The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-05-20
Shs farm and Spasshald:


Indian corn is the most important
and profitable of all our grain crops,
and the one which most of all needs
thorough culture. 1t is unnecessary
for me to say that it needs good
ground, Thorough and deeply pulver-
lied, for all know that. Therefore
shall begin with the preparation Of
the seed. In the first place l make II
a point to have good seed of good
variety that may plant as many
grains as / want stalks and no more.
thus being sure of good stand,
without the trouble of thinning out.
I mix half a gallon Of SCOT with a tuD
half full OF rain water, made aooGl
milk warm. L then fill up the tuo
with nv sced-shelled of course
letting it remain twenty-four to thir-
tv six hours, kept at about the same
temperature. After soaking it must
be planted and covered as soon as
possibIe, for if allowed to dry INC
germ will be destroyed. Prepared III
this wav it will come up muck sooner
and start of with more vigor, the root
being a very stimulating fertilizer. he
plant i'm hills three and a half feet
apart each way WITH three grains in
each hill, thereby getting more stalks
per acre than by planting four feet
each way with four grains to hill,
and more evenly distributed. They
are thus better exposed to the light
and air and the roots more readily
reach all parts of the soil. In the Sc
cond place, the most difficult and I'M
portant operation of the whole season,
getting ahead of the grass and weeds
at the start, successfully accomplish
ed i'm the following manner, doing the
greater part of il at the same time 1
covered the seed. In marking of the
ground not more than two inches
deep, / take pains 70 have my rows
straight and equi-distant for greater
convenience in cultivating. 4 cover
the seed with two-horse corn culti-
vator, turning the shovels slightly to-
wards each other, and throwing a
ridge six or eight inches high on top
of the corn
When the sprout is abOuttwO inch
es long. i thoroughly harrow across
the ridges until have the surface
smooth. Thus the corn is just ready
to come through, a fine mellow sur
face, aid all the young grass and
weeds are either covered up or their
roots exposed to the san while they
arc young and tender and easily kill
cd. In a day or two more a rolling
l. 40 lao ftsos N
of spelling the corn by narrowing.
There is no danger OF that. even
should YOU neglect g few davs too
long. Treated in this way before The
grass can again get up. the corn /.
large enough to admit OF the use Oi
the cultivator. and once having the
start of the grass it is easy TO keep ii.
Many farmers allow something else
to occupy their time and attention for
a few days just when they should be
at their corn, and when day is worth
more than week at q later period
Here, if anywhere, "a stitch in time
saves nine," or IAN ounce of proven
tive is worth pound of cure" Re-
member the two maxims and act &C.
cordingly, for if allowed few days
growth the grass in the hill cannot be
covered up, but if destroyed at all,
must be hand publican operation toe
slow and tedious for a large field OF
corn. rf-.H r.ff- V..r .~Tst
l used a four shovel cultivator with
shields, and can cultivate as necessary
without having the clOds fall on the
corn. At the first ploughing. |
ploughcd close and deep, each Time
going shallOwer and farther of SO a:
not to interfere with the roots as they
extend farther from the hill. | cult
vate as often as once in ten days; bet
ter once week until the corn is too
large. --