The home journal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1857-1857, 1857-04-11
AGRICULTURAL.
FRoorowN, March %, 1857.

Editor Home Journal:
! have been looking over the JON
nal and some other papers until mir
o'clock has rolled round, which is ID
common bed time for most Of farmers
but as do not sleep well, have con
cluded to give to the readers OF tn
Journal few Of my thoughts on mat
tiers and things in general; and as tn
season for planting our crops is a
hand, and being much better in theo
~ than practice, ! propose to Civ
some instructions othe farmers Of m,
county in regard to planting. Now,
would not have you think that ar
writing to make display OF my abil
ity to present something arranged il
systematic style, which might please
the lawyers, doctors, and merchants
that's not what I'm after Ny OBJ
ject is TO write something to help
along those Of my own profession
the farmers. And | am determined
to present practicable things, whether
YOU will take heed or not. After
tell you how to do, if you should then
persist in your old traditions of balanc-
ing your bag Of corn with rock in
one end when you go to mill, you need
not blame me if you do not make n
good crop of corn.
Now, just let me state to you the re-
suit of my experience in corn raising,
Some few years past several men in
this neighborhood tried their skill up
on one acre, trying who could produce
the best acre of corn. The result
was that | was able to gather IS bush
els of corn from one acre of as poor
land, in its virgin state, as ever a toad
hoped over The crop was planted
on the 10th Of May, rows feet apart,
and one grain to the foot III the drill.
1t would be needless for me to tell
you that ! MANFRED the land we'll
that did-and prepared it we'll by
ploughing and breaking all cl, DIS be-
fore planting. After the corn was
planted it required but little more
work to make the crop. ploughed
round once with two burrows to the
row, and once with three. That's the
amount Of ploughing. You may think
that it had a good deal of hoeing.--
Well, l hacked through it once with
the hoe myself. That's all about work.
Now, the question arises, if made
the above amount of corn on poor
land what can be done on rich land p
The best way that can point out, is
to go to work on your rich land and
try. You may look out for some of
the largest yields Of corn this year
that ever has been made in this coun-
ty, as there are several engaged in fix
ing for big crop in this district, in
anticipation of a fine suit OF clothes
from contending parties. and then a
silver cup at our County Fair. | men,
ton this that others may take the hint,
lest Frogtown take the premium on
corn. Let me tell you how to fix your
seed corn. Before planting, put your
corn intos. kettle, then stir in tar till
every gram becomes thoroughly inn
mersed in the tar. then stir wood ash
es in until your corn will seperate one
grain from another, so as to be easily
dropped. You will find from this pro-
cess that no insect, varmint, or fowl
will have anything to do with your
grain or young shoot, and believe it
will grow much faster than if planted
in the old style. lhave tried this and
! know it will do. Farmers, if you
cant go your whole crop, try on a
small scale, and ] think you will be
amply remunerated for your trouble.
Now, you that wish to raise cotton,
if you will take the trouble of rolling
your seed in ashes and let them lay in |
the bulk until they are nearly ready
10 sprout, you will find that you will
nearly save one working by this pro.
cess. planted about one acre last
year, about the 10th Of May, after
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