 
- - 
PLOWS  AND  PLO’WING. 
In  times  past  farmers  have  thought  any  plow 
good  enough  that  would  cut  a  wide  furrow  and 
mu  level.  Dnt  wo  n<»tico  more  hiquiry  of  late,  I 
and  the  huttcr  class  of  cultivatiirs  are  exiieri-  j 
menting  with  all  the  new  inventiona  in  hopes  of 
finding  otu'  plow  that  combines  all  tho  merits, 
and  none  of  the  defects  so  conunoii  to  almost  all 
now  in  use.  We  have  had  several  very  good 
working  plows,  so  long  as  we  could  keep  them  ' 
bright  and  have  them  scour;  but  a  damp  day 
or  two  with  plow  not  in  use,  or  even  eometiines  , 
if  left  out  over  rright  in  damp  weather,  and  it 
could  not  ho  made  to  scour  all  day  in  our  black, 
clay  loam  soils.  Oue-horse  plows,  espetuaUy  in  ' 
line,  well-xvorked  ground,  would  scarcely  evcir  |  \ 
seonr — not  doing  good  work.  and.  of  course,  '  i 
drawing  hard.  In  sheer  deaiieration  we  have 
ti-icd  every  plow  recommended  by  the  seller,  on  | 
condition  that  if  it  scoured  we  would  pay  for  it, 
and  if  not,  return.  Home  steel  plows  would  do 
pretty  well,  but  on  certain  Roils  in  a  dry,  mellow 
conditi'Ui  tliey  would  clog.  Last  sjirhig  a  x'ory 
bomely  plow,  made  at  Albion,  51ioh.,  by  the  Gale 
Mannfiurtiuing  Co,  was  reoommeudod  by  a  party 
selling  it  here,  and  we  .took  it  home,  without  the 
least  idoa  ol  lieing  able  to  use  it.  Wo  tried  it,  and 
keiit  trying  it,  but  have  never  found  a  place 
where  it  would  not  scour,  even  though  left  wet 
a  week  it  docs  not  rust  deep,  but  will  scorn-  the 
lu'st  rod — the  surface  being  lUude  so  very  hard 
that  there  seems  to  lio  no  \voar  to  it,  and  the  mat 
cannot  get  hold.  Wc  have  since  socn  anotlier 
make  of  chill-hiudcncd  )i1owb  that  works  nearly 
as  well.  These  <'liiB-h.aiiloncd  cast  iron  plows 
must  supercede  all  i^licrs  on  black,  stiek-y  soils. 
A  light,  two-horse  plow  of  this  kind  runs  quite  as 
easy  for  oinvhorse  as  an  ordinary  cast-iron  plow 
for  t  wo,  and  does  nmoli  better  work.  Wo  have 
decided  to  liiscard  all  onr  old  cnst-ii'on  plows  and 
substitute  (hose  instead.  J.  B.  .Tones. 
hocliesuir,  N.  y. 
BKCEIPTS. 
5CV  bn.  shelled  corn,  at  75c . j42  J9 
2V  tons  corn  fodder .  13  5o_  55  59 
or  $9  per  acre.  ‘ '  ’  * 
EXPERIMENTS  WITH  CORN. 
Reading  an  arUcIo  in  a  recent  number  of  the 
Rpkal  Nkw-Vouker  under  the  heading  of  “  An 
Expeiimcnt  with  Corn,"  reminded  me  of  my 
;  fatlier’s  exporiciicc  wi<li  corn  for  (lie  past  few 
I  years.  My  story  is  .as  follows :  -Two  years  ago 
last  spring  1  askod  my  fatber  what,  kind  of  corn 
be  intended  to  iilant.  ••  Tlio  same  kind  I  did  last 
year, ”  answered  ho.  "Now."  said  1.  “if  I  wac 
in  your  ))lace,  1  xvonld  jilant  a  diircrent  liind. 
Undo  Ims  a  juetty  good  kind  ;”  and  I  told  father 
tliiit  J  bad  bought  and  brought  home  some  for 
!  him  to  plant.  1  showed  it  ty  him.  He  said  he 
I  (lid  nol  like  that  land  and  would  not  jilant  it. 
^  ••  Well,”  thonglitl  to  myself.  “  it  will  make  good 
cliicken  feed  anyway,”  and  I  used  it  for  that  pifr- 
pose.  He  planted  the  same  old  kind  lie  had  for 
years,  giving  it  ordinary  culture.  From  the  field 
I  of  three  acres  the  result  was  a.s  follows: 
KXl'ENBES. 
Plowing  ahti  harrowing . $10^60 
I  Marking  and  planting . 5 
(  'ultlvatlng  and  hoeing .  15  00 
I  . . .  ‘'SO 
JtuBklug.... . .  _ 
nunnstlng  fodder . .3  no 
Total  cost . 25 
KKCKIPTS. 
Two  and  one-fourth  Ions  corn  fodder .  13  fio 
or'*K.35  per  acre. 
Well,  tho  next  spring,  awhile  before  planting 
time,  J  asked  father  wliat  kind  of  corn  lie  iu- 
tended  to  plant.  “Well,”  said  he,  “J  guess  1 
shall  plant  tho  kind  you  raised  in  the  garden  last 
year.”  (1  had  planl<‘d  a  package  of  early  market 
corn— a  very  emly  variety — ^for  tho  ptu-pose  of 
having  green  corn  curly.  This  variety  grows 
from  tlireo  to  five  feet  high,  the  ears  averaging 
five  or  six  inches  in  length.)  •  •  I  want  to  raise  a 
little  corn  this  year  if  I  can.” 
“  Why.”  said  1,  “  that  kind  is  not  worth  plant¬ 
ing  as  a  field  vaiiety.” 
“  Well.”  said  he,  “I  liaven’t  any  other  kind  to 
plant,  and  I  lun  a  going  to  get  a  barrel  of  pbos- 
])liates  to  put  on  it.  so  I  guess  it  will  do  prctly 
well.” 
Widl.  bo  i>lanti'd  it,  applying  llic  superphos- 
pbatc  with  coiiJiderable  care.  Tbo  corn  grew  so 
fast,  tassclod  and  oarisl  out  so  early,  that  it  at¬ 
tracted  tho  attention  of  the  neigliliors.  They 
wanted  to  know  what  kind  of  corn  he  hud  plant¬ 
ed.  I  told  them  it  was  tho  early  s/wrf  kind.  Tliey 
thouglit  it  was.  Well,  that  corn  got  ripe,  and 
from  tho  field  of  l.Y  acres,  the  result,  was  as 
follows: 
expenses. 
flowing  and  haiTowliig. . . $4  37 
Martcing  and  planting .  2  19 
guporphosphiite .  li  60 
(’ulrtvaUng  and  hoeing .  6  26 
cnutng . . .  1  87 
Husking . 1  87 
Harvesting  fodder .  1  25 
J  Father  is  a  farmer  of  about  forty  years’  e.xpe- 
rionce,  does  not  read  agricultnra!  bcaiks  or  papers 
a  great  deal,  being  somewhat  old-foBliioned  in 
his  way  of  fumiing.  I  am  scarcely  more  than  a 
I  boy.  have  always  lived  nt  home,  working  as  farm- 
I  ers'  boys  generally  do.  and  a  shtirt  time  before 
my  story  commences  had  subscribed  for  the  Ru- 
I  RAi,  New-Yorker  and  read  ngricultnial  books 
some,  jiicking  up  what  information  1  could  in 
regard  to  modern  ways  of  fanning.  Had  father 
;  planted  the  same  variety  of  coni  the  first  t  wo  sea¬ 
sons  that  ho  did  (he  last,  I  haven't  the  least  doubt 
but  that  it  would  have  yielded  as  well  the  first 
two  Heasoiis  as  it  did  tho  last.  AlJoxving  this  to 
.  Ih.'  the  case,  it  will  be  seen  that  (be  real  loss  for 
tlio  txvo  seasons  was  5'<!t)..'50 — an  item  of  no  small 
importance.  Aid  I  have  coinc  to  (he  conclusion 
that  it  does  not  jmy  tho  Larmcr  to  farm  it  in  the 
same  old  way,  year  after  year,  bnt  that  it  does 
I  pay  liiin  to  try  experiments,  I'cad  agricultural 
Ixioks,  and  take  the  RpraI/  New-Y'ouker. 
iorjifl  Farmer. 
Aiignsla,  Oneida  t  o.,  N.  Y. 
I'ue  above  experience  reminds  us  of  a  story 
wlilcli,  without,  meaning  any  disrespect  to  any 
j  one,  wc  must  tell  A  fanner  had  been  greatly 
j  ti'oiililed  by  a  mis<*bievouK  sow  which,  evt'iw morn¬ 
ing  at.  daylight,  was  found  to  Jiavc  mysteriously 
I  convoyed  herself  into  (he  com  field.  No  break 
I  *’!■  ffsp  appeared  in  the  fiiiec,  and  how  the  animal 
got  throngli  or  over  wuk  a  mysteiy.  YVatching 
I  carefully  one  day,  tho  farmer  saw  the  sow  dclil> 
erately  entiw  u  hollow  log  of  some  length,  one 
end  of  which  crooked  tlu'oligli  the  fence.  The 
mystery  was  solved  and  the  farmer,  instead  of 
,  moving  the  log.  tried  tlio  experiment  of  building 
I  the  fence  so  that  Ix.dh  ends  were  ontsido  tho  field. 
I  Tlic  next  morning  fho  fanner  secreted  himself 
where  lie  could  waieh  the  rosnlt.  In  stepped 
piggy  as  usual,  hut  11  moment  after  emerged  at 
the  other  cud.  on  tlio  fcrrmg  side  of  the  fence. 
With  a  gnnit  of  astonislimcnt.  the  sow  deliber¬ 
ately  walked  to  the  other  end  and  rejieated  tho 
I  operation.  With  a  bewildered  and  amazed  look, 
,  first  at  1 1 10  log  and  then  at  tbe  fence,  jiiggy  started 
on  a  brisk  trot,  for  the  pen,  and  no  amount  of 
(hiving  could  ever  bring  her  near  (bat  part  of  the 
field  again. 
Tlicrc  arc  a  good  many  farmers  who,  unlike  our 
cuj'iespondent,  will  conlinne  growing  a  crop  year 
after  year,  though  every  time  tho  final  rcHiilt  is 
.  being  on  the  w  rong  aide  of  the  fence.  1  f  a  fnimcr 
will  not  discard  unprofitable  crops,  miproiitable 
!  varieties  of  grain,  nnprofitablQ  Kb.ick  and  imple¬ 
ments,  is  it  not  fair  to  say  of  him  that  he  does 
not  know  as  much  as  an  ordinarily  sensible  bog  ? 
Two  years  is  long  enough  for  a  man  to  grow  a 
crop  which,  in  ordinary  seasons,  will  not  pay  the 
expense  of  itn  production. 
- - — 
SOME  LARGE  CORN  YIELDS. 
Wherever  there  was  enough  warm  weather 
the  jiast  season,  the  ci'O)}  of  corn  was  enormous. 
There  seems  to  have  been  a  large  growth  of 
stalks  noarly  everywhere,  but  in  some  localities 
the  gi-aiii  failed  to  ripen.  The  Missoiui  Pairons 
of  Hnsbandi'y  offea-d  a  premium  of  $200  for  the 
host  corn  crop.  Fifteen  farmers  competed  for 
the  prize,  and  the  number  of  acres  and  yield  per 
acre  in  cars,  are  given  below  : 
.  ,,  Acres.  Bu.  per  Acre. 
.Jno.  ]*.  Martin . 45  II5 
Vincent  Murmaduko .  20  105 
A.  Suody .  80  100 
Jno- Spears... .  so  loo 
W.  B.  JoJinsiou . 20  108 
ti.J.  Ralph .  80  100 
M.  A.  Gualdiu . ...60  07 
Robt.  SirULh .  50  97 
Jno.  Robin-son .  80  93 
Dand  CockrIU .  12  66 
Jno.  Stoler .  40  86 
Beni.  H.  Hawpe .  20  77 
Crafg  Hays. ...  — . .  20  75 
M.  T.  Chartaln .  12  75 
Total  cost . J29  40 
RECEIPTS. 
15ji<  bu.  shelled  corn,  at  80c . $12  40 
One  ton  corn  fodder .  6  00—  18  40 
lAlSS .  $6  (Ml 
or  $4.80  per  acre. 
YVcll,  last  spring,  awhile  before  idanting  time, 
I  asked  father  again  what  kind  of  cornhciiiteudod 
to  plant.  “Well.”  said  he,  “  I  guess  I  shall  plant 
your  tmele’s  kind” — ^tho  same  kind  I  had  tried  to 
have  him  plant  two  years  liefore — “  one  of  tho 
neighbors  raised  it  last  year  and  liked  it  pretty 
well,  so  I  guoss  I  shall  plant  that  kind.”  So  he 
planted  that  kind,  and  from  tho  field  of  3}^  acres 
tho  result  was  as  followB : 
E-XPENSES. 
Plowing  .ind  han'owlng .  $7  87 
Marking  and  planting .  3  94 
Cult  ivating  and  hoeing . 11  25 
Cutting .  a  87 
ITiisktng .  c  75 
Harvesting  fodder .  2  25 
Total  cost . $35  43 
Tho  Western  Farm  Joxu'iial.  commenting  on 
those  results,  says “  In  one  case  only  was  ma¬ 
nure  used ;  some  of  the  crops  were  plowed  only 
twice  and  rolled  and  harrowed  each  once  ;  some 
were  plowed  foiu'  times  and  hoed  once;  some 
were  worked  willi  cnltivatur,  and  some  with  tho 
plow  filono.  The  jilowing  was  not  deeji— only 
four  or  five  inches ;  in  sonic  cases  the  grain  was 
planted  in  diills.  5^4  foot  apart  and  12  to  20  inehes 
in  tJie  diil].s :  in  others  it  was  planted  in  hills  33^ 
feet  apait  each  way.  Tlie  record  states  that  the 
premiiun  crop  of  124  hushcls  per  aiiic,  exhibited 
(  by  Ml'.  A.  F.  Brown,  was  raised  on  old  ground 
broken  up  five  inches  deep  once,  laid  off  and 
planted  without  being  hai'rowed— the  graiirbciug 
ch'illed  20  inches  distant  in  tho  rows  and  the  rows 
3}4  feet  apart,  and  covered  with  a  hoe.  When  it 
came  up  it  was  harrowed,  then  rolled,  xvorked 
twice  with  a  cultivator  and  “laid  hy”  with  a  plow 
by  throwing  tbe  soil  to  the  stalks.  It  is  fair  to 
presume  that  these  figures  would  be  reduced 
about  20  per  cent,  if  the  com  was  rc-weighed  in 
the  spring.  We  suppose  it  was  weighed,  although 
the  fact  is  uot  stated.” 
