Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-06-17
9grifNltntaL
From the Genesee Farmer.
Cultivation of Indian Corn.

Cultivation of Indian Corn.
OF the im portancc Of Indian corn to the Ameri-l
can farmer, nothing need bc said II is of more
value even, in a national point of view, than wheat
No cereal cultivated in temperate ATTITUDES affords
per acre so much nutritious food for man and beast
In one sense, too il is "fllUw crop" it affords
opportunity Of cleaning the land by the use of
the horseshoe while growing. On the rich new
lands Of the West, may apply to corn what has
been well said of the turp in Great Britan-"ltI
is the sheet anchor Of our agriculture" We fear
however that it differs from the turnip in one very
important respect. Its growth does not increase
the amount Of nitrogen ammonia on the farm
II is crop for rich nnd--nnd that is too rich too
low and too loose for wheat. II 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, ns a general
rule to be commended.
We have said that corn viii succeed on land too
low for wheat This is true; but corn requires n
dyy soil II is "a mistake 10 suppose that all high
land is dry and all low land wet. Mr. Swan, near
Geneva N. Y. who has laid over fifty miles of
dran-tes ON his fnrm found that the highest parts
of his farm needed much again draining rs thel
lower portions On low lands few open bitches
are often sufficient TO carry Off all the water; but
on a springy hillside, thorough undertaking is
necessary.
Land for corn must be dry We rccollect walk
ing through a magnificent field Of corn on the thor
oughly Undetermined farm Of friend John Johnston.
One of the undcrdrans was choked up and there
the crap tras failure. Corn delights in a loose
dry warm soil. If it is surcharged with water all
the sunshine Of our hottest summers cannot make il
warm, and all the manure that can he put on it will
not make the corn yield a maximum crop. In pass
ing along the various railroads, we have often been
saddcned to thousands of acres of land planted
to corn which, by little undertaking, would
have produced magnificent crops Of this grande
Of cereals, but which presented miserable specta-
Gle of yellow, sCkly stuntcd, hali-starved plants
struggling for very life. We have ever been will
ING TO apologize for the shortcomings of American
farmers. We know the difficulties under which
many of them labor. We do believe them to be-
whole, "intelligent and enerVrsing" But
these sickly cornlields well calculated TO create
very different impression. We have frequently to-
repeat the German proverb---"To know is not to he
able These farmers know how to raise good
corn, but they are not always able TO put in praC-
tice improved methods of cultivation. Many how
ever might do better than they do. The country is
in embarrassed condition. Willing hands can
not find labor. Good crops alone can save MS from
still greater poverty and suffering. One good har-
vest would set the wheels Of trade and manufacture
ing industry in motion, and usher in n gladstone
period of national prosperity. But it is vain to
hope for good crops without good cultivation.
Farmers know how to raise good corn--kuow
how 70 plant and cultivate. We can do little ex-
CVPl 10 urge upon Ih'I' S " l'lIpl' u"lN' t"e NJ
cessty of putting forth their best efforts the coming
season. Our cities and villages are throngcd with
idle hands, set them 70 work. DO what you can
towards draining the land Plow it well and pre-
pare good seed-bcd. Mark ont the land both
ways so as to plant in straight rows, and then use
the cultvator freely. Do not suflcrn weed to grow
and rob the corn of food and moisture Constant
stirring of the soil decomposes its organic matter
aud renders available the food of plants lying latent
in it; it enables it to attract ammonia and to con-
dense moisture from the atmosphere, while it fur
nishes loose and warm bed for the roots to grow in.