have made any less corn, but the after crops of grass 
and the first crop after breaking again, (the crop of 
this year,) in my opinion would have been materially 
and most essentially lessened. 
It is natural and easy to imbibe the opinion that 
whatever is most convenient and most easily done in 
our farm operations, is as well if not better than any 
other way. In many localities, the nature of the soil 
is such that it would be not only inconvenient but ut¬ 
terly impossible to draw out their manure in the spring 
time. This is the case on all wet clayey lands, and it 
is a matter of necessity to leave the manure in the 
yards until autumn ; and when it is applied it must go 
upon the surface if spread broadcast, or otherwise put 
into the hill for a corn crop, on account of the coldness 
of the soil, and thus the owners adopt the opinion of 
surface manuring with rotten manure. It may be the 
best for them, but not so on sandy loams or any other 
dry friable soils. 
Importance of Deep Plowing. 
I am a believer in deep tillage. Not at one plow¬ 
ing to turn up five to seven inches of subsoil that the 
plow has never reached before, but gradually, three 
inches at a time, until we get the desired depth, which 
with me is from ten to twelve inches. There may be 
localities and soils where this process would be of no 
advantage; but such soils are few and far between in 
the section of country where I reside. 
Use of Commercial Fertilizers. 
I am an unbeliever in most of the concentrated im¬ 
ported manures—the guanos, phosphates, superphos¬ 
phates, &c. They may be beneficial to some crops, but 
they are not economical in my opinion, unless in market 
gardening, or upon crops near the places where these 
manures can be purchased and used without much 
freight charges. They cost too much, and then the 
risk of getting an inferior and an adulterated article. 
Let any farmer who is disposed to purchase largely of 
these special fertililizers, expend one half the cost in 
increasing the manure on his farm, by resorting to the 
means at his command, and he will find a cheaper way 
to enrich his lands than to expend his money for im¬ 
ported manures. 
Gypsum and unleached ashes will pay their cost on 
my crops, and these are the only special fertilizers I 
use. 
The manure made on the farm is, and ever must be 
the main reliance to keep up a high fertility of the 
soil. It is a ihino of wealth to the farmer. Without 
it we cannot long make it a remunerative business. 
With it, used with judgment and discretion, we can 
realize any reasonable amount of profits. 
Expense of tine Corn Crop. 
Now as to the expense of a corn crop. By as close 
an account as can be conveniently arrived at for seve¬ 
ral years past, (without counting anything for the ma¬ 
nure made on the farm, except the labor of putting 
materials into the yards and compost heap, shoveling 
it over, and hauling and spreading,) we find it to be on 
the average $28 per acre. The expense will vary, as 
some acres receive more labor by way of hauling more 
manure, being a greater distance to haul it, or applying 
more gypsum and ashes to some than to others; and 
the expense of harvesting and shelling is in some mea¬ 
sure increased by the proportion of yield; but take 
one year with another as the crop grows with me, the 
cost is as above stated. The more bushels per acre, 
less the cost per bushel; thus it becomes important to 
increase the yield to the utmost extent. 
The crop of this year, recently harvested, numbers 
twelve acres, and the yield is 1,860 bushels in the 
ear. Allowing two of ears to make one shelled, and it 
gives 77^ bushels to the acre. The corn grew in three 
separate fields—the one of them more highly manured 
than either of the others—the largest yield being 180, 
and the smallest 136 bushels in the ear, to the acre. 
But by way of estimate I must cut down this measure¬ 
ment to where it will stand the test in the half bushel 
measure,or the standard weight,or these tests will unde¬ 
ceive me. There were a few bushels of soft corn thrown 
out after the basket measurement in the field, and the 
shrink or drying away of the corn before it is merchan¬ 
table, will tell fractionally against two ears making 
one of shelled, next March or April. It is reasonable 
to deduct about 100 bushels in the ear for loss in 
shrinkage and soft corn. By former measurement of 
the cribs, as shelled from them in past years, this al¬ 
lowance will leave it rather in favor of the estimated 
shelled measurement than otherwise. I think it safe 
to call it 880 bushels when dry enough to shell and be 
saleable, or a fraction over 73 bushels to the acre, 
average. Thus it has cost me within a fraction of 38| 
cents per bushel to grow this crop, without counting 
the interest on land at $100 per acre in value, the 
taxes, fencing, rent and out-buildings to house the 
crop, and farm manure. The last item should not be 
taken into account, as it is the offal of the farm, and 
rightly belongs to the soil. By adding 10£ cents more 
per bushel to the expense of raising, and counting the 
shuck or fodder at what it is worth for winter forage 
which will pay the interest on land, the whole cost is 
told ; leaving the value of the grain above 49 cents per 
bushel as net profit. It is now worth here just 80 cents, 
leaving 31 cents per bush, net—a highly profitable crop. 
But this year is an exception ; the season has been pro¬ 
pitious, and prices are favorable and satisfactory. It 
is considerably above the average of years for corn 
growing, and the expense has been lessened thereby. 
I do not think, take one year with another, that corn 
can be grown on the best of our lands in this section, 
expenses all told, for less than from 55 to 60 cents per 
bushel. J. W. Colborne. Springfield ,, Vt., Oct., ’58- 
Cur© for the Bots. 
Draw a cord tightly around the neck, or sufficiently 
so to raise the vein ; then make an incision, taking 3 
half pints of blood from the horse, to which add one 
half-pint offine salt. Put thesame inabottle,and drench 
the horse before it cools. The bots loose their hold upon 
the horse to eat of the blood, while the blood and salt 
act as a purge to carry off the bots. G. H. M. Will~ 
iamette , O. T. 
-- 
Cure for Ringbone. 
Messrs. Editors — I observe a call for a cure of 
Ringbone. The following can be relied on:—Equal 
preparation of oil of spike, British oil, and turpentine, 
mixed, with an infusion of liquid vitriol sufficient for 
fomentation—to be applied immediately—and remixed 
and applied every other morning, for three successive 
times—after which soft oil k of some kind should be used 
to suspend the cauterizing effect. J. K. w. 
