Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-02-01
House, Farm and Garden.
1. d. r.. COLLINS, Editor.
Craftsbury Farmers Club.

better Inan the corn crop. 1t costs me $40
to raise an acre of corn, and for this mon
ey can raise two acres of wheat. | have
compared the value of the two crops when
raised, and the labor of raising them, and
am confident that it pays me much better
to produce wheat than corn yet, there are
doubtless other farmers whose land is pc
culiarly adapted to the growth of corn, who
can raise it with more profit than they can
wheat, or perhaps any other crop.
W. J. HAsrtNGs-If We undertake to |
raise large breadth OF corn we shall run
short of manure Corn is a crop that re-
quires land highly MANFRED, and uses up
larger proportion of the manure applied
than almost any other crop we raise in this
vicinity, and as the corn and corn fodder
from this crop make comparatively but a
small quantity of manure, we should soon
exhaust our farms so much by raising
large acreage of corn that this nor any 9TH
er crop could not be produced on them
with profit. [ think the grass crop the
most important for Vermont farmers. 1t
requires but small amount of manure to
produce it. 1t is harvested and stored
with comparatively little labor. 1t makes
the most economical food for stock, and it
makes manure enough, if carefully saved
and properly applied, to reproduce itself.
| should rather plow and seed the land the
same year than attempt to raise a large
breadth Of corn.
A. MoRsE-I have made an estimate Of
the cost of producing an acre of corn and
an acre af wheat. On my farm it takes
about forty loads of manure to grow an
acre of corn, and think the crop absorbs
about fifteen loads, leaving twenty-five
loads in the land for the production of 9th
er crops in after years. | would charge
the crop with the following items: Fiji
teen loads of manure, So; labor of pro-
ducing, $3l; interest on money in land,
Shaking whole expense of crop $40. /
would credit the same with the following
items: Fifty bushels Of corn, So; corn
fodder S12-making income from crop
SS7. 1t will be seen from this exhibit that
the net profit on an acre Of corn is S38, and
| think that | can raise no other crop that
will pay me as well as this. On the same
principle of figuring it costs to raise an
acre of wheat 500, and the worth Of the
crop when ready for market at the present
time is about S52-twenty-tiv bushels OF
wheat, $50 and straw - This only leaves
a profit of S23 regard wheat straw for
fodder as nearly worthless-of little more
value than corn cobs. Besides all this in
favor of the corn crop, 1t is an excellent
food for stock, especially for mich cows
in the spring of the year.
JAMES ALIEN do not agree with Mr.
: Morse in all his calculations. If coglC
raise as much corn to the acre as he does
it might do for me to raise ii, but | think
he has either overestimated his yield pc
acre, or else his land is much better adapt
. ed to the production Of corn than mine is
! 1t will do to raise some corn. but | don
= think it advisable for farmers to enlarg
the breadth of this crop.
A. SCoTT.-I am in some doubt in rela
ton to this question. | have heretofor
. thought that grass was the best crop 10
farmers to cultivate, but I have not com
pared the different kinds of crop with on
another sufficiently to satisfy myself whicI
is the most profitable. l broke piece G
y worn out land last spring, and spread on
; coat of manure and planted it to corr
beans and pumpkins, and never raised ;
u stout growth Of all kinds before. / am sal
IL isfied that it paid me well though neithe
" weighed nor measured any part of the croI
A. A. RANDALL am rather in fave
- Of raising turnips as substitute in pan
~ for hay. have fed them quite extensive
:, ly, and think I would As soon have fou
IL quarts Of turnips as one quart Of corn mea
= especially for sheep or young cattle.
- Ct. f. SPRAGUE-I have been told b
" some farmers that they had raised fit
a. bushels of India wheat on an acre {
~ ground, but | have not been able to raj.
" more than thirty bushels. If there is an
l. farmer present this evening who has raise
. these large crops of this grain, | shoul
y like to have him inform the club how
nc done it. In regard to the corn crop, | a
~ of the opinion that farmers owning farm
~ on the hills, had not better attempt
no raise any more corn than they require Fl
GO family use For feed for stock, | thin
:, y" barley Is much the best and cheapest. c
- my farm l can raise an acre of barley vii
III one-half the labor and manure that it r
quires to raise an acre of corn, and | a
-'' inclined to rate bushel Of barley as
'N' nearly the same value as a bushel of cor
"' f. L. HAsTINGs-On some farms it
"' worse than useless to attempt to grow cor
- Cold and heavy land, no matter how We
~ prepared, will not produce corn unless
o. is in very dry season, when it may
we'll. On dry and quick lands the co
crop is undoubtedly very profitable
have raised fifty bushels to the acre
III the farm where | now reside, but ha
"a raised on the same farm turnip crops tn
'lS have paid me equally as well as any co
hg crop. When grown for stock would gi
zen but little for my choice between a crop
leh one or the other.
cit JAS. W. SIMPSON, think the calcul
ter tions of Mr.. Morse altogether one-sidt
US He gives the corn crop the first use of t
me- manure, and we all know the first or
zen raised upon land that has been recent
rIy MANFRED will be decidedly better than t
Dill subsequent crops, unless more manure
ley put on to stimulate their growth. Apr
Oh the same quantity of manure to land
Ahu grass that Mr.. Morse uses to raise corn a
AeS what would be the result? He uses fol
Is loads to the acre for corn, and this guam
ho' ty would top dress five acres of grass laI
INC and this application would enhance I
iinl grass crop on five acres five or six to
ioA The cutting and curing of this addition
l@' amount of grass on the same land VOL
Inc cost but a trife and if sold at its mar
value at the present time it would br
goes from SIS to 800 more than the entire va
aiAS of his boosted corn crop. Though | h;
lion made no figures in relation to this mat
Ken think l could easily demonstrate t
there are several kinds of grains that
or,o be grown with more profit than corn.
ong lrasburgh Farmers Club. dist. No
orce Subject-The most profitable or |
loie paying stock for farmers to keep.
e IN d. II WEBsrER-Anything that l
ANY say or do 70 I'LL, ;,...