The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-03-23
AGnTCUHTURAL TOPICS.

From the Southern Cultivator.
The immediate work in hand this
month, March, is the ploEing in OF oats,
where these are to be sown on bottom
lands the planting of corn, and preparat-
ion of land for cotton, sugar cane, pota-
toes, &c.
Our best farmers differ as to the methods
of planting corn-some insisting that the
seed should be put as deep down below
the general surface as it is possible to get
it in deep water furrow, (not covering
it deep however); others advocating the
plan of putting the seed only a little
below the general surface, in an ordinary
furrow, made in land not bedded up.
On rolling upland we incline decidedly
to the water-furrow' system; On fiat
and bottom land on the contrary even a
low bed may be necessary. There is also
much difference of opinion respecting the
distance that should be given to corn
On old uplands where the soil is thin and
the ground is not deeply broken, we are
confident the distance should be great
each stalk should haye from 10 to 20
square feet of surface, that is to say with
6 foot rows the hills should be say 3 feet
apart If the land is deeply SUBSIDIZED
and well supplied with vegetable matter,
the distance in foot rows may be reduced
to u feet. On damp, rich land it may
be crowded much more, especially where
there are facilities for irrigation. In con
nection with corn planting fact may be
mentioned that is worthy of further inves-
tigation. A farmer who plants largely
apon low grounds informs US that last
year in two separate parcels of such land
he escaped the ravages Of The bud worm
entirely, by dropping the cotton seed with
which he MANFRED the corn directly upon
the grain as it was planted. The cotton
seed had been killed by short heating
Whirest other potions of his corn suffered
badly from the work, these pieces had
scarcely hill missing.
HAVE You MADE Your GARDEN p
''Have you made your garden ?" is a
question farmers sometimes ask each 9TH
er in the spring. The real time to ask it
is in the fall. Every farmer should en-
deavor to interest his family In the cult
walton of the garden. A good garden
contributes much to the pleasure and
profit of country life. But what can be
more discouraging to the boy or girl, or
wife, who wants to sow a few seeds or
plant a few potatoes early in the spring, |
to go into the garden, just as the snow is |
passing away, and find not single spot |
of land adapted to the purpose. Weeds, |
cOrnStalks, pOtatO-tOps and rubbish of all |
kinds scattered everywhere, and not
thing can be put in the ground till the
whole garden is ready to pillow. The !
easiest and simplest remedy for is this |
Plow the garden this fall. try to pillow
mine twice in the fall, and put on some
manure and mix it thoroughly with the
soil. In the spring it is then ready the
moment the frost is out of the ground l |
usually plant peas before the frost is out, /
or just as soon as / can get four or FIVE |
inches of surface soil to cover the seed
j. Harris, in Hearth and Home.
How Corn GRows.-T. S. @. saws in |
the New England Homestead, there can |
be no perfect kernel formed except a par
tiele of pollen or the dust from the tassel |
meets the thread of silk which belongs to |
that kernel-what is called the "silk' are |
the pistils of the corn plants, as the tas-
sels are stamens. The development of |
tbs ear Is progressive. The lower part of
the butt is formed first, and this and the
AhASANlS PaAl SAO0 0DOul the IISul llLIl0 TO /
Be fructffed by the pollen falling from
the tassel. The tip Of the ear shoots out
its silk early enough to be thus impreg-
mated by the pollen from it own tas-
sci. This has become dry and wasted by |
rains and winds. The sucker, tasseling |
latter, is Just ready. to shed its fresh pol |
len on those latter threads of silk pistils |
thus the whole ear is fertilized, and we
have long ears on the main stalks, and |
'nubbins' only ON the later stalks or
suckers.
HONOR TO THE PLow.-Mr. Hugh
Sheridiss.n, living near GAINESVILLE, Texas,
' ~,ade last season from eighteen acres of
Ground twenty-seven bales of cotton,
With the aid of his three sons, one of
which was but ten years of age. In adj
dition 10 the cotton he also raised over
one thousand bushels of corn, and a fair
amount of vegetables. This is no great
Weld for the soil of Texas, but is only
what can be done by moderate work
men almost any where in this great big
State.