Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-05-13
Corn Culture.
DIR. ShoIes's Methods and Results at
Oak Ridge Farm, Dummerston.

DIR. ShOles's Methods ana Results AT
Oak Ridge Farm, Dummerston.
j. r. Dodgc, Esq, Stdtisticidn Depart
mcnt agriculture, Washington, ID. c.
Dedr Sit:-In reply to your favor of the
25th ult., asking me for condensed state
ment of my methods of corn culture,
have the honor of replying to your request
as follows:
NV farm is situated on the Connecticut
river; soil, alluvium; latitude, AZ 20.
Amount devoted to corn culture present
season. 22I acres. rs of which were plant
ed on grass turf, broken early in the spring
of 1891. Six and one-half acres had been
planted with corn the previous season.
The entire field was fortified substantially
the same. Thirty oX-cart loads of stable
manure, equal to II cords, were spread on
each acre during the late autumn of 1890,
and plowed under about six and One-half
inches deep, as above stated. The surface
was finely pulverized with disc harrows,
finished with fine-toothed smoothing har-
row, and ready for planting about May IA.
The planting was done with the Eclipse
planter, which plants one row and marks
for the succeeding row at the same time.
Three hundred pounds of standard fertil-
izer per acre were used at time of planting.
Rows, three and one-half feet apart; hills,
three feet; four to six kernels in each hill.
Cultivation was thorough, using horse and
hand hoes frequently through the season,
no weeds being allowed to mature, and the
field being perfectly clear of any growth
except corn at the time of harvest. The
variety of corn is not classified in any
work, it being an hybrid originating at
Oak Ridge, the name by which my farm is
known. l send you specimens of the
grain taken promiscuously from the cribs.
We began the harvest Sept. 8 and finished
Sept. %, when the crop was all secured,
corn in cribs and slower in the silos.
As our mode of harvesting corn is
unique, / venture a short explanation OF
the method adopted some five years since.
l have 30 portable cribs made of strong
spruce, consequently light, each holding
1900 pounds of corn, as harvested. They
are made in six pieces and all parts are in
Interchangeable with the same parts in any
crib. They can be set up or taken down
in five minutes, and as One-third of the
side space of the whole structure is devoted
to air ingress, the corn never fails of dry
ing off completely. In fact, our seed corn
is taken from the cribs when wanted for
use or sale, and is warranted to terminate.
Size of cribs, two and one-half feet at the
bottom, three feet at top, II feet in length,
five feet high on one side and six feet on
the other, with roofs of matched boards
painted and projecting eight inches on
either side. These cribs are secure in any
weather and are not nailed or bolted when
in position. They are at present all filled
and will remain in the field until March or
April, when the corn is removed and the
cribs packed away until wanted.
The cost of growing our corn the pres
ent season is as follows; 270 cords of ma
nure, including handling and spreading on
field, 50 per cord, one-third being charged
to corn crop, $40; blowing, Sl.5O per
acre, $3.50; pulverizing and narrowing,
81 per acre, S22.50; seven bushels of seed
corn, 81; planting, 80 cents per acre, SILL
%; cultivation, hoeing, etc, 50 per acre,
S112.50; harvesting, including cutting,
husking, carting stover and filling silos,
coal, use of engine etc, S14 per acre, S3l5;
$3.50 pounds of phosphate, $3.50 per hun
bred, SOL %; interest on 22t acres of
land at 500 per acre, per cent, Sll2.5O.
Amount of corn as husked, $3.50 baskets,
at 40 pounds each, 151 900 pounds; shrink
age,when thoroughly dried,2 per cent, A.
44S pounds. Net weight of dried corn,
100, 1872 pounds. Number of bushels at IS
pounds per bushel, 1604a, worth in field 10
cents per bushe. Amount of slower in
weight, as carted to silos, $4,000 pounds
per acre, 406,350; shrinkage in silos 10
per cent, 60,952 pounds; net amount of
silage, 345, 1903 pounds, or 172 7O-1OOth
tons at 50 per ton.
Results: 16044 bushels of dry corn at 70
cents per bushel, S1203.6 6; 172 7O-1OOth
tons of silage at 50 per ton, S5OS.lO, max
ing S1711.66. Total expense, as above
specified, S9S0.5O. Net profit, S722.l6.
Remarks: The manure used was all
made on the farm and value estimated.
One-third of this is charged to corn crop,
as we follow corn with cereals for two
years, receipts about $50 per acre each
year, and subsequently four years in grass,
averaging two tons of hay for four years,
or eight tons in all, with no additional fer
tilizer except 2OOpounds of muriate of pot
ash sown with grass seed with the last
grain crop. Hay averages at barns ST.
per ton, this year SIP. Hay marketed in
the spring of 1891, 40 tons at Sl4 per ton
delivered Amount of silage same as
present season. The silage increases ou
feeding capacity 80 tons of hay each year
Have had but one frost in nine years from
planting to harvest. This season first
frost Oct II.
Very cordially your obedient servant,
c. ii. SHOLEs.
East DummerstOn, Vt.