The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-08
american Institute Farmers Club.
NOTES OF DIsoUssIoN-EXTRAoTs FROM
LETTERS, sc.

AT the last meeting Hon. George Geddes,
of onondaga, was present; and the way
he did cut and slash among the theorists
with his sharp, practical sense, was re-
freshing to hear. If there is one thing
more than any other that we like to know
belongs to man, is common sense; and
there is nothing that breeds it so surely as
hard work on farm, or dealing with ma
terial facts anywhere. Take, for instance,
the hackneyed old theme of whether
ONE HUNDRED UsHELs OF CORN can be
produced per acre, which was being dis
cussed when we last entered the club
room. w. Wilson, of Coatsville, Pa, had
written the club that he doubted the
statements of the Professor of Foreign
Marble in his history of the Worth Farm
concerning the production of ITO bushels
per acre. and adds :--sIn this vicinity |
cannot find any one who credits it. l
have lived the most of my life in Brandy
wine, and know where are many farms
equalling Mr.. Worth's, if not so large, and
you cannot find man who VIII say he
grew ITO bushels, shelled corn, 56 lbs., to
the acre. / have found (by measurement
that it takes four stalks to the hill, three
and half feet each way, and two large
ears to the stalk, to reach DIR. Trimbe's
statements However rich the land, corn
will not mature so thickly planted, ears
being too much shaded" The arraigned
professor was rehearsing the testimony in
his possession confrmatory of his state
ments He sat down exhausted and dis
gusted at the incredulity of men, when
Mr.. Geddes startled the club with the
conuudrum:
"What do we mean by bushel of
corn +? When my distinguished friend,
the Professor of Foreign Marble, asserts
that ITO bushels of corn per acre was
raised on the Worth farm, does he mean
ITO bushels Of merchautable corn No,
sir; warrant not. He means green corn,
unfit for market, and which will shrink
from Is to % per cent. before it can be
safely marketable for If marketed as
measured, green, it will rot in very short
time. Now let us talk sense. And wher
we say that we grow ITO bushels of corn
let us mean that we sold ITO bushels o.
corn produced on one acre. | have grown
good deal of corn, but never produced
100 bushels of marketable corn on ONT
acre, nor ever saw a crop that would ylec
that amount" Thereat there was "silinc'
in the court" until Mr.. Fuller, surnamet
"The Doubter" by the Big Corn-Cropists
re-expressed his skepticism concerning
doctrines and said he could produce NOR
bushels of shelled popcorn per ecre thar
the big-corn farmers could Of their big
cared corn--that the small kerneled corr
that would produce twoto six ears on eacl
stalk would yield more than the large
sorts of the West, that rarely mature
more than one ear to the stalk. ara.
DEEP VS.. SHALLOW PLowING.- Grow
ing out of this Worth farm discussion
came up this old hobgobln again, MI
Wilson stating that he reads half dozel
agricultural journals which frequentl
sstry to show that deep plewing and sub
soiing is the very thing for corn as well a
all other crops" but that statement in tn
Worth farm story, that shallow plowin
produced such wonderful results, has give
MIR. Wilson rsmuch thought and concern,
and he asks with evident anxiety, "Whf
is the use of getting agricultural paper
when they confuse you? appeal t
the club What are we farmers to b.
lieve and practice when we see such cor
Trajectory statements 2" Prof. Squelc
advised him to believe nothing, tt
all things and hold fast to that whlt
is good and the said professor me'
tally added that any man who fails
use Judgment and common sense in a
cepting or rejecting, using or abusing, ar
recommendations made in the papers Dug
iubt zoo of
to enable him to think the matter ov'
These people who denounce agrlcuituI
journals because what one man does IN o
place and profits by doing, will not answ
for another man, in another place and u
der different circumstances, to do, are kl
dred to the woman who informed her hi
band one morning that she had discover
that all the beans he had planted in
garden were growing wrong end up, a
She had taken the trouble to reverse tn
position before breakfast, and came to \
for a kiss of gratitude as reward tor
services, gently suggesting that he m
be more careful how he planted his be-
next time.
While the savans were discussing, ;
Professor Squelch was thinking upon
subject of deep blowing, member OF
club whispered in his ear that be had fo'
that deep blowing clay soils for corn
not produce as good crops as shallow pl'
ing. He had tried it--had turned c
clay eight inches deep and didn't ge
good corn as when it was turned but tt
inches. 1t made Squelch's hair st
straight up with indignation; Such !,
sense! Cannot men understand,
said to us, "that when we talk OF {
blowing we do not necessarily talk OF
verting the soil to a great depth D
YOU know, sir" turning to a neigh
"that if you turn up cold clay
spring, eight inches deep, and
has never seen sunlight bel
that you cannot expect seeds to GERM
and plants to grow in it as they will IL
surface soil that has been warmed
civilized by sun influence and is iu
organic matter And don't you ri
sir, that you can turn over but three In
of clay soil in spring, and yet plo'
twelve to eighteen inches deep by fol
ing the surface pillow with subsoiler /;
that such practice is just what the a