The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-05-11

| 0ubATc country 10 III INV WY VI osucIs rs hcs
i've operators or interested spectators, in
tensely directed to the cultivation OF Indiar
/ corn. And We probably cannot better min
lister to the furthering the grand object Of
an,-the increase Of the production of the
artice,-than by presenting our readers q
few ideas gathered from . recent article oil
the Gsnssse Farmer, one OF the oldest and
best of the Eastern agricultural periodicals
| OF the Importance Of Indian corn to the
American farmer, nothing need be said. 1t
is OF more value even, in national point of
view, than wheat. No cereal cultivated in
temperate latitudes affords per acre so much
nutritious food for man and beast. In one
sense, too, it is ssfallow CROP" as it af-
| fords m opportunity OF cleaning the land by
| the use of the horseshoe while growing. On
the rich, new lands of the West, we may sp-
ply to corn what has been we'll said Of the
turnip in Great Britain--tsIt 10 the sheet an
Choir Of our agriculture" We fear, howey-
er, that it differs from the turnip in one very
important respect. Its growth does not in
crease the amount Of nitrogen or amonia on
the farm. 1t is crop for rich land--land
that is too rich, too low, and too loose for
wheat. 1t will flourish on the best wheat
land but wheat will not succeed well on the
best corn land. To grow corn on land that
will produce good wheat, is not, a. q general
rule, to be commended.
Land for corn must be dry. We recolle,s
walking through magnificent field of corn
on the thoroughly underdrained farm Of our
friend John Johnston. One Of the under
drains was choked up, and there the crop
was failure. Corn delights in loose, dry,
warm soil. Ii it is surchargcd with water,
all the sunshine OF our hottest summers can
not make it warm, and oil the manure that
can be put on it will not make the corn yield
maximum crop. In passing along the vari-
Gus railroads, we have often been saddened
to see thousands Of acres Of land planted to
corn which, by little undertaking. would
have produced magnificent crops OF this
grandest of cereals, but which presented
miserable spectacle Of yellow, sickly, stunt
ed, hali-starved plants, struggling for very
life. We have ever been willing to apollo
gize for the shortcomings Of American farm.
ers. We know the difficulties under which
many Of them labor. We do believe them to
| be, as whole, "intelligent and enterprising.n
But these sickly corn fields are we'll calcula-
ted to create q very different impression. We
have frequently to repeat the German pro-
verb-"To know is not to be able" These
farmers know how to raise good corn, but
they are not always able to put in practice
| improved methods of cultivation. MANY,
| however, might do better than they do. The
country is in IN embarrassed condition.
Willing hands cannot find labor. Good crops
| alone can save US from still greater poverty
and suffering. One good harvest would set
the wheels of trade and manufacturing in.
dustry in motion. and usher in q Gladstone
period of national prosperity. But il is vain
to hope for good crops without good cult
| walton.
Farmers know how to raise good corn
know how to plant and cultivate. We can do
| little except to urge upon them, as patri-
otto duty, the necessity of putting forth their
| best efforts the coming season. Our cities
and villages are thronged with idle hands /;
set them to work. DO what you can toward
draining the land. Plow it we'll, and pre-
pare a good seed-bed. Mark out the land
both ways, so as to plant in straight rows,
and then use the oultivator freely. De not
suffer weed to grow and rob the corn Of
food and moisture. Constant stirring ofthe
soil decomposes it's organic matter and rem
ders available the food Of plants lying latent
IN it; it enables it to attract ammonia and to
condense moisture from the atmosphere,
while it furnishes loose and warm bed for
the roots to grow in.
We have spent considerable time and mo
neyin experimenting with the various fertl-
izers for Indian corn. We know the impor-
tance of the subject. But we are satisfied
that, for the country at large, good blowing
proper preparation of the land, early plant
ing, and good and thorough aftsr-cuiture,
are Of far greater Importance.
Reform I'm the Methodist Church.
i An important change 10 discussed among
/ the Methodists in regard to the government of
the church and tho itineracy Of its ministers.
The Layman's Association Of the Cincinn att
Conference, recently in session, resolved that
it would conduoe to the welfare Of tho whole
church so to change the present system az to
allow Of lay representation in tho general and
other conferences. They object to being so
| exclusively governed by ministers. They
further say that the "good OF their children,
the church and the world calls loudly for q
moro intimate relation between pastor and
people, which can only be obtained by pro-
traoted stay OF the pastor with the people,
One of the reasons they urge against the
present system of itinerancy is that it is
grievous and unnecessary burden upon the
church. They calculate that in displacing
their 1000 ministers from fields whore thew
have just begun to labor with success, and in
removing them to new ones, where six months
will be required to make acquaintances, an
expense is incurred every two years Of $780,
600 Tor removals, and another $l2O.OO in
the depreciation Of household goods, making
an aggregate which exceeds the whole sum
contributed by the Methodist Episcopal
Church to foreign missions. They also
reckon that every two years over q thousand
years ministerial labor are lost in the pro-
cess Of removal, and argue that the system is
extravaganza. They also protest against the
absorption Of the time of ministers in edit