The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-04-26
AGRICULTURAL, A
CORN PLANTING TIME.

gr)wef ol thls muliflVous gram ~, dl-
ready, in possession OF The best melhoC
Of culure-but as mere suggestions as It
wha, we consider good plan 10 ensure
reunmeraling crop. To btgin then a
tho beginiug-he who expects 10 maxi
his acres teIa tale production that ht
need not be ashamed Of, must lay him
SCI out in the first, place, 10 put his
ground in good condition, and this cau
only be Effected by deep ploughing, and
such pulverisalion, by narrowing and
cross narrowing, as will make the ,lllh
as 6ne as Ole BulIs fiddle. To expec
the corn plant to grow aud manure it,
lrui, luxurian,ly in eloddy and hall
prepared soil, is usi as unreasonable as
wuoli be The attempt 10 get up steam
without fire, in the second place, unless
his land be in very high stale OF fsrtllI-
ty, he must make arrangements to ma
nur his corn ground with liberal
nay with prodlgal hand.-for, OF a truth
the corn plant is a most voracious feeder
and delights like many o gormand, TO
uxuriale amid grass viands OF various
compounds, In the third place, il he
desires TO assume the best chance OF sue
cess, and ensure against the accidents OF
flood and ield,' he should plant early
ln the fourth place, he should be assldl'
Gus in working his crop from lis frs
coming up, until he lays it by, in order
that in The race for mastery, the weeds
may always be kept down, and never
for day be permitted to rob The corn
plants Of any portion Of the food which
may be buried in earth, or floating in
air. In word the earth, should at all
times be kept clean of weeds, and open
TO The Influences Of sun, all, dew and
rain, agencies as essential TO their growth
as the best and most enrichiog ma
nures.
We have recomme nded deep plough.
ing, but far, very far, would we
be from recommending deep ploughng
after The plants arrive a, any consdera
BILE height. Indeed, after the first work.
ius, we would abandon the plough alto
gelher, and rel y upon the culllvator, to
be followed by careful hoemen 10 erAd'
cate such weeds as may not be reached
by the former implement; for no'wi'h'
standing many intelligent writers, as
well as practical planters contend that the
cutting Of The roofs by The plough il
beneficial, we cannot reconcile The prac
,ce to our notions and common sense
view of things. Nature intended the
roots as the mediums of feeding, and
every act of violence, EVERY separa
,ion--to which they may be subject
must necessarily tend 10 retard thelI
growth, because such treatment arresl'
that continuous absorption and elsbo rs
ton Of that portion of their food which
is derived from The earth.
With regard 10 very large crops o
corn we have remark or Two to make.
II must be obvious, that without Close
planting, no matter what the quality
of the soil may be--no matter how no
tably the culture may he pursued-un
less a sulIicien, number of stalks be
grown upon an acre, The yield will al
ways be more or less circumscribed, as
without The stalks be on the earth they
cannot produce ears Of corn.
1t should be an object with every
corn grower TO provide his corn ground
with lime, plaster, and ashes, as well
ss the nulritive manures, for unless
there be potash in The soil 10 dissolv,
the sand, and from what is called the
siicate Of potash, the substances which
compress the ouler-crust OF the corn
slock-vegelalion cannot 90 on with
tha, economy which leads 10 the fructi-
ficalion Of The gram, as The stalks are
mainly constituted Of sand, reduced by
the action Of potash, into fluid stale,
and thus taken up by the roots and
distributed, so as TO impart 10 it the
capacity 10 stand erect and sustain its
buIthen.
Ten bushels Of ashes and one Of pas
Ger well mixed together, is sufficient
for an acre. whether sowed broadcast,
or used in, or on the top Of each hill
We have sometimes thought that til,
hest disposition 10 be made Of ashes and
plaster, would be 10 compost them will
the manure of the barn yard before
hauling il out 10 be ploughed by sucf
treatment, every par, Of the corn ielC
would derive benefit from their spplica
tion, instead Of its being confined TO th'
immediate vicinity of The hills
The soaking of the seeds Of corn in
weak solution of saiipetre or Of coPper
as, before being planted, has ,wo-fol'
good effecl-ii promotes early germ Ina