Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-04-10
farmers' 9fpartmel1t.
Pumpkins Among Corn.

In the Farmer Of February 9th, in answer
to certain queries of correspondent, you
express some doubt whether "aDy gaia is
made by the introduction of the pumpkin
into the cornfeld." This question belongs
to o class in practical farming which can
never be settled by theory. Careful expert
ments, made under different and adverse cir:
cumstances, can alone settle them. And it
Is to these experiments that every intelligent
farmer ought to contribute something for the
geheral good.
The question of utility in cultivating corn
in the same field with pumpkins is not by any
means raised now for the first time. 1t is ol-
der, to my certain knowledge, than the "Mis.
souri, compromise" and may date back for
aught know, to the first hill of corn and the
first pumpkin. AS general rule, am op.
posed to mixed crops; yet there are excep.
tions to all rules in farming, and ! think this
matter Of corn and pumpkins is one of them.
would not knowingly do anything to dspat-
age The value OF the corn crop, for hold it
to be by far the most valuable grain crop Of
New England, and indeed Of any other coun-
soil will not produce wheat as stable.
recollect very we'll that my grandfather
had all the old fashioned prejudice in favor Of
raising pumpkins, and would paht them
among corn, potatoes and even beans, if the
soil was rich enough to hold out any prospect
Of a crop. My father. on the other hand,
doubted the value of pumpkins; and was
especially opposed to anything that could, by
any possibility detract from the product of
his corn6eld. With these opposing views
upon the same farm, you will perceive at once
that there was necessity for trying an espe-
riment; for "a house divided against itself"
could not stand forty years ago better than it
can now. Accordingly, in the year 1918,
think it was, the cornfeld was equally divided
by two or three rows of potatoes through the
centre and one-haf planted to corn With
pumpkins and the other without. There was
no psrceptible difference Id the growth Of the
the corn, and when the field was harvested
there vas not difference of three bushels in
the quantity on each part, although tqe whole
field embraced on area of four or five acres.
Eleven large loads of handsome pumpkins
were considered by my grandfather as q
weight Of evidehce in favor of his theory Tor,
in other words his side of the corn6eld) which
could hot we'll be resisted. believe that
my father, ever after that planted pumpkins
with his corn.
1t seems to me reasonable that a plant so
well adapted to the shade as the pumpkin
and one which receives 80 large share of
its nutriment from the atmosphere, can be
planted with corn without injury to the lat
ter, and without much detrimert to the SOIL
Indeed it is held By some intelligent farrhers
that the large leaves OF the pumpkin, by sha-
ding the ground and thus preventing the sun
from dislodging the various gases which de-
compose and form soluble matter in the soil,
to be taken up as food for the growth Of
plants, are a direct benefit to the land, to
say nothing of the value Of the pumkin crop.
1t is well settled, | believe, that pumpkins
fed out without the seeds, in moderate quan-
titles, to mich cows, impart rich flavor to
the milk. 1t is also conceded that they are
very valuable in fattenpg beef Let them
not therefore, be given up without some tan
gible evidence Of their inutillty.-Cor. Nsic
England Farmer.