The Hillsborough recorder., 1854-03-01
From The Soil Of the soulh.
Premium Essay on the Treatment
and Cultivation Of Corn.

4 No11J Va kl0 xIGdlmcuk
I and Cultivation Of Corn.
Read before the Southern Central Agriculiur
Association. by James N. Chambers.
Y II would seem that with crop wit
which we had been so long familiar
and which enters so universally into IN
products Of the farm, nothing ne,
would remain To be disclosed, and tha
practice ought long since TO have mad,
US acquainted with all the best mode
of culture. My observation, however
has but served to convince me that N,
crop has been subjected to more neg
lect, and none has been mnre left /,
the mere risk oi chances, circumstan,
ces, aud the accidents of seasons. than
corn especially in the agriculture o.
the South. When inquiry has been
lndnlged at all. il has been rather ia
find out the shortest and cheapest
rather than the best modes of prepara,
tion and culture, and that we have beer
indebted Tor success rather to 4 kind
Providence. and generous soil, than
to any skill or understanding of ou,
own in bringing about the result. Ii
y true, that without these aids, We
could not hope for success but our ob.
lection is to reliance so exclusively
upon them. and our purpose to show
how We shall better succeed in o.oper.
alton with them.
lay II down as indispensably neces.
sary to anything like perfect success,
that first Of all, good preparations
should be made before planting; tina,
the land should be thoroughly, deeply,
and closely pluwed. forming a deep,
mellow. and well pulverized bed, which
will allow any excess of rain water
which may fall upon the surface to set.
tie readily deep into the earth below
the deposited seed, which will permit
the warming rays OF the sun, and the
healthiul gasses Of the atmosphere to
penetrate. and through which the Young
roots, 50 abundant IN this plant, NAV
spread out early and easily in search
Of requisite food. This preparation, as
already intimated. must be made with
the plow. The time of doing it. and
the particular kind Of implement to be
used. and the depth to which the land
Is 10 be broken, must be determined
very much BY circumstances, the cha
racter of the soil, &c., and must be left
somewhat to the discretion of the plan
ter, to be varied to suit the circum.
stances of each case-secHing the ob.
Ject, deep and thorough preparation.
1t must be admitted that very good
crops are often made with less prepa-
ration. These deficiencies are some.
times made up bv after culture. Yet
no one may safely presume upon the
opportunity to do this; nor. can we
claim to have done our whole duty,
when we leave for tomorrow the doing
of those things which ought to have
been done to-day. Many regrets and
many failures have resulted from the
want of these timely preparations.
The extquestion in the order of in>
qulrv is as to the Node Of Planting,
and the best Time for doing this.
. Ina climate with summers as long
and as hot as ours, and where drought
SO frequently occurs in these hot
it is Of indispensable impor-
tance that this crop should be planted
just as soon as the frosts can be avoid
ed. And It may be remarked in this
connection, that this plant, though ten
der, is not easily killed to the root, and
the mere nipping of the young leaves
Of the corn does not materially affect
its ultimate yield |; and that we should
not therefore be deferred, by any of
these apprehensions, from early plant.
ing.
The Depth Of Planting is an impor.
tant consideration.
The roots of corn are almost all la.
teral, and come out near the surface ;
md it is therefore matter Of great i'm.
portance to have the seed well deposit.
ed in the ground. To do this, the
opening furrow for planting should be
leep, SO that the tendency of all the
lfter workings would be to increase the
lepth of earth upon the roots. The
'eed, when deposited in this turrow,
should be covered to the depth Of one
md half to two inches, with soft, fine
'arth, placed there by pillow or hoe
he latter | think best. Three or lour
rains should be dropped, when only
me is to be left, it being much better
Q thin out than to have to replant.
1t is a debatable question, and there
ure one about which there is a difer.
nee OF opinion, as to whether the Hill