The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1855-04-24
CULTIVATION OF CORN.

held in Henry county Ky, apremium was off
| cred for tho best essay on the cultivation OF
Indian corn There wero four competitions
The committee awarded tho premium 10 Mr.
S. +. DRAKE. of Henry county, for the follow
ing essay, which we copy fiom tho Louisville
Courier, and recommend to the careful! attcn-
ton of our forming friends:
In writing an essay on tho cultivation and
management ofa corn crop, the w.'iter- Of this
will not strive 50 much TO maintain a system
in writing, as merely to contribute what ho may
know from practice.
Among tho inany REQUISITES 10 insure good
corn CROP the poriod OF breaking tho land ac-
cording to its kind, whether it be turf, stubblo
or land which had had produced corn the pre-.
ceeding year, is of groat Consequence, and
shouldEbo varied according to its tendency to
We; or dry; and win remark hero, that have
bot little faith in the benefits resulting from
fall or early winter plowing because, it it DO
done earlier than November, tho effects of the
sun will pro, Injurious to the land thus exposed
and it will be sure to want re-breaking before
it should be planted.
II tho land is broken in November, Docem :
Der or January, It is still not exempt from tho
necessity Of ro-breaking, but it is liable, If tho
winter be wet ono, to excessive washing, and
the consequence is, the valuable liquids arc
|
| ly DO diminished These rcmarks arc intended
to apply to stnLble and sod lands.
| From my observation and experience, would
say, that FEBRUARY is preferable in Kentucky
to say other time for breaking turf or sod lard,
and no farmer should if he can avoid it. let a
day pass, when this period srrives, without
having somc plowing dono when the ground
is sufficiently clear Of frost to do so Stubble
| lands may be broken in this month also, but
should give precedence to tori land. Expert
cncc has proved to me, and l think will con-
vince any ono who will try IT, that turf or stub
bic which is turned under in February viii rot
as soon as that which is powed earlier, while
it is not liable to the injuries mentioned above.
Land from which crop of corn was taken
the yoar previous. should not be broken before
March, but hold that it is bad economy, ex-
cept upon land of great fertility, to tax it with
two consecutive crops. 1t is no. only too ex-
haustion to the land, but is always attended
with moro difficulty in the cultivation from grass
and wceds-an important feature in the pro-
duciion Of good corn crop The plowng
should be deep and thoroughly done; and if
practicable, tho sub soil pow shoud follow the
ordinary pow, for upon the complete prcpara-
ton of theland depends. in groat degree the
success of the crop. The planting should not
be done until the ground becomes dry and warm
! enough to insure tho speody termination of tho
scei SO as to make good stand, to avoid re.
| planting tho vancies, and sometimes furrowng
out entirely. which, if done without rebreaking
| seldom produces a good crop, and is difficult
| to cultivate. 1t would bo Infinitely botter for
tho farmer to attend to some other job until
the proper season arrives.
An important point in this matter is the
method of planting. There are as conceive,
but two definite methods of planting corn, ono
of which is by crossing off the land with plow,
the required width, aud planting the crop so as
to fo,m rows each way, and the other is to drill
it, Drilling is ehor performed by hand or by
somo of the numerous kinds of seed drills now
in use.
From three years experience in planting
with Barnhih's patent corn planter prefer that
to any other method Of putting in my crop,
Tho advantages afforded by this method arc:
lst. After am ready to check off for plant
ng, | can dispense with throc fourths of the
aboreres and two thirds Of the horses, and the
planter may from this cause alone, DO enabled
to prepare his land thoroughly wbilo the sea-
son is arriyi' o when he may plant with safety.
and he can thus bo cnablod to wait upon the
weather, and for tho preparation of tho land,
which, il ho does not, ho will seldom fail 10 re-
gret. Tho land shor.d in oil cases be first har.
rowod before the planter. consider the prop
er time for putting in this crop in Kentucky is
about the middle of April. and in most of tho
land from the Goth Of April TO the 9th or even
to the 10th of May would not be too lato,
Another reason in favor Of the drill system
with this machine is, that it deposits the grain
at intervals os about IL to ii inches apart. in
rows say feet to feet 3 inches apart. The
plants should be thnned out, so as 10 leave but
ono stalk 10 each deposite. Tho corn is thus
4. 4 IL.
if in hill, tho amount of stalks on tho land
would be about the same: but the more uniform
distribution tho drilled corn over the surface
Of tho land, am confident. will produce tho
largest yield, and if properly cultivated, will
withstand the effects Of drought better than
corn planted in hills, while the drilled corn can
bo cultivated easier, ,and in much better rotation
For instance if the ontire crop is ono fied your
workings will always be in regular succession |
from one side to the other. The period between !!
workings TO all parts of tho field will bo rcgu- |
lar. Otherwise, if in hills to be plowod both |
ways, when the field is once plowcd over, say |
from east to west, you tnrn across and arc oblg-
cd to rc-work part of tho corn Immediately |
with part that has not been worked for 8 or 10 ,
days.
The system Of cultivation that pursue, and |
which believe as successful as any other, is |
10 o'V" 90 VIZ S'ah 10 P'"h'eN' ""N poiV'O ~ 10 |
up, if you choose, to run twice in row with
one horse Rounder or Livingston county pow,
tho bar side to tho corn.
i start half my teams thus: when they have
proceeded this way long enough for the land to
want stirring again, start tho second half, TO
follow with cultvators, also twice in a row,
which levels the ridges down. As soon as
third working is needed or when those who
used plows in the first case get over tho crop,
start them with cultivators, also twice in row.
BY this time, the corn should bc thoroughly and
carefully thirned before tho fourth working,
which should be done with shovel plows. Those
who thin the corn should always carry hoes for
The purpose Of cutting briars. elders. sprouts,
Sc., that may have escaped tho plow Tho
fifth process, which is apt TO be the last, should
DO with cultivators twice in row.
You now havo the crop 'laid by" as tho torn
IS, with the ground in a level condition to avoid
washing, and in q good condition to receive
small grain in tho fall or spring. We have now
come to period when we await the process
IF mrturinq. and tho further management Of