The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-04-27
D-We c py the following, OH the best moue

al
Corn being ono of the principal and
most important staples Of our country, Is
it not surprising that so great diversity
of opinion should exist, as to the best
mode of cuItivating it! Every periodical
Won omen. cnlightcns you with some new
discovery, and the details of some enor:
nous crop, and you congratulate yourself,
that the best way is at last discovered:
the next number you receive, throws you
all back again; you don't know what to
believe: and at last settle down to the
comfortable conclusion, that amongst such
a multitude of conflicting opinions your
own is as good as any, and your system
of cultivation as likely to be the best as
any other. One thing is certain, we have
been raising corn under every sort OF
MANAGEMENT for two hundred ycars-and
when the land was good we could make
good crops: it will grow in spite of you,
if you will keep the weeds down. And
your Committee have serious doubts
Whether our ancestors did not understand
the subject as we'll as VIC do. There is
no secret about it; for we all agree upon
the main points. First, that the ground
should be in good heart; secondly, that 1t
should be well broken up and pulverized;
thirdly, that the thickness of the planting
should be in proportion to the strength OF
the land; and fourthly, that the soil should
be freely stirred and the growth OF the
weeds kept down. If we follow these
rules we shall not fail in good crop once
in twenty years.
But how are these requirements to be
fulfilled! We will answer to the best OF
our ability.
1st. The land should be in good heart:
That is, it should be we'll drained of all
superhuous moisture and then well manu-
red: to manure wet land is to throw away
both labor and manure. Putresccnt ma
nures of all kinds arc applicable to the
corn crop. Corn has been called coarse
feeder, hence undecomposed animal and
vegetable matter, which might prove inju-
rious to more delicate plants, is found
highly advantageous when applied to this.
The sea ore, which drifts so abundantly
to our shores at certain seasons OF the
year, is a most valuable manure. One of
YOUR Committee in an experiment made
asst year, proved by actual measurement
of the corn that the product from an acre
manured from this substance, was fully
equal to that from the same quality OF
and manured at thesame rate, from the
stable, farm-yard and pig-pen. 1t was was
spread broadcast from the beach and
plouehed in when the land was broke up.
Manuring in the hill is practlsed very
generally in some Of the northern States
Il certainly enables the farmer, who has
but a limited amount of manure to 60
over a larger surface, but we doubt very
much, whether, taking into calculation
the benefit that would accrue to the sue
ceeding crop of small grain, it would not
be better to distribute it broadcast over
a smaller area.
It NAV be that the northern summers
being very short, the corn requires to be
pushed rapidly forward; it has but limit
ed time to grow in, and may require the
full benefit of the manure, applied direct
" to its roots, to urge it to maturity, be-
fore the frost overtakes it; but this argu-
ment however applicable to the north, is
to us, as our corn growing
season extends over seven months of the
year. We arc. therefore, of the opinion,
that as general rule, manures should be
applied broadcast. When used in the
hill they should be applied above and not
below the corn, unless perfectly decom-
posed; for the tender roots, shooting down
into bed of hot fermenting manure, per-
ish before they can tap the earth below,
and the plant necessarily dies.
I'd. The ground should be well broken
up and pulvcrized. Thee proper time,
undoubtedly, to break up the land, espe-
cially if it be stiff or clay soil, is in the fall;
for the action of the winter frosts upon it,
breaks it down and renders it friablc and
mellow. When the depth of the soil will
allow, the deeper you plough the better,
for you thereby turn up new and virgin
suriece, and render the soil permeable to
the roots of the plant, which in that case
tend downwards, instead of running horl-
zontally near the surface. When the
soil is not deep, it is good rule to cut