Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-24
A9ritnltnral.
= How to Raise Indian Corn.
eNow let the good old crop adorn
The fields our fathers trod
And let US for the yellow corn,
Send up our thanks to God.


Send up our thanks to God.
How to raise big crop OF Indian corn is
question that is asked with no little SOL
icitude by large numbers of good farmers,
especially at this season of the year. Al
though a large crop cannot be grown on
DOOR impoverished, wet and half-tllIed
ground, still by observing the following
suggestions those farmers who have been
accustomed to raise unsatisfactory crops of
this kind of grain in years past, may man
age to obtain a bountful crop. In order to
raise Indian corn cheaply, and at the same
make the soil produce to it's full capacity,
the ground must be properly prepared, at
the right season, and all the labor connect
ed with the cultivation of the crop, p,must be
performed at the right time, and in far
mer-like manner
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL.
If the soil be naturally wet it must be
relieved of the superabundance of mois-
ture, or it will be vain to attempt to grow
a remunerating crop of this kind of grain.
Better not plow furrow till the first day
of June, than to work such land while it is
excessively wet Let the first work be to
underdrain such land Employ few extra
workmen and make one or two hundred
rods of underdrain, before plowing the
ground. If you can get the ground drain
ed and the seed put in by the 10th or 18th
of June, by planting the improved King
Philip, or early Canada variety, you will
have good crop, unless there should be a
frost unusually early, next fall We would
urge once more the absolute Importance of
understanding The increased amount of
grain will defray the entire expense in one
season. We have tried the experiment, and
know whereof we affirm.
The Indian corn plant is gross feeder,
for which reason, ground will bear to be
manured heavily when the kind of grain is
planted If noxious weeds of any kind oc-
cupy the ground, defer blowing, until the
soil has become warm, and vegetation is
pushing forward with great rapidity. Then
plow and plant as soon as practicable. If
the subsoil be heavy, do not plow the sur
face soil too deep, nor so deep as to bring
up any of the unfertile and cold subsoil to
the surface Let the best, richest and mel
lowest earth be kept at the surface. If the
ground be in sod plow with Tapped furrow
slices, not more than five or six inches deep,
and let subsoil plow follow in the furrow
Of the plow that turns the surface soil
MARKING OUT THE GROUND.
The proper distance apart for the rows
and making them straight, are the most i'm
portant considerations IN marking out corn
ground. If the rows be straight so that
the cultivator or horse hoe can be worked
close to the hills, almost all the labor of
dressing and wedding, can be performed
with horses whereas, if the rows be crook
ed portion Of the hills will be rooted up,
while many of them will stand so far from
the place where the horseshoe passed, that
a great deal Of labor with hand hoes will
be required, to keep down the weeds and
grass. Labor is too expensive, at the pres
ent time, to employ men to hoe corn by
hand By plowing the ground late, we save
one hoeing Of the plants; and by making
the lows straight, horse-hoes will perform
all the hoeing so well, that one person, with
hand-hoe, will be able to keep up with the
cultivator.
The kind Of corn planted should deter
mine the distance apart for the rows The
King Philip, early Canada, and other small
kinds, had better be about two feet and
niue inches apart each way. If in drills,
three feet apart, and one kernel every eight
inches, will yield larger crop of grain than
PREPARATION OF SEED.
If there are no apprehensions that birds,
or other animals, will pull the corn after it
has been planted, it will be better to plant
the seed dry. But as crows, blackbirds,
doves, squirrels, mice, and gallinaceous
fowls, will pull corn, the grain must be
tarred, which is an infallible remedy. Be-
fore tarring, steep the grain about twelve
hours in warm water. 1t is highly iniu-
rious to seed corn to soak it over twelve
hours. The object of soaking it, is to fill
the kernels with moisture before applying
the tar, which will exclude the moisture
necessary to insure termination if applied
to the dry seed.
APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS
Almost every farmer can collect from the
dove cote, hennery, goose pens and duck
coops, several barrels of the choicest kind
OF fertillzlng matter, equal almost to guano.
Let 1t be run through threshing machine
to pulverize it, or beat it with fails then
sprinkle handful around every hill, or
where the plants are to grow, spreading
the manure thinly over an area of eighteen
inches in diameter. Guano or other ma
nure, should be applied in the same man
ner. If such manure be thrown down in
pile, as 1t frequently is, only few roots
are fed, while most of the roots suffer for
want of nourishment. By spreading it over
larger surface, there will be no danger
that the strong manure will injure the grow
ing plants. If such manure is applied af-
ter planting, it should be covered lightly to
prevent the wind blowing it away. Ifsuch
concentrated manure cannot be applied at
the time of planting, it may be spread
around each hill, after the corn has come
up, just before it is dressed out with cult
vators and hoes. By this means, the ferti-
lizing matter will be all covered with earth,
and the roots Of the corn will be well fed
Manuring bountifully, with clean cultiva-
tion, will insure an abundant crop