St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-01-22
THE CALEDONIAN.
farm, Garden aud asitflirn.
Raising Corn.

If there is any one crop more IMAM an
other that delights our eyes to behold,
il ia a well-cared-for field Of corn.
Though we often hear the remark that
New Hampshire is a poor corn-growing
state, the evidence is readily found upon
the premises of nearly every thrifty far
mer, that with the right management the
reverse is true. Some localities, to be-
sure, may not be adapted to its growth,
but there are but few farms within oaf
knowledge upon which the e. '-r'
may not be made remuneratN
Now, in view Of the fact Il. {, >.
lion of dollars, at least, are sent annual!
out of the state to buy corn, we submit
the question whether it would not be bet
ter to invest this large amount OF money
at home, in a more extensive cultivation
Of the crop and raise our own corn. Il
such plan could be adopted, all oui
valleys and hills might be ''made t,
blossom as the rose" In a few year,
every foot of arabic land in the state
would become like garden.
That corn may be raised here to ~
vantage may be readily seen from crop
raised in this country last season. On'
OF the largest was that raised by Col ID
NJ Clough, of Canterbury, consisting OF
twenty acres, and producing neTy tr'
thousand bushels Of g0od ripe cars. Who
will contend for moment that the crop
didn't pay, yielding to It's owner, Is II
did, not less Man fifteen hundred dollars?
Col CIough, no doubt, can tell how
much it cost him TO raise that crop. am
we venture the opinion that his figure,
would not cover half lis value. Now,
with what other crop could he hav,
made as much money! Don't it pay
him to raise corn? Why may it moi
pay others Just as well
We know that the objection to an cN-
tensive cultivation Of the crop is urged
long cropping-and we might add. baC
management, inasmuch as its owner:
have ignored the law of compensation
and have neglected to return To then
fields anything like an equivalent for tll(
elements that have been extracted from
them by the crops they have grown-ana
that corn cannot be raised without !:
large outlay for tertiIizing materials.
There is force in the argument, but We
meet it by saying that those materials
may be readily obtained, and the que
ton of cost should be no objection -
long as the outlay is more than com
pensated for by the increased value OF
the crop.
In another column will be found {;
statement of Col. Clough upon this very
question. He says lie used Soper-I'ho5
plate Of L6r,e, CBradley's) in the hill, Il:
lie has done Tor five or six years, and i
tally convinced that tie crop more tim
douJly Duys tie cost" This is what Col
CIough says, and no one will doubt hi
reliability. But he Is not alone III Ai
testimony, us will be seen 10y referring t,
the statements of other gentlemen equal
" reliable We have, ourselves, demon
9trated the same fact.
Here, then, is one of the agents that
may be made use OF to increase the corn.
crop. And we are glad to know tina
its use is becoming more common-not
less than five hundred tons having bcel
used by New Hampshire farmers las
season.
But something else must be done t,
increase the corn crop in New lamp
shire. The land must be prepared BY
better blowing and a more thorough pull
verization of the soil, careful and season
able planting of the best known varieties
and a frequent and thorough after cuiii-
yatom-all of which will cost time ant
money but rs sure as seed time and
harvest shall come-of which we hav,
ample promise-just so sure will tn,
farmers, who make use of the means al
hand, get a good return for their labor,
and will not, like Jacob of old, be
obliged TO send their sons down to Egypt
TO buy corn.-"'1He People," Concord, v.
II.