Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1853-03-23
CORN CULTURE.


MEssRs. EDITORS: At your request | will
try to write one piece for your paper, the
Soil of the Soulh," on the culture of corn ;
and if being engaged in no other business
but that of farming all my life, (now nearly
three score years. would give merit to the
letter, then it will have plenty, otherwise
throw but little But although an old man,
am far from thinking that old men as a
body are better farmers or planters than
young ones, when they fully apply them
selves. Indeed, even doubt if they are as
good. But this is not my subject. To raise
the most corn to the acre, with the least
labor. My first object then, is to dwarf the
stalk and blade OF the plant in its early
growing time. And to accomplish these
objects, my experience would direct me to
bed up my corn lands deep and close in
September or October, or before vegeta-
ton is killed by the frosts, or as soon there
after as possible, and at the first spell of
warm dry weather after the middle Of Eel
ruary, to plant in drills and in the middle
furrow, should be at least fve and half or
six feet apart, $50 as to give good room for
cutivating Pea crop as | never raise one
unless keep the weeds and grass DOWN. |
put in plenty Of seed corn, as think it bet
ter to thin out than re-plant.
My first step was stated above, to dwarf
the talk and blade is, to plant low in the
water furrow; the next is, at the first plow-
ing, which shall not be too soon after the
corn is up, to side the drill close and deep
with turn plow, with the bar next the drill,
throwing the earth from the corn. A few
days or week thereafter, follow with the
hoes, partially thinning and choppng throug h
rs in cotton, and apply no earth or mould to
the corn if it will stand up without it.
To describe fully the work to be done af
forwards is scarcely possible, as all expert
enced planters know that seasons and cir
cumstances direct and force the work. But
/ will say, keep the earth as much as practica-
BILE from near the roots of the stalk, Except
a bare suficiency to keep it from trailing
until it begins to tas:e and silk, then with
the buzzard-wnged sweep plows level the
earth and keep it so as much as possible in
the last workings. When blowing my corn,
| rarely ever run but two furrows to the
row and very often but one. Light and oft
stirring is, think, of great benefit to corn,
at and about the caring time. Corn, think,
should be worked often, and very light,
either with plows or hoes through the ear
ing stage and until you can gather mess
of roasting ears, when it may be left Provi.
dence, under good fence. 1t will be apt
to do we'll Corn worked after the manner
| have endeavored to describe above, don't
wear that thrifty grand appearance in its
early growth, that it usually does, when
worked in the ordinary way of blowing out,
and hlling with the hoe. But it may be
made to look fresh and green almost at
pleasure as we would have the earth or soil
at our command to apply, when mostly
needed at caring time.
Some of the advantages which | think
are to be derived from this mode of corn
culture are--that in proportion to the dwarf
inc of the stalk and blade, so may be the
addition to the number of stalks to the row
or acre, and so in proportion to the number
of stalks in an acre, that can be kept grow.
ing and thrifty in caring time, by this pro-
cess of working, so is the addition to the
number of ears at gathering time.
Corn worked by this mode of culture is
apt to look grown and thrifty through its en-
tire caring and maturing season; besides,
the joints being short and usually strong, is
not so exposed TO the winds, which often
trail or blow down our corn and particular
ly when the stalks are tall and the blades
long.
The dwarfng the stalk and blade of corn,
if done at proper time, does not affect the
size or weight of the ear. Wishing your
valuable journal much success, am very
respectfully yours, &c.
WIN. Fl. Owens.
Glennville, JAM 1853