The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-08-10

NOth Stths Alo tiilS tilftl lOt Dt
to your readers will try to explain it.
The false ears, or the ears in which
much of the grain does not fill out, arc
sought TO be eliminated from tho seed
stock by going through the field just as
the tassels begin TO appear and break
ing of the tassels of all such stalks as
fail TO give promise of good cars. In
this way the doctor hopes to get seed
corn which has been fortified only by
pollen from the best of the tassels, and
his theory certainly seems TO be well
grounded in good principles. lie has
not been able as yet TO show the result,
as this is the first year of experimenting
in this direction.
We were then shown through field
of several acres, in which the effect OF
yard manure was compared with ferti-
lizers. A part of this field, nearest the
barn, was literally MANFRED with stable
manure rs far as il would go: The re-
mainder of the field was dressed with
the Stockbridgc fertilizer for corn. and
the guests were asked TO show, If posi-
BILE, where the division was between
the two parts of the field so treated. |
could see so little difference in the corn
that could not point ont any line of
separation. If any difference was to be
noted, the corn planted on the fertilizer
was rather the better. We were then
invited to inspect field Of nine and
one-half acres in corn, most of which
had been in corn for two years previous,
and which had had no other manure
than the Stockbridgc fertilizer for corn
during the three years in question
Previously this land had been in grass,
unmanured. On n portion of this land,
about six acres, the doctor stated that in
1875 sixty bushels of shellcd corn, and
in 1876 seventy-ninc and nine-tenths
bushels of shelled corn per acre, were
harvested. This year the land received
Stockbridge fertilizer ut the rate of six
hundred pounds per acre, spread broad
cast by machine and narrowed in. The
land had been plowed in the fall of 1876
with gang pillow, cutting four or five
inches deep, two feet wide. In the
spring of 1877, the land was narrowed
with Randall harrow, and Afterwards
with Turtle harrow, and the seed put
in by machine made on the farm,
which drops five seed every three feet,
in drills three and onc-half feet apart.
The corn had been cultivated entirely
by horses; no hand hoeing had been
done, and the entire expense of the
crop thus far had been-for fertilizers,
S33 per acre, and for labor of men and
horses, S4.66, or total of S37 sc per
acre; charging $3.50 for mans labor,
and seventy-five cents for horse, for
ten hours' work. Something should be
added to this for the seed, for land rent
and for superintendent, which any
one can estimate according TO his pecu-
liar circumstances.
The corn was certainly a remarkably
fine stand. The doctor saws he hopes
to get two hundred bushels of shelled
corn per acre! l do not think the old
farmers present would estimate it so
high, but it is very difficult at this stage
of growth, when the ears are only be-
ginning TO show silk, to tell what pro-
portion Of them will fill out; the result
will show for itself in due time. There
were a good many weeds, but they
looked, like the corn, well fed ! think
if the Doctor had used a Thomas
smoothing harrow before his corn was
up, and every four or five days after
till the corn was eight inches high, he
would have had better and clearer
Htlt, Will llttfc tAIOUSt.
1t is generally understood that the
brothers are interested in
and sale of the Stockbridge
and probably some allowance
for this fact should be made in accept
ing the hopes of the doctor for two hum
dred bushels of corn to the acre.
would not, however, be understood as
making any insinuations against the
accuracy or truthfulness of the state
ments given above; these gentlemen
have the appearance of straightforward, |
honest men, and are entitled to the pre-
that they are so, until circum-
stances occur to prove them otherwise,
of which have not heard. The land
on this nine and onc-half acre field is a
light, sandy, rolling plain. free from
stones and easily worked, so that every
thing can be done by horse power.
The blowing being done by the gang
plow, and all the cultivation Give timcs) |
done by horse power, made the expense |
very low. The doctor took some pains |
to illustrate his theory of root pruning
of corn, which have not space to give |
in detail. Briefly, he thinks that severe
with sharp tool close to |
the corn up to the time when the tassel |
first shows ITSELF will increase the
of cars, after this the crop
should be laid by, and not disturbed till |
harvest.
think the unanimous feeling of the |
guests was one of pleasure and saiisfac-
ton, and at an informal meeting called
after the walk around the farm was
over, some of the speakers so expressed |
themselves, and hoped for other meet
lngs Of a similar nature at other farms.
believe farmers in general could profit
by such gatherings in all parts Of the
country.-(W. d. Philbrick in Country