The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-05-02
Culture Of Corn.

great w eeleIn staple has arrived, ana as I
there is yet to be great improvement in the /
cultivation and management of this crop /
we propose to offer few remarks on the /
subject This grain IS destined to become
the chief article for the bread of the nation,
and its con sumption viii be greatly increased !
an other countries. The yield OF wheat IN
all but two or three Of the new wheat grow
ing States IS gradually diminishing, not
withstanding the constantly increasing
breadth of land sown-that Is, the yield per
acre, IN all the older States is gradually di-
minishing Unlike corn, wheat requires a
peculiar soil, well stored with all the con-
stituents Of that crop, so nicely balanced
that the exhaustion Of small portion Of
any one of them by a few succeeding crops
reduces the yield per acre at a rapid rate,
unless the fertility of the sOiI-thOse prop
critics that have been extracted-are re-
stored in the form of manure. As this is
by no means done, and with the rapid IL
crease of population, the period is not far
distant when all the wheat sown IN the
country will be sufficient to supply but a
small portion Of the bread of the pOpula
ton. To make up this deficiency Indian
corn must be depended on. 1t Is important
therefore that farmers begin TO improve IN
their method of cultivation. The average
yield of Indian corn, IN all the corn grow
ing States, is less than thirty bushels per
acre. With but little additional labor the
average yield can easily be doubled We
frequently hear Of crops of corn that reach
70, 100 and even $50 bushels per acre. This
is the result of thorough and timely tillage
Even in New York and Massachusetts, the
dwarf corn grown in the cool and unfavor-
able climate of those States often exceeds
100 bushels per acre. But in these instances
considerable quantity of manure is applied
and the cultivation is of the most thorough
character; with the employment Of these
means under our favorable sun and on our
generous soil, much greater returns might
be realized. But we are aware that the
present price Of corn in the West will not
warrant so great an outlay for manure and
labor, but there is a reasonable medium that
should be observed which would easily in
crease the corn crop one hundred per cent !,
with considerable increase Of profit to the
cultiyatOr
The means 10 be employed, to secure this
end, we think, are within the reach of every
farmer Corn requires a deep, mellow soil,
with a constantly loose open surface par
ticularly in dry weather Where there is
depth of aoil the plow should be made to
turn furrow from eight to twelve inches
deep. To secure this it may be necessary
70 use q trench pillow, usually called the
Double Michigan pillow. The cost Of an ex-
ira team to run this pillow, viii be more than
compensated by the saving of labor IN the
subseouent cultivation. In the first place
the forward pillow turns the surface of the
soil with all the weeds and seeds, to the bot
tom Of the previous furrow, and these are
covered by six or eight inches of the soil
below, that is comparatively free from seeds,
leaving clear surface of soil that has never
before been turned up to the ameliorating
influences of the sun and atmosphere. In q
soil thus prepared not only is much labor
saved, by avoiding prolific crop Of weeds,
but with proper after culture, the crop will
make such a rapid growth that it soon
shades the ground that weeds cannot
flourish On old fields that have never been
submitted to deep tillage, the use Of this
plow in buryiug the exhausted and worn out
soil cf the surface, and bringing up in It's
place an equal thickness Of virgin soil, will
be more than equal to new SOIL with or
binary tillage When there IS not depth Of
soil. sufficient to admit OF the running of the
trench pillow to a proper depth, without turn
ing up too large a portion of sub-sOil then
the sub soil pillow should be employed to run
after the turning pillow, breaking up the sub
soil to the depth Of II inches or more. This
Is particularly important where the sub soil
is a compact one. Such preparation Of the
soil not only greatly lessons the subsequent
labor of cultivation, by putting the weeds
below the terminating point but 1t affords
double the extent of pasturage for the roots
of the growing crop, besides insures protec-
ton against the effects of drouth, as well as
deeper drainage IN case OF excessive wet.
The California farmers have learned the
value of deep tillage TO counterfeit the effect
of several months continued drouth. There
"a a reservoir of water in almost all soils
that NAV be rendered available in times of
need. if the farmer will only properly pre-
pare the land for it before putting in his
L IL, Il
order. In a we'll pulverized soil to the depth
of twelve or more inches, a perfect tele-
yraphic communication, If we may be al
lowed the Illustration, is constantly kept Up
between the roots of the growing crop, by
the supply of moisture from below, through
the agency of capillary attraction. This
fact should never be lost light of by the
farmer in breaking up his field for this crop.
With these precautions a fair crop may al
wavs be secured in seasons of EXTREMIST
drouth while on lands, but half prepared
the crop will prove a total failure as the ex-
nerience of thousands can testify Much
depeuds. too, upon the after-culture of corn.
With the pillow and cultiyator, if employed
Mt the proper time, all the labor of cultivating
a crop of corn in our Western soil, is not
much First, give the young plants dress
inc with the large harrow this to DO sue
seeded at the proper time with the pillow
plete the work, and this should be used as
often as the surface becomes packed by beat
inr rains Thus keeping the soil light and
poTOus, it serves as a kind Of mulching, with
the natural material always at hand, which
bids defiance to the effects of our dryest
summers.
There is a much greater profit from forty
acres of corn, yielding eighty bushels per
acre. with this kind Of cultivation, than
from eighty acres, yielding but forty bushels
to the acre, saving the wear and waste of
half the land With the great abundance
of land. our farmers have been led into a
wasteful and alovenly habit Of farming,
which the change of times and cireum-
stances require should be reformed. 1t is
hiqh Turning, with skill and judgment that
is found to be most profitable. The old
system of sEinn5ng will no longer pay. The
slack, uneducated farmer may manage to
supply his family with meat and bread,
rs easily as be could forty years ago, but
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