268 
without knowing the beautiful truths, which the farmer 
ought to know, because he is a farmer; and which the 
young man aspiring to a profession ought to know, that 
he may intelligently settle upon his course of life. 
Two years ago, excuse might be urged that we had no 
suitable text book. But now, Prof. Norton’s admirable 
“ Elements of Scientific Agriculture,” leave no place for 
that objection. This book has met with higher praise 
than I can bestow upon it, but I cau say that such is its 
admirable simplicity of style, and so logical is its arrange¬ 
ment. that in the course of some considerable experience 
as a teacher—I have never used so satisfactory a text 
book on any subject. 
An} 7 pupil who can master English grammar, is capa¬ 
ble of studying it to advantage. 
It is a natural proceeding to pass from the common 
school to the Academy, and here should be furnished all 
the facilities for equipping the teacher. It is gratifying 
to know that several of our academies are doing their 
duty in this respect. Let the friends of agriculture en¬ 
courage them, and put others in the right way. Saml. 
W. Johnson. Scott. Cortland co., N. Y. 
Cost of Growing Indian Corn. 
Eds. Cultivator —While reading the Transactions of 
the N. Y. State Ag. Society for 1850,1 particularly no¬ 
ticed some estimates of the cost of producing various 
crops, made by J. Delafield, Esq., in his Survey of 
Seneca County. Now, although these estimates may be 
a fair average of the cost of cultivation in the latitude of 
Seneca county, yet some of them may not be applicable 
to that of Albany county; rnd likewise the average cost 
of producing a given crop in Albany county, might vary 
materially from the cost of producing the same crop in 
some other parts of the state. 
I have seen several estimates of the cost of cultivating 
Indian corn, per acre, no two of which I think were alike 
in the items or amount of expense, which shows that 
different individuals pursue a different course, either 
more or less expensive in cultivation, or in making up 
their accounts. Some neglect to put in some small 
items, which, though small on one or two acres, would 
amount to considerable when multiplied by 10 or 20; or 
the difference may arise from the texture and quality of 
the soil. 
I would suggest that every farmer ought to know how 
much it costs him to raise a bushel of any kind of grain 
or roots, and what he can cultivate with the most profit. 
For this purpose he should have an account book, in 
which every field, or part of a field he cultivates, should 
have a place, the number of acres it contains, and all 
expense and labor incurred in its cultivation, even to 
the putting up of twine and scarecrows on his cornfield, 
for with the farmer as surely as with any other man, time 
is money; and if one hundred farmers in different parts 
of the state would pursue the above method , in regard 
to their cultivated crops, especially Indian corn, which 
is perhaps more generally cultivated throughout the 
state than any other grain, and give the results through 
the .Cultivator, it would, no doubt, be equally useful 
and interesting. 
Aug. 
I will now give Mr. Delafield’s estimate of cultiva¬ 
ting an acre of Indian corn, together with my experience 
with a piece of four acres in 1849, showing quite a dif¬ 
ference in cost of cultivation; and I would observe that 
these four acres were some of the easiest tilled land I 
have, being a loam, part of it inclined to sandy and a 
part to clay, no stone, and having lain to meadow until 
the grass had nearly all run out, not turning off more 
than I of a ton of poor hay per acre. 
Estimated cost of one acre of Indian Corn. 
Plowing and harvesting twice,.$2 76 
Half of 30 loads of manure, at 12£ cts per load,. 1 88 
Hauling and distributing manure,... 1 50 
Planting,. 1 40 
Seed, five quarts,.. 0 20 
First, second, and third hoeing,..... 1 95 
Cutting and stouting,. 1 00 
Husking and housing, at three cents per bushel,. 0 96 
Shelling and delivering,. 0 50 
Interest on value of land at $50 per acre,. 3 50 
$15 65 
Product —Thirty-two bushels at 50 cts.,_$16 00 
Two tons fodder,. 5 00 
$21 00 
Profit per acre,. 5 35 
$21 00 
My own experience. 
Four days plowing, breaking up sod, at $2 per day,. $8 00 
Charge to this crop £ of 80 loads of stable manure, at 75 cts. 
per load,. 15 00 
Spreading manure, 2} days,. 125 
Second plowing, three days at $2 per day,. 6 00 
Harrowing, l^days,.... 2 25 
Furrowing or marking out, one day,.. 1 25 
Seed corn and pumpkin seed,... 1 00 
Two men and two boys one day planting,. 2 50 
Cultivating for hoeing, man and horse two days,. 2 00 
First hoeing, seven days work, at five shillings,. 4 38 
Plowing for hilling, twice in a row each way, man and horse 
two days,. 2 00 
Hilling, six days work, at five shillings,. 3 75 
Culling and stouting, eight days work, at five shillings,..... 5 00 
Husking 336 bushels ears of corn, at 4 cents, (had it all husk¬ 
ed by the bushel,)..... 13 44 
Carting corn and stalks to barn,. 5 00 
Sorting and drawing to market 275 bushels ears of merchan¬ 
table corn, at 2 cents,. 5 50 
35 bushels hen manure, ashes, and plaster, applied after first 
hoeing, at 10 cents,... 3 50 
Labor putting on the same, and twine to keep off crows,.... 1 00 
Interest on value of land, at $75 per acre,. 21 00 
$103 82 
Product —275 bushels merchantable corn in the ear, 
sold at 31 cts., ... $85 25 
61 bushe.s poor corn, at 18| cts,. 11 44 
Stalks for fodder, at $5 per acre, . 20 00 
50 loads pumpkins,.'. 20 00 
$136 69 
It will be observed that my four acres cost me $103.82, 
or $25.95 per acre; aud that the product, without the 
pumpkins, amounted to $29.17 per acre, leaving a ba 
lance of $3.22 per acre, in favor of the crop, and by add¬ 
ing the pumpkins, of $8.22. 
I have kept an account more or less accurate, for se¬ 
veral years, of the expense of my corn crop, and have 
never seen an estimate or statement of the cost of rais¬ 
ing an acre, which amounted to as much as I am con¬ 
vinced it costs me to raise it. Although it does not al¬ 
ways cost me as much as in this instance, yet, taking the 
whole crop which grows on the land, I do not know that 
I ever raised a more profitable crop of corn. C. W. L. 
Watervliet, April, 1852. 
-- 
Curing Corn Stalks. —A correspondent of the Maine 
Farmer places his stalks butt upwards, and then, if it 
rains, all the water is thrown quickly off, and none lodg¬ 
es between the leaf and stalk. A long storm will thus 
injure them but little, while in the.usual way they would 
become completely soaked. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
