Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-04-14
From the Cultiyalor.1
| HINTS IN REGARD TO THE CORN
CROP

HINTS in KEGARD III IiE COkN
CROP.
The experience Of the last Two years has
been sufficient to admo1ish us. that without
due precautIon, our crops of Indian corn
will not pay for the labor bestowed on the
culture; and yet. that where due attention
has been paid to soil, manure, seed and har-
vesting, the return has been bountifUl, not
withstanding bad seasons. Having been
uniformly successful. in the culture OF this
crop, we feel justified in rcpeati e some
leading directions for its management.
Soit.-lt il in vain to attempt to raise To-
dian corn, in this latitude, in seasons like
the two last, upon stiff clays, or upon thin
soils ola looser quality reposlng upon clay
or hardpan subs0il, or without manuring for
the crop; for although the plants will grow.
the product will not repay the expense OF
culture, unless they prduce good crop:
and it costs but little more to take care ofa
good than of a poor crop. The first arc
not adapted to the crop at any season. On
thin soils, having level surface, the rains
settle and remain upon the subsoll, where
the roots penetrate for food, and cause
cool temperature in the early part Of the
season, when the plants stand most in need
Of warmth. If soils of either Of the above
kinds are employed, the land should be
thrown into ridges, len or twelve feet broad,
in the direction Of the slope ofthe field. -
But sandy and gravclly lands, and light
loans. are decidedly best for corn. The
soil must be dry.
Preparation "A young clover ley, one
or two years old, is the best preparation for
corn. No grass ley should be cross plough.
ed for this crop. II The sod is tender, and
oc ,I,o I;rb ho nlov ~;
and narrowing should Immediately precede
the ground should be ploughed the p:eced
ing autumn, and narrowed, and narrowed
again, on the eve Of planting. The furrow
slice should not be laid fiat, as in this case
the water, if in excess, reposes upon the
forms sort Of under drain for the surplus
water to pass off: The plough should DO
set, where the soil will admit of it, 10 turn
q furrow six inches deep and eight or nine
wide the work should be we'll done, no
baIks made, and the manure and grass COM
pletely buried, though an extra hand should
be required. The rohoie ground should be
turned over, that it may be broken and
! rendered pervious to the tender roots Of the
young plants. TO cut and cover will not
answer, as it breaks up and pulverizes but
half of the soil.
Manure --Unfermented stable and yard
manure is decidedly preferable, if spread
broadcast, as it always should be, and thor
oughly buried with the plough. 1t keeps
the soil open, and permeabe to heat, air and
moisture, the agents of nutri, ion; it imparts
warmth TO the soil while undergoing the
process of terment alton, and it affords the
| host fnn1 far ihn This IN knOvu ia
downright heresy to some but all we ask
of these sceplics is, that they will make tho
experiment. even on half an acre, and credit
their own senses in the result. We mean
this hint particularly for our friends in OF
sego, Oneida and Madison, whose practice
Of yarding their dung in summer has here
totore excited our notice and our wonder.
Manure cannot be applied to any crop so
profi,ably as to this, and should always be
used upon it.
Hariety.- The twelve rowed corn, called
the Dutton corn, is the earliest for field cul-
ture, shat we know Of and we think it tho
best. We have raised it sixteen years,
and the crop has never been INJURED by the
early frosts, 1t has been widely dIssemln-
ated, and seed, we presume, may be obtain.
ed IN almost every county in the northern
states.
Preparation Of seed. -. Our practice is to
turn upon the seed tn evening before plan
ting, water nearly in a boiling state. This
thoroughly saturates the seed, induces an
| incipient termination, and causes the corn
to sprout quick. The next morning we
take halfa pint Of tar for half bushel of
seed, put it into an iron vessel with water,
and heat it till the tar is dissolved, and tho
| n r n
upon the seed and well stirred. 1t adheres
to the grain and gives it a thin ranspar-
ent coating. Tho tar serves double pur-
pose il prevents an excess Of moisture en-.
terlng and ro,ting tho seed, if the weather
or soil are cold and wet, and it preserves
1t from the dcpredations of birds, &c. which
prey upon it. After the seed is taken from
the steep, where we never leave it more
than IS hours, as much ground gypsum is
mixed with it as will adhere to the kernels.
The gypsum prevents the kernels adherng
to each other, and favors the after growth
of the crop Ashes or lime may be substi>
tuted for gypsum. The seed should be
planted while it is moist, and Immediately
covered, 1t should not be long exposed 10
tho sun.
Distance in planting. This must depend
upon the variety cultivated, aud the rich-
ness of the soil. The Dutton is of dwarf
growth, and upon well MANFRED land may
be planted at three feet each way, or three
by two and half Southern corn, and
some old varieties in the north, grow taller,
and require more room. As a certain guam
tum Of food is required to bring essb ,ysOck
to maturity, poorly manfred gNSScsSS Snnos
~ A"st