March, 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
114 
€\)t /mratt’0 Jlntr-TSnnk. 
Varieties of Indian Com. 
Eds. Cultivator —In the January number of the 
Cultivator, I find some account of the relative weight 
of corn and cob of different varieties of corn, by E. M. 
Bradley. I have no doubt the difference in the weight 
of corn and cob of the several kinds, is as great as there 
reported, and if there were no other pecuniary questions 
connected with this subject, it would be a matter of 
great importance to farmers, to always raise the small 
Canada or Vermont corn. But I can raise from thirty 
to fifty per cent more bushels of large twelve rowed 
corn upon an acre of good and well prepared land, than 
I can of the smaller eight rowed kinds. Four yearsago, 
I planted as many as eight varieties of corn in the same 
field. The seed of several kinds was from Vermont 
and the north part of this State. The land, cultivation, 
&c., was all alike; the large twelve rowed, a variety 
that I had cultivated for several-years, yielded from 
thirty to more than fifty per cent more of corn and fod¬ 
der than the eight rowed kinds. 
Some of the smaller varieties were fit to harvest three 
weeks earlier than the twelve rowed. Some, perhaps, 
may ask if the large kind did not sap, or exhaust the 
land more than the smaller varieties? I presume it did; 
but all the fodder, and most of the corn was fed out 
upon the farm, and supplied manure for other fields. 
The 1 1 large cobs” were ground at a mill and used as 
litter in my hovels to absorb the liquid part of the 
manure. The larger kinds of corn are generally later 
in ripening than the smaller varieties, hut I have no 
knowledge of there having been more than two seasons 
(1816 and 1836) in the past half century, in which the 
corn crop has proved a total or nearly a total failure, 
and then all varieties fared about alike. 
You remark, that “ there is another disadvantage 
connected with large cobs which should be noticed. 
They are longer in drying, and consequently the grain 
is much more likely to mould and spoil, either in the 
crib, or while in the shock.” That may all be correct; 
but I put my corn at harvest in a latticed corn-house, 
in which I have a cast iron box stove, in which 1 keep 
a fire in rainy or damp weather, and the heated air pass¬ 
ing through the corn and out at every crevice, soon car¬ 
ries off the moisture of the corn—a kind of kiln-drying 
process. By this course my large cobs become as dry and 
bright as the smaller ones. I can husk ten bushels of my 
Large kind, as quick as I can five of the smaller varieties. 
It is real fun, to sit down in a pleasant evening in October 
with half a dozen brother farmers, and husk out an 100 
bushels of ears of large corn, and get through by a little 
after ten o’clock. At such huskings, we don’t need the 
stimulant of alcohol in any form. It is said the small 
Canada and northern corn contain more oil than the 
targe varieties, and consequently posses greater fatten¬ 
ing qualities, than the larger kinds. If so, for working 
cattle and horses, who require muscle-forming food, the 
large kind would be preferable, and the smaller kind 
would be best for fattening hogs. But still, I think there 
.s more than 8i| per cent in favor of the large kind, and 
shall continue to plant it, if there is some more weight 
of cob in a bushel of ears. Levi Bartlett. Warner, 
N. H., Jan. 10, 18 51. 
Profits of Dairying. 
Eds. Cultivator— Thirty years ago, there were a 
few small dairies, cheese dairies, in Washington county, 
N. Y. At that time, 200 pounds for each cow, was con¬ 
sidered a good yield. In 1830, some made 300 lbs. to 
each cow. About that time a spirit of enterprise seem¬ 
ed to show itself in that branch of business ; more care 
was taken in selecting cowsdor the dairy, better atten¬ 
tion was paid to feeding them, more regularity observed 
in milking, and more pains taken in manufacturing but- 
ter and cheese. In 1840, 400 lbs. was not unusual. 
Since that time, still more attention has been paid to 
feeding the cows, and at the present time from 500 to 
600 lbs. per cow is made, and in some instances more. 
My own dairy for 1850, consisted of 30 cows and two 
three-year-old heifers. I have kept on the farm two 
two-year-old heifers, for family use—two families of 12 
persons. Three of my cows did not come in until 6th 
month, neither did the heifers for family use. Previous 
to that time, the families used milk from the dairy. In 
9th month, a friend of mine, while arranging his lot of 
cows, left six with me one week. The milk of them was 
used in my dairy, which will make up for one of my cows 
coming in so late, leaving the dairy 32 in number—one 
of them farrow, two heifers, and two coming in late. 
I have made 21,264 lbs. cheese, and 480 lbs. butter. 
The cheese has been sent to New-York and sold by Lud- 
lum and Leggett, Front st. Most of it brought $7 per 
hundred ; two small lots sold a little less; the whole 
averaged, after deducting the expense of boxes, trans¬ 
portation and commission, 6^ dollars per hundred— 
making nett proceeds on 21,264 lbs.,.. $1,329 00 
Butter, 480 lbs., 15 cts.,. $72 00 
Whole amount,. $1,401 00 
Being an average to each cow of 664| lbs. cheese and 
15 lbs. butter, or $43.78 
I have been particular in giving the above statement, 
for the encouragement of those who are still on the back¬ 
ground of improvements. Yet there are a number of 
dairymen in this vicinity who are making about the same 
amount of cheese, and are sending it to the same market. 
I see no reason why the increase may not continue for 
many years to come. Otis Dillingham. Granville , 
N. Y., 1st mo. 15 th, 1851. 
Destruction of Wire-Worms. 
Eds. Cultivator — I notice that a writer in a late 
English paper recommends the use of rape*cake in pre¬ 
venting the ravages of the wire-worm. The mode de¬ 
scribed, was to spread and harrow in about five hundred 
pounds per acre of the cake broken into about half-inch 
pieces. The result was stated to he, that “the wire- 
worms will congregate on these lumps of cake, devour¬ 
ing them with such avidity as to become glutted, and 
perish either from repletion, or from the peculiar proper¬ 
ties of the rape.or from thecombined effects of the two.” 
The Working Farmer says in reference to this recom¬ 
mendation, “ Those who cannot procure rape-cake, can 
get rid of wire-worms by sowing broad-cast six bushels 
of refuse salt per acre.” 
