The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-03-13
Culture OF Indian Corn,

Corn being one of the most Gf not the most)
important of the grain crops raised by farmers,
anything to throw light on its culture, should
be thankfully received. Hoping that this article
will not be entirely useless in this respect, it is
submitted to your jud gment.
Corn should be highly MANFRED. There is
no other grain growing crop that will bear SO
heavey manuring, for this rcason-it is a good
preparatory crop for other grain, leaving the
land rich, light and clean. If coarse, infer
mcnted manure is applied to the land, it should
be deeply plowcd in; but if finely fermentcd
on the land after it has been ploughed, and
with drag thoroughly incorporate it with the
soil The land should be dragged until not
green thing is visible on it's surface, and it is as
mellow garden bed.
Check it off now into rows 3 or 3 % feet
apart: or if the large dent corn is used, into
rows feet apart each way. A good way to do
this is as follows: take piece of scantling four
teen feet long, and put stakes two feet long
into it, as far apart you wish to have the rows;
at the side attach pair ofthills for horse, or
a tongue for yoke of oxen. Having handles
on the side opposite the thlls or tongue, it will
run steadily and with its use the land may be
quickly checked off both ways. Previous to
for twenty-four hours, and then rolled in air.
Stacked lime. If the crows are troublesome,
soak the in tar water, which will etfectually
prevent their depredations.
After planting, it is an excellent plan to roll
the land with heavy roller. The land should
now be thoroughly cultivated, with the pillow
and the cutivator, until the plants get two thirds
Of their growth, and then if the land is clean
(Which it will be, if this method is pursued), lay
them by,-aftcr culture will be an injury rather
than a benefit.
Harvesting should be done by cutting up
the corn at the butt, or. near the ground, with
piece of scythe fastened into wooden handle.
This should be done as soon as the corn has
become glazed then put it into small bundles
lying them together at the top with a small
band of straw. The corn should be hulled out
before snow comes, and the stalks fed out to the
cows as soon as the prairie grass begins to fail,
thus keeping up their flow of milk, and lengthen-
ing out the dairy season.
Seed corn should be saved before husking
the rest of the crop, by carefully selecting out
the longest and fairest ears that ripen first and
stringing them together by 4 portion of the
husk ; then hang them up in some dry place,
where the mice cannot get at them. Seed
preserved in this way, and planted at it's proper
season, will be sure to gcrminate; and the far
mcr who does so will not be troubled with re-
planting, from his seeds having rotted in the
grouud.
The various premium corn crops raised
throughout the Union, have shown that over
one hundred bushels may be raised to the acre
and every farmer should strive to bring his
crop up to this mark. The extra care and atten
ton requisite for this purpose will be more thar
repaid by the extra yield, besides leaving the
ground in better state for the succeeding crop
| Waupun, Wis, JAN 80, 1850. ~ T. G..