Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-07-01
usIsetsst srs.



q a. tiiisis n - hsiis' iisfsf
There arc vsFy many persons In
Northern 'fcsss who raise iine crops
NJ c0fn. aud undofsland we'll the
necessity Of deep sui thorough cal
turs yet dOubi whether any one
Of then. can tell with any degree u
precision Ut what disiauoo corn
rows should DO placed 80 ~ 10 in-
sure the greatest yield Of grain.
This question was thoroughly in
yestigalsd many years ago by an
ardent aud enthusiastic PlsRtos,
Captain llotehkiss, Of NacOgdoehes
county,
Ho planted in rich bottom red
land, corn ut distances varying
from three 10 six feet in sufficient
quantities to test tho mattOr thor
oughly. The corn was gathered By
rows aud shelled out aud weighed,
and the result was that corn planted
At the distance OF five feet made the
greatest yield. Corn planted at
the respective distances of fys-and
a.half and six feet was as we'll cared
but did not shelf out quite as much.
Corn at three, thrce-and,a,half, four
aud four-snd.a-hslf feet produced
rs many ears, but ,hey were Of less
size and did not shell out as much
as the Ave foot rows. Tho rows at
four and six feet yielded about equal
quantities cf grain.
In no case in this climate should
thu farmer leave moro than two
stalks In Hill. Tho ground should
bc broke updeep in the Fall or early
part Of thoiWinter, and plated as
carly as practicable in tho Spring,
and should DO thoroughly worked
until the tasscls begin 10 appear, II
should then DO hocd out clean and
suckercd il necessary and lett to
Providence. a common error Among
farmers is TO lay BY corn too SOON !
this should always BIO avoided as u
crop Of grass or weeds, or both, will
in general prevent tho grain from
f;ttng out, aad render it light and
chaffy.
There is quite a diversity Of opin.
ion among farmers about ploughing
corn during L season Of great droath,
one says il you plough corn to any
depth at such a time you will inva-
riably kill il; another assures You
that this is tho very time you should
give It a good ploughing. Now,
both are in some sense right; if
your ground was broke up deep rs
il always should BIO you can always
plough corn with advantage in dry
weather provided you do not go
deeper than you did in breaking up
the ground. If on tho contrary
your ground was broken shallow in
the first place, the loose soil is soon
washed away by the Spring rains,
and dry season following, the
ground cracks into assures that a
rabbit can hide in. The cultivator
now sees the necessity Of deep
ploughing,and very likely puts in n
bull-tongue or shovel, and breaks
up the ground in huge clods, tearing
out and looscning all the roots of
his corn doing SO much damage that
the corn will not recover unlesss he
happens to get soaking rain i'm
mediately aftcr the mischief is done
Ploughing is always an advantage
to corn if the ground II not too wet
at tho surface. Land that has been
deeply moved in the first place
sucks up moisture like sponge and
holds il there in store during the
whole summer. On the contrary,
in shallow ploughing all the benefit
of tho Spring rains is loston impor.
vous grounds, and no after plough
ing will restore the moisture that
has been permitted to flow away in
tho earlier season. Choice seed
should be selected. 1t is useful to
know that yellow or orange colored
corn having a red cob is earlier and
surcr than white corn in drouthy
season, yet that in favorable sea-
son tho latter will make the best
turn out.
In closing this article 1 will say,
that if the hints here offered are
followed out, will warrant the crop
produced 10 be fair one either
with or without summer rains.
Respectfully,
W. A. +.
Me- A., r,,,xNt, Tr~Iu