Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-01-28
An UNPROFITABLE CORN CROP.
a Farmer Describes how 100 Bush
els of Shelled Corn May be Raised
to the Acre. and the Loss in the
ODeratiOn


The following paper was read before
the Hampden Harvest Club in Spring
field, Mass, at late meeting
II / intended to raise 100 bushels oi
corn on one acre of land in one year, ]
would begin five or six years before
hand and breed a variety of corn which
would grow one ear on stalk and never
set for any more. Each ear should have
large cob not less than inch in di-
ameter at the butt and not very much
tapering, and each cob should be so
long that it would never fill out over
the tip.end and so there would be
room enough on the cob for all the
corn to grow which the stalk was able
to produce This cob must be covered
with kernels not less than half an inch
! deep from the chit to the opposite end
of the kernel, and the ears must aver
age half pint of shelled corn each or
more would plant no corn from any
ear which did not fill the above BILL
Then in November / wonld get one cord
of stable manure which had been kept
under cover and had hogs enough on it
to keep it from heating. put it in a
heap and mix one cord of loan or muck
with it and leave it in high compact
mound through the winter. The last
of March l would put another cord of
manure like the first on the heap, fork
| it all over carefully and mix it
thoroughly, then let it lie and smoke
till planting time. / would then select
land which had been moved six or
eight years and had yielded a good crop
of hay every year, and was worth Ito
cultivate) 500 per acre or more. |
would plow the land about six inches
deep, turning the furrows exactly bot
tom side up, then furrow it out both
ways with light plow, making nine
rows on two rods wide each way, which
would give 3,240 hills on the acre, and
next put the two cords of cOmposted
manure in the hills and plant the corn
very deep to prevent the birds from
pulling it, four kernels, no more and no
| less, in each hill. l would scare the
crows and feed the little birds until the
corn was large enough so | could see
the rows, would then go over it with a
! light harrow. twice IN row after a
week ! would harrow it out again cross
wise and then hoe it, and would so con-
| tinue to go over it once each week with
a plow or cultivator, first lengthwise
and then crosswise, until it was so
large a horse could not get through
without breaking it too much. About
the time the silks began to show, l
would go over it with hoe and cut all
the weeds which might be growing.
Then, rs soon rs the kernels were
glazed on all of the ears, would cut it
up, bind it in good-sized bundles and
put ten or twelve bundles in a stock
and tie the top OF each stock as it was
set up so that none Of them should fall
down. As soon as the corn was dry
enough to put in the crib [ would husk
it IN the field and throw it in piles on
the ground, and when all was husked,
would go with a basket and wagon,
measure it and put it in the CRIB.
! If | should have half pint from each
ear and four ears from each hill and
| 8, 300 hills on an acre, that would make
| lust 100 bushels of shelled corn per
acre at husking time when great crops
are commonly measured. | have raised
as high as 155 bushels per acre in the
way described above, and have no doubt
but I could do it again if | could af-
ford it. ] would leave it in the crib
until June, when it would be dry, SO it
could be measured correctly, would
| then thresh and sell it and count the
money to find how many bushels of dry
corn | had, and should expect the ac-
count would read on the debtor side
about as follows:
| November.
To hauling / cord manure miles, 50 ca
g Man and team q day hauling loan. sc
March.
:. Hauling cord manure miles. 3 90
. Man one day forking over manure. 50
. Flowing acre heavy sod, 8 O(
May
. Two men and horse y day fur
rowing, -
Two men and team day man
ure in hill. 81
Man day planting. 2;
Keeping off birds and planting
over. "
Man 10 day hoeing first time Q 2;
Man and horsell4 day cultivat-
ing times, 81
. Man half day hoeing second time, Z!
September.
. Cutting and punching, 2 men day, 3 0t
J October,
Husking 200 bushels of corn. at
cents per bushel, II o.
- Man and team { day putting in
crib. l s.
June.
- Two men Il day threshing, win
moving and measuring, o
- Man and team u day carting
miles, ! s.
: Barn room and insurance o.
-Four per cent. interest on land. O
. q Tax IS on $1,000. 81
1" Two cords of manure. u o.
Total cost, S6S z
II is well known that corn is not dry
enough to feed to horses before January
and it has been proved by careful exper
iments that it shrinks 90 per cent. be
tween husking time and New Years, an(
it is doubtless true that it dries ava,
over 10 per cent. more before June
making 80 bushels dried away and leav
ing 20 bushels of dry corn in June
Thus the credit side of this acre would
be as follows:
by 20 bushels corn, worth now 20
cents per bushel, $40 o.
" Cobs, o
, Total value $50 o.
/. Total cost. S6S "a
Total loss. SIS .
Our town pays for man $3.50 anC
, for a man and team So 80 per day oil
, the highway, and that seems to fix tn,
4 n