Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-05-04
Agrienl


DR.. James r. Nichols, editor of the Jour
nal of Chemistry, is of the opinion that the
corn crop is one of the most profitable crops
that can be raised. In the last number of
his paper he publishes the following
The statement has so often been made by
farmers aud others, that no hoed crop can be
cultivated with profit in New England, that
it has come to be generally accepted as true.
We do not concur in this opinion, and for
the best of reasons: we have proved its fall
slty for six consecutive years, in the raising
of hoed crops. If a farmer in any of the
Northern Strtes cannot raise corn at an ex-
pense much below its usual market value, it
is very certain that he is poor cultivator of
the soil. This can be safely SAID, even taking
into consideration the high price of labor,
fertilizers, etc. Corn is a profitable crop
for every farmer to raise, if any wisdom
foresight, or industry is manifested in its
cultivation. For six years past we have de-
voted careful attention to this crop. 1t has
been cultivated for several seasons under
every disadvantage with hired labor, the
antagOnistic influences of wet and cold, and
parching droughts to contend with, and vet
the cost per busbel averages less than fifty
cents. 1t is one of the most certain, the
most beautiful, clean, and profitable crops
which we raise. It must be- indeed, a very
unpropitious season when it Will not grow,
if the soil is put in good condition. What
is the reason farmers cannot raise it with
profit? 1t is because they do not select
suitable soil and supply fertilizers in gener-
Gus quantity. A crop of corn which gives
only twenty or thirty bushels to the acre,
does not pay, but one that gives seventy,
eighty or one hundred does pay. We have
never raised less than seventy bushels to the
acre, and it must be remembered that our
farm was an exhausted one when we took
hold of it in 1864. The fodder is very i'm
portant item connected with corn raising.
We always remove the top stalks in green
state, and allow the corn to ripen in the
open field. The butts, or lower stalks, after
huskIng, are taken good care of, as we de-
pend largely upon them to keep up the flow
of milk in our herd of cows during the win
ter. They are pitched over, a moderate
quantity of salt is diffused through them,
and then they are moved with alternate
layers of wheat straw. Their value when care
fully preserved, is but little less than that of
good upland Kay, estimating ton for ton.
There is much saccharine and heterogeneous ma
terial in the butts, and animals will eat
them if they are kept clean and sweet, and
properly fed to them. Out of four tons
fed to our herd during the past winter, not
FIVE hundred pounds have been rejected, and
we have neither chopped nor steamed the
fodder. To raise corn, we must plow in the
autumn, and spread on the manure, green
from the cellar in the spring. We must
harrow it in well, and have the soil well pull
verified. In the hills place handful of the
mixture of bone and ashes so often alluded to
in this Journal. This mixture must not be
thrown in all in a mass, and the seed dropped
directly upon it let it be thrown around the
hill, and little soil scattered over it, and
upon this place the seed. Select a field which
is neither very wet nor very dry, and with
this treatment every farmer can raise corn
probably.