Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-04-21

INDIAN Corn. There will never be time, prob
ably, when Indian corn will not be contemplated
in the light of an important stable, by the Ameri-
can agriculturist For great variety of uses, it
is certainly unsurpassed in the catalogue OF grains
and in point of productiveness it compares favor
ably with most grains. Yet there are great ma
nv who consider its cultivation as a matter in
rolving much uncertainty and risk. They COM
plain of the early frosts, which cut off the young
plants of the drought, which cOerces or averS the
development of the grain, and of the later rosts,
by which it is sometimes, though rarely, destroy
ed All corps are liable to accidents, and corn by
no means claims an exemption. Yet, that 1t IS
more liable to suffer and be destroyed by untoward
events than other corps of similar value, Is what
no one. perhaps, who candidiy contemplates the
subject, will pretend to assert. If the early frost
withers the tender blades, it never destroys the
roots; few warm days reclothe the field IN Its
pristine verdure, and the real injury is, at most,
but nominal. The drought or its effects, none
can prevent, though the latter may be very essen
TALLY mitigated by adopting judicious course of
cultivation Formerly the old Indian method Of
elevating high conical hill around the roots was
in vogue: but this has been found to be an error.
The more of these hills there are on an acre, the
greater, of course, will be the extent of surface
exposed to the sun and winds, and the greater
the exposure, the greater too must necessarily be
the evaporation in dry time. TWAS also deem
ed essential, in order to obyiate the effect of
drought, to allow the weeds to grow and cover the
soil perfectly moist and cool Now experience
has demonstrated, and the most Indifferent obser-
walton will convince any one, that the more vege
tation there Is on an acre the greater will be the
| drought upOnits moisture If, in severe drought,
! YOU pull up a handful of weeds from mass, the
! foliage of which completely shuts out the the
| sun from the soils, you will find the roots bring
up no moist Dirt while the soil On which no weeds
have grown, though in the immediate vicinity of
the former, and exposed to the unmitigated heat
of the sun, will be damp.
In working corn lands, we should endeavor
to keep the surface clean and light. Fine,
well pulyerized earth is a non-conductor, and
consequently the oitener we pass through our
! fields with the harrow cultivation, in dry
weather, the better will it be for the crop -
brick, fresh from the mould, if placed in the
! yard and covered with ratUn Of perfectly dry
sand, will retain its moisture five times as long
| one struck from the same clay and at the same
time, exposed openly by its side Nc hills should
be made around Indian corn. Plant so topass
both ways through the lied, /. e., longltudlnally
and transversely and do the working with the
| cultiyator andhorse. The fewweeds that remain
after the latter haa passed, easily eradicated
with the hoe or hand, and all the rain that falls
will be carried to the roots, instead being thrown
from them into the centre of the space between
the rows. If you plant kernel of Indian corn
in rich SOIL and suffer it to grow without killing,
it will take as strong hold; and maintain itself
as firmly against winds, as one that is hilled, and
more So But II, alter 1t hiss run up to the height
of three or four feet, you bring up three inches OF
dirt around the foot stalk the lateral roots which
its stays and braces, will stop growing, and a
new emission of laterals will be induced from the
section covered by the fresh soil. The old stalk
will also be banched by the privation of air, be-
come crisp and brittle, like asparagus grown un-
der leaves, and easily break. The same will take
place as often as fresh dirt is drawn up, and the
energies of the system exhausted by sending
forth roots from which it in return can derive but
comparatively slight support.
Y Nea0 England Farmer.