Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-06-22
From the Soil of the South.
A Treatise on the Culture of Corn
BY JAMES N. CHAMBEks.

| Treatise on the Culture OF corn.
BY JAMES N. cHAMBEka,
For this crop, lay it down as indispensably
necessary, that the earth should be broken deep
and thorougly. The process Of preparation may
vary with the nature of the soil. The time Of
planting, in this climate, where the summers are
hot and long, and doughts frequent should be
Just as early as may be practicable, to escape the
spring frosts, and the culture should be early and
rapid. First, then, l say, the earth is to be pre-
pared by deep, close and thorough pl"wing. This
is necessary, to give an opportunity to the esmall
fbrous roots, which are so numerous with this
plant, to shoot out and penetrate the earth easily,
to retain proper moisture when dry, and to abb
sorb excess of moisture when wet.
Next l would secure deep and thorough
breaking of the earh Immediately about where
the young roots first begin to spread, by a deep
and close listing with some long plow; nothing
in use among us is better for this operation than
well made Scooter. This done, the opening
furrow, checking across the list in which to drop
the seed, should be deep, and so wide as to stand
we'll open, free from clods or turf; and the seed
corn being dropped in the check, then cover with
the hoe BY drawing small portion of loose earth
upon tbs seed which should, when planted, not
have more than depth of one and half or two
inches of earth upon it. | would put in three
or four grains, where only one was to stand, es-
teeming it much better to thin than to replant,
thereby securing an early, regular and good
stand. As soon as the young corniwas up, with
abou. four blades the first work should be given.
My process would be to plow with long Scoot-
er or Coulter, running as near the corn as posi-
be, without powing it up, and breaking out the
whole middle deep, close and thorough, leaving
the whole bed soft and well pulverized. The
hoes should follow close after the pows, clean
inc the surface about the stalk, leaving no young
grass or weeds and returning enough soft earth
to cover the roots of the corn a little deeper than
they We're before; and at this hoeng | should
thin out, ordinarily, all except the one stalk
which was to be left to make the crop. In about
twenty days, the pows should return again. At
this time, if the plowing previously had been
deep and thorough, should not plow quite so
deep as the first. But this also ought to be
deep plowing, and the middle of the row also to
: be we'll broke and puverized A small mould
board ought to be attached to the plow, running
next to the corn, so as to place greater depth
of earth on the roots, thereby securing moisture
and protection from the hot sun. Now is the
time, when the roots are spreading rapidly and
widely, seeking nourishment and moisture in the
soft and we'll plowed soil. At this working, care
should be taken,.that when the work is DONE
each flrrow should well fill up its predecessor, so
so that every inch of earth should be broken, and
no furrows in the bed should be seen standing
| bo fba,-
but all should lie smooth and soft. At this
working the hoes should also follow, cleaning
any hills which the plow should have slighted,
strengthening upthe bent stalks, pulling out any
surplus stalks or suckers, and cleaning round the
stumps and trees Care should be taken at this
working to leave no grass or weeds near the
stalk. If the plows have faithfully performed
their duty, but little will remain for the hoes to
do. The corn will now be sufficiently large to
bear the dirt, and good plowman with well
fixed pillow, will throw the soft earth around the
root of the stalk, covering up most of the grass,
which as yet must be very small and young and
sufficiently billing the corn, leaving the work
nearly complete without the aid of the hoe. In
these workings, would greatly prefer that the
earth should be in moist state, but regard 1t
| unsafe 10 uclay Tile WOTh, llloIc lHaN d lcM uays
at most, to wait for ust such seasons as would
be preferred As general rule, in the cutiva-
ton of the crop, it is not best to regard the sea-
sons too much, but move directly and energeti-
cally forward, leaving the results to be controll-
ed by Him who 'giveth the early and the latter
rain"
About three weeks after this working, the
third and last should be given. The operation
of laying by corn is one requiring more discre-'
ton and Judgment, usually, than any other, and
much after all must be left to the judgment of
the planter, dependent upon the circumstance Of
the case. 1t would sometimes happen that it
had been dry, and everything standing as when
left at another time, hard rains will have en-
sued, and all the former plowing have been un-
done, the land washed and settled hard and
close again. What to do, and how to do, must
be determined very much by the necessity and
circumstances of the case. If the seasons had
been ordinary, plow shallow and not very close,
leave the surface of the bed smooth and soft,
without having torn the roots Of the corn much.
The weather is now hot, and the roots of the
corn matted and spread thick through all the
earth from row to row. The stalk needs all the
nourishment and support which the roots can
give, and ii is at great hazard now to cut off
these supplies. Hence the necessity of those
early, rapid and thorough workings, which l
| haye recommended before the. roots have so