The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-06-27


brethren The methods of culture he recommends
appear to be RATIONAL and the fact that he has repeat
eddy drawn the premiums of our Agricultural Society
commends his experiments to the attention and trial
of our farmers.
From actual experiment, would recommend to
my brother Farmers, the following mode of cultivatng
Indian Corn, Potatoes, Wheat and Grass, on old
farms, where the soil is congenal to the growth OF
the same.
Plough your land, which you intend for planting
the next season, after the crop of hay is taken
off; and be careful not to take up any more than you
manure well the next spring; at which time when
your land is dry enough to work without treadng in
the surface, harrow the sod ine then cart on your
winter manure, and then spread about twenty loads or
TOO bushels per acre moist land if dry, less will
do. If the manure has been handled over several
times, fermented and made fine, SO much the bet
ter, for the first crop at eas and if in state of fer
inentaton at the time, SPREAD and plough it in while
warm, and suffer as little grass to escape az possible
Plough hne and as many times you please. Your
land will not njure by too much ploughing, when suf-
hciently dry. When you have done ploughing, with
very light plough, furrow your rows, about three feet
apart and light only to level down the high part of
the former burrows, and leave plain mark for your
rows; then if the weather and the time has arrived
for planting, strew your rotten barn yard manure in
the burrows, at the rate of eight loads per acre
Thea drop and cover your seed corn on the old ma
nure, two kernels to each foot of the rows; placing
them few inches apart that if both should grow
you can pull up without njuring the roots of the
other, to foot in the row is enough to stand
after the first hoeng at which time be careful to pull
up all over, your crop will be injured by be-
ing too thick. Hoe in such manner to DESTROY all
the weeds but make no hill about your corn in the
process of hoeing The smoother the surface of the
field when your hoeng is done the stronger the corn
roots will hold to support the stalk.
The roots will spread in every direction near the
surface of the earth where they receive the effects of
the warm rays of the sum- thenitric particles of the
earth exuded from the field. Is it reasonable that
this latter mode be conducive to the growth of
the the former /?
If any are at stand and wish to know,
Let them try the experiment row by row,
BY planting one row deep in hills
And more shallow the in drills.
/ have planted my corn mostly in rows of single
stalks, for several years past and in several different
ways. Last season | planted my field in the above
mentioned manner; except two rows through the field
planted in hills of about three feet apart and had
about three stalks standing in hill on an average
and tended it equally. At harvest time, | gathered
and measured the which grew on the two hill
rows by ITSELF then gathered and measured the ears
taken off the two next which stood in single
stalks of foot apart and found the latter to ex-
coed the former in proportion of onesixth part more
am satisfied, that if bad planted my field in hills in
the common way, last year, should have lessened my
crop at least eleven twelve bushels of corn per |
acre. The expenses of cultivation in this way will
cost about one days work per more than the
common method of planting, and have no doubt it !
arn he