Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1868-03-12
farmers Department.
[From the Farmers 'ohronicle.l
The Cultivation Of Indian Corn
BY W. W. MILLER.

BY W. W. MILLER.
There is quite diversity OF opln. |,
ion in regard to the best mode OIL
blowing for planting and cuitivanng
this valuable crop. The soil is not
aIl.important, SO that it is deep, rich
and dry. A dark colered soil is,
however. preferred, as it is more
readily heated by the rays Of the
sup. If sod is intended for this crop,
plow in February or March, SO that
the action of the frost may destroy
the worms and pulverize the soil
previous to planting. II corn ground
or .stubble, plow deep in April Ito
be governed, of course, by the quail
ity Of land TO be plowed) bearing in
mind never to plew this kind of land
when it is sticky or will adhere to
the hand when pressed. Before
planting it will be neces sary to pull
'verize the soil by means of the har-
row, and reller if necessary, 50 as to
facilitate the furrowing, planting and
subsequent cultivation. Ifthe ground
is rich, furrow four feet apart each
way with a shovel plow, furrowing
deeper the first time than the second;
drop, Of good yellow seed corn, from
three to four grains in hill, cover
II or two inches deep with q three
tooth cultlvstor, with the front tooth
taken oU., or, with what is more
economical, the hand planter, which
drops and covers. If this be used
furrow the ground the last time east
and west, planting the corn about
half way up on the north side of the
furrow. Corn planted in this way
will come up better than planted in
any ether way that / ever tried
The objection to this mode Of plant
ing is that it leaves the corn too
close together in the hill, and cense-
quently the stalks will be crowded
too much while growing. But for
this very reason it is cultivated with
greater facility and more easily cut
up, as any observant farmer who has
tried, well knows, and of fayora-
BILE season, the difference in yield,
from corn planted in this manner and
the former, / question will scarcely
be pereeptible. Land in only mid
ding fertility, as most of our clay
soils are, should be planted 81 feet
apart each way, and from 2 to 3
grains in hill. A few days before
the corn comes through the ground,
or when the sprouts on the grains
are about an inch long, take wide
spread spike harrow, or two small
ones fastened together, with the teeth
projecting through the wood on the
under side about three inches, 90
over the ground the same way that
it was furrowed the first time, har-
rowing tvo rows al through. This
will level the ground, break the crust
over the hills, if one should have
formed, and destroy the weeds that
may have started, thus leaving the
ground in fine condition for the cul-
tivator or plow. We have practiced
this method for the last ten years,
and have no reason now to abandon
it. | had special reason to value the
practice few years since when a
neighbor Of mine rented and cult.
waited field for nae in corn, join
ing land on which / cultivated the
same crop. Soon after planting it.
set in rainy, causing the weeds to
spring up rapidly. When the ground
had got sufficiently dry to stir sug-
gested to the renter the advantage of
narrowing, as indicated, before the
corn came up, but the reply was that
it would destroy more than half of
the corn. He preferred adhering to
''the good cid way" and wait till the
corn got up sufficiently high before
he would stir the soil. The conse-
quence was that it came up badly
and unevenly, owing, evidently, to
the baked state of the ground, and
was almost smothered by the grass
Commonly known, believe, as fox
tail which, by the time the renter
and his hand began to plow, had
formed kind of sod, making it very
hard plowing. Before they could
get the corn clean they had to hand
hoe the entire field, which was hur-
culean task. With double the labor
put on his crop that we put on ours,
the<fenter did not, I feel confident,
have as much corn per acre by one
third, as we did.
My mode, after narrowing, is this: |
When the corn is three or four inch |
es high take double shovel plow
an iron one is best) with short or |
very slanting shovels, SO that it will |
make but very shallow furrow;
plow deep and close to the corn, cut
ting under the hills as much as pos
sible without tearing them up. At
ter going over the corn ground twice |
with this pair Of shovels take them
off and put on larger pair to lay
the corn by with, being careful this
time to plow shallow and not very
close to the corn. Corn should be
laid by just before tasseling out
Go through the corn after plowing it
the last time, if necessary, and pull
out all the remaining weeds, and the
work OF cultivation is completed.
In conclusion, I win say word in
regard to plowing corn during pro-
tracted drouth. Corn on land with
a moist clay sub sell is, no doubt,
benefited a good deal by stirring
during drouth, but on land With q
grayelly sub-soil, and where the land
is already in good condition, 1 would
plow as little as possible. I have
had fields of corn, and have seen
others, almsst entirely ruined by too
much stirring on this kind of land
1t is claimed that the moist soil
thrown on top by plowing serves as
q mulch, causing the moisture to rise
from below by capillary attraction.
This. no douht. wOuld he the case IL