Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-04-18
Agricultural.
From tho augusta Constitmionaiist.

1 am much gratifed, as presume
many of your readers are, with the inter-
est YOU have always exhibited in The cause
of agriculture. If plain man may cx-
press plain opinion, a more frequent ref
erence to the subject. OH the part Of the
newspaper press generally, would be in
finitely more benefit TO the C immunity
than one-half the political discussions with
which it is filed, ad nauSeam; The col
umns Of no paper can be better employed
than in spreading agricuturalinformation.
The silk culture now appears to employ
all tongues and all pens-I hope it may
prove to have employed prof,ably alhands;
bul let us not forget that noble production
which has hitherto been onr main stay;
which, according to Arthur Young, is per-
haps the most important plant that can
be introduced into the agriculture of anv
country whose climate will suit it,"-"a
treasure, with wheat, yielding the most
food that is possible to the drawn from the
land''I mean Indian Corn. 1t is aud must
continue to be the most useful and vaua-
BILE ofthe products Of farms and pIan,a-
lions. producing, as il does, food for man
and beast, Of the most nutricious and sub
stautal quality; every part of it, from the
tassel at the top to the remotest fibre of
It's roots being Of service; furnishing The
most productive crop in good season, and
better chance of return for labor in a
bad one,-more surely rewarding the in
dustrious husbandman in any season, aud
Withholding it benefits only from the sloth
full who neglect it. Any attempt to i'm
prove the quality Or increase the quantity
of this admirable grain must be considered
commendable, and its success subject Of
graduation 10 all interested in the welfare
Of agriculture.-and who is not! II is.
therefore, with pleasure have marked the
progress Of the Baden Corn, as frequently
noted in your columns and those of other
publica,ions.-Thi fine variety OF our ma
tive maize, it is well known, is the reward
Of more than twenty years OF perseverance
on the part Of the individual whose name
il bears, a, farmer Of Maryland, who has
succeededSin its improvement by selecting
every season the best ears from the stalks
producing the largest number. II has not
answered so well in the northern States
where the frost which is apt 10 check its
growth prematurely, ,compels the asrcnItu-
rist so select such varieties as comy 10 the
earliest maturity. Here this precaution is
not necessary.-Planted in Marchil comes
to maturity in Augns, or early in Sep,em-
ber, aud, consequently. has lime for its
full development. A considerable guam
tity was introduced into this State last
season, bul the opinions Of its cultivators,
! have understood, are various. 1t has
been urged by some thai it is inferior to
the Corn usually cultivated in this part
Z of tho country because the ears are
smaller. This would ne !, valid objection
certainly, were we to buy corn bv the
dozen; but as we buy and sell this commo-
dity by the barrel or bushei, the measure
to the acre, aud weight Of given quantity,
would appear to he The true test. Moo
who has read the statements published al
various time of the yield of Baden Corn.
can doubt of its powers Of production. Iu
the rich lands of the west, one hundred
bushels to the acre has been frequent, and
/ have no doubt that in all soils under iu-
dicious cultivation, its. product will he
found to exceed any variety we now cul-
tiyate
The ordinary yield Of our cornis one Or
two ears-that. OF the Baden three to ,hir-
teen, according to soil and culture. A
plant yielding so large a quantity Of seed
must require strong support from the
earth. and will scarcely succeed without
soil we'll manured and carefully worked.
; This IN oar system Of farming | fear it will
hardly receive. Last season, which was
peculiarly trying in a light soil in our Or
dinary piney woods .ttold field" properly
manured, L am con6dentit produced double
any crop in its neighborhood, and in the
only other instance with which am ac-
auainted the yield was-bushels to the
acre, much greater than any proceeding
.crops in better season. Tho experiment
however, has hardly had affair trial as yet.
The last was most unpropitious season,
the heat aud drought having nearly ruined
the corn crop. The coming season may
bo a better one, and we shall have the op-
portunity to planf seed grown on our own
soil. Forlnyself am perfectly satisfied
with the Baden Corn. The ears are un-
doubtedly smaller than the ground seed