Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1842-01-05

that he never should be unn,iudiul Of the les.
sou which II incuca,cs
The next step which is measure Of equal
Importance, Is the selection of seed. Thai
variety is 10 be- preferred, which will yield The
Tsreatest product 10 gwen number ui acres,
reference being had both 10 weight aud quan.
liiy.
The COMMITTEE have paid some attention
TO The different varieties OF corn. and from
Their observation and The information of seye.
ral inieligen, planters, they are persuaded that
The best variety with which lney are acquainted
IS specIesol The while gnard seed, ren,arka.
bic Tor the large size of the cols, the number
oil rows OF grain, a"d tie compact order in
which the large and well shipped grains .all-
here To The cob. The number oi' rows of grain
vary from Is 10 2l, sometimes they run as ni.h
4 10, and ~ one inslance they reached The ex.
traordinary number Of b. In Fairfield. This
variety Is called tic Cook Corn. and is highly
priced by the best planters OF that en:erpij il.
Ing District. as beng superior over the com.
mon kind both InqualIty aud quantity orsiain.
II IL represented To yield four or five bushels
to the acre more than the ordinary variety in
the coun,ry. la comparing this variety will,
the corn which Edward kirkscy. Ess., Of Pat
ieisunyilc has bcen plantin. aud improving
Tor some years past, we are convinced thai il
belongs To the same species. il ii BE- not the
Identical kind. The Committee beg leave to
state. thai somc at lis members have tired the
kirksey corn, and with much confidence in
us superior qualities they embrace the occu-
sion to recommend ii TO The notice of the soc-
city. When the plaurer shall have satisfied
himself that he has procured the best variety
for proJuctiveness aud for lis adoption 10 his
soil and climate iIc should then charge HIM
self with the further duty OF making an annual
selection from his fields before the crop is gath
cred. In making this selection. the Commit.
tee are aware OF but one general rule 10 be OBJ
served, the selection should be made from the
earliest and hcul.hiesi stalks, having two or
more ears. aud from none other. II has been
4 question. somewhat meeted, whether the up
| per o. lower ear should be iakeu but is now
generally conceded that the top ear is to be
preferred. A satisfactory reason NAV be as-
signed IN iavour Of the top ear arising from
the laws Of vegetable physiology. The food
Of all vegetables is FIRST received into the small
vessels. with which the roots re supplied,
while il Is held in state ni solution by water,
and conveyed through the plh aud spiraces
of the stalk 10 the leaves when iundcrgoes an
essential change and is elaborated into suitable
alincnt for the plant. |; is tilcn difused tl,ro'
the organa OF the plant by means of tic bark
in lis return passage TO the roots, inpartin. in
| its progress the elements Of nutrition 10 the
growing plant. In the return passage OF these
nouriSliing juices, il does not appear irnprnha--
ss'urE'u'a ariPTDpFite TO T.
self the richest portions aid be thereby enabled
to attain the largest growth. Whether this
hypothesis be phylosophcally true or not, the
fac, is ndisputabe. that the top ear is usually
the Iarges, and therefore 10 be preferred.
The planier MUST NJ this stage determine in
favour of some ore Of the various modes of
plan,inc corn which are practiscd in this sec
lion of the State, and arc Is follows: The
tirs, and rrnbabiy the oldest mode is in cheeks
five fee, bv five. with two stalks in hill; the
second in checks four by four with one stalk in
hiIl the third, five feet by three with one
stalk in u hill, and the more recent mode III
drills of unequal distances, rs suits The TASTE of
the planter the character and strength oithc
land The first mode is obnoxious 10 an insri-
pcrablc objection. arising from the fact. that n
the prcscn, time there Is but 4 small portion of
our lands Of sufficient freshness and fertility To
hiring 10 maturity two stalks III the same hill
with pcrlcc, ears OF corn OF them. The roots
of cGrn are iibrous and penetrate the earth Tor
t,,o in hill they not only intcrmix with each
other. bnr require double portion of food and
moisture. which too frequently cxhaust= the
soiI of lis supply OF each. leaving the stalks
10 perish for want of susiennncc. This was
the common mode iii the early settlement or
the States, when the lands were IN their virgin
strength, aud freshness but Is now abandoned
rs unsuici 10 the pre- Sent condition of the coun.
try.
The next plan OF planting four feet by four
in checks. with one stalk III u hill. avoids the
foregoing objections but is nevertheless, moi
without its defects; by this mode the corn il
too mach crowded for the free passage Of hca,
and mir. We arc persuaded IN order to make
corn ia high perfection, such distance Is iunda-
mentally necessary, one way nj least, rs will
adm, of the free admission Of air. heat, and
light, the essential agents in bringing corn Ia II
high state Of productlvcness. The mode of
planting in checks five 10y three is much more
favorable in every point oi view than four hy
four: ia effect il gives greater distance 10 tho
plants, which will allow oi free circulation
Of mir aud heat. and at the same time increases
! the number of stalks upon 4 given space of
ground and 10 that extent nusmenis the pro-
duction OF the crop. TIE numbci OF stalks on
n square acre of ground planted in checks five
by four by something upwards of two hundred
aud thirty, MS will be apparent 10 every one who
will square The distances n; which the corn
stands according 10 both plans. and ascertain
the difference. BY this mode of planting and
by commencing the cultivation OF the crop by
planting frs, the wide way and mex, the narrow
way. then the wide way at every subsequent
working, the l"ots are never disturbed the mar
row way but once. and that nj a ri,nc when the
plnmt is IN vigorous growth and when the par
tial cutting of The roots tends 10 tic mul,ipiica.
ton aud the consequent increase of vessels 10.
the reception OF food. At this stage in The
growth ol corn. cn,tins The roots Is no injury
bu, rather benefit: Of all the modes of planting
corn in checks. we regard this as liable to few.
or objections. and presenting more advantages
than any other. We are inclined 10 believe
from recent experiments that the drill culture
is preferable 10 either of the foregoing, and is
dcsiacd ere long 10 supcrcedc them oil. It
recommends itself To the favorable considcra-
ton of the plhn,crn being better adapted Tor
the retention of moisture for the prevention Of
washing and for the equal II not increased pro-
duclion of the lind
THE preparations of the land should be made