Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-05-28
Planting Corn.

| THE cold and backward weather this
! spring will undoubtedly cause many
farmers in the great corn belt of the West
! to fear an untoWard season for this i'm
! portant cereal, and with good reason, if
| the cold spring should be followed by wet
weather in May
One of the popular delusions with
many is that corn, to succeed, must be
planted Immediately after blowing.
! While it is true that in this case the corn
! has at least an equal chance with the
weeds, it is about all the defensible argu-
ment in the premises. And the corn
area of the country is diminished by
many acres and many crops are lost en-
| tirely by waiting until planting time be-
| fore blowing for the crop. Indeed, some
of the best crops we have ever raised
were upon fallploWing, without replow-
! ing in the spring, the land being simply
| thoroughly cultivated and narrowed to
kill the crop of weeds; this was in wet
seasons unfavorable to spring blowing
1t will therefore be sound policy to pillow
whenever practicable, and plant as soon
as the weather is warm enough to germi-
nate the corn; first narrowing thoroughly
to Kill the weeds that may have sprung
up.
LULU IluS DiO"GSl, anu PAL IldllR SOllNl-
fed before planting, will stand far more
narrowing before and after the corn is up,
without tearing out the corn, than freshly
plOwed land even when rolled, and in
these days of improved corn planters,
with which the earth may be pressed about
the seed, rolling the entire surface be-
comes unnecessary.
In planting with that class of machines
which have cOverers to the dropping at
tachment followed by wheels, leaving the
earth ridged over the seed, care should be
taken not to planttoo deeply; three inches
is the utmost depth at which corn should
be planted to insure good and quick ger
minatiOn, unless the soil be exceedingly
dry; two inches being the proper depth to
insure the most speedy sprOuting, the
condition being ordinarily favorable
This depth, however, would be light
planting when the harrow is to be thor
Oughly used before and after the corn has
come up. In this case three inches would
be better unless the soil is exceedingly
heavy.
Another circumstance not generally
known by farmers is that good sound seed
planted very early, if it does not become
water-sOaked, will remain in the ground
until the weather becomes warm and then
sprout promptly, and coming up is far less |
Susceptible to cold, and will stand frost |
that will entirely kill later paintings |
Those who have seen ears of corn which |
have been ploweG under in the fall |
sprouting from the germ of every kernel |
and untouched by frost will readily APP |
preciate this. Not that we advise plant |
inc corn with a view to having it lie "a |
long time in the ground before germinat- |
ing; nevertheless it is a fact that it will |
do this and grow when later planted corn
will not. Many farmers understand this,
and plant corn, covering pretty deeply /
and ridging over the rows, these
ridges to be narrowed down just about
the time the corn is sprOuted If the corn
grows several days are gained for the
Season of green corn, and consequently
for ripening; if not, the next planting
for succession comes all right. So with
field corn: if one have good seed and
plenty of it, planting may 90 on even if
the season be early and cold. If the corn
rot it is simply a matter Of re-planting; if
if terminate we are so much ahead.
Another circumstance not generally
known in connection with this earIY
planting is, that corn planted when the
soil is vet too cold to terminate the seed
remains all right, swells gradually and,
when warm weather comes, springs up;
while other corn, planted later, swells,
and, cold spell coming on, instead of
growing it rots, for the reason that in the
one case the change takes place gradually