Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-02-27
For the Journal,
Our ERHmer9a Cluh.

| For the Journal.
Our Farmers Club.
= MIR. EDITOR Since you have often OK
Il pressed wish that some one would ocea
sionally write for your paper on the subiec
of Agriculture, and since such pieces do oc
easionally appear, l take this opportunity Il
give you short article; not because ca,
write better on this subject than any on,
else, but because no one else seems to write
First, let me give you little lecture OF
newspapers. Your paper is not merely
newspaper, but it is an instructive book.
production Of original thought and mind, -
sent forth daily and weekly as food for the
mind OF this whole community, city ant
country. And although yourpaperis is termed
political paper, yet the occupation Of tn,
people of this country is not solely political
Nor is the great interest, Trade, although
you devote ten times the attention to trade
that you do to the great business Of thi,
country, namely, agriculture But l an
not newspaper-maker, and perhaps an
incapable of giving advice in this matter
You are only in fashion with your profession
But there is one fact we are pleased to notice
that Agricultural books and rapers, and
schools and colleges, are beginning to grow
and spread like the 1sapling oak May no
political storm ever twist its branches, but
may the political state water and cultivate it!
Our Farmers Club held its regular seni-
monthly meeting at the Court House, on
Saturday, the 18th inst. 1t was a stormy
day, and but few were in attendance. 1t
was expected that the Secretary would make
report for our papers, which may yet ap-
pear, and hope this communication will
not in the least interfere with the report.
The subject for discussion was "Corn.' A
short, practical and lirst-rate essay was given
by Mr.. Richard Lord, who seemed to under
stand the whole process of raising the crop,
from beginning to end. lie made calcrla-
ii OF poor cultivation and good, and the
profit, that which we are all after, footed
up almost entirely with the good cultivation.
| wonder if any one has any different expe-
rience with little extra labor in raising
crops? But many will say, we can't afford
that extra labor. Yes you can. Take Mr..
LORDS advice, and cultivate less ground.
After Mr.. LIS essay was read, the discussion
was very general by all the members. Much
on the subject of seed corn. Mr.. Morford
produced q tin-cup of earth with live corn
sprouting up handsomely. This was raised
upon Mnseatine Island-warm, sandy land.
1t was understood that there is considerable
good seed corn OH the island, and some poor.
On the upland it will be quite difficult to find
corn that will grow. Good brigbt-looking
ears, on examination by good judge, will
many of them be found to be dead. The
cause is supposed to be the green and wet
state OF the stalk and cob when the frost
came. The remedy should have been to
have picked tho seed before the frost came
which probably many farmers have done.
Mr.. Lord recommended the way to raise
seed, by picking at early ripening one of the
largest and best ears-nei,Asr the coarse,
gourd' seed variety, nor the little flint, but a
medium yellow dent corn, with small cob
and long grain. Several specimens were
presented-Dr. Weed, a beautiful 'swllte
hominy corn,' similar in appearance to the
yellow flint of Michigan aud New York. l
had bu>hel of similar corn to DR.. Weeds,
the seed of which was seLt me from the Pa
tent Office, labelled s.Mexican White Flint.'
The ears were lurger-it grew large and
stout-nany of The stalks had two large ears
and rlpened two weeks earlier than our large
field corn. intend trying this next year as
IL crop. tried sprouting it in water. Five
gtains out of twelve sproutcd, aud ,f the
best ears c ,uld find in Iny corn>crib COM
mon field corn-sope white and some yellow
but two in sixty grains sproutcd. Il ink
tie water was too cold. | this week Will
try some in dirt. Eurmers, look out for
seed cora.
The rext meeting of the Farmers Club OF
Bloomington Township" will be held at the
Court House, on Saturday, the 9th, at one
O'clock. Subject, Grass.
Hon. Timothy Davis has promised to send
us choice seeds from the Patent Oihce. 1lcy
will DC distributed to our members, and only
at our regular meetings.
SUEL FOSTER.