The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-05-28
fur the farmer.
TUBE.

SkNSAbLh w NCA~N CeA@-
T, nass;pg through New York in summer time
the Western farmer is surprised to see how little
l. knoyn and practiced Of the economy of labor
in the
CULTURE OF THE CORN CROP
the blowing, cross blowing, narrowing. manu-
ring hoeing, cultivatinR and hllling-a detail of
labor that is perfectly appalling. And yet out
of this comes fair average crop in bushels, but
out of all proportion to the cost of labor. Then
he looks at the narrow cribs, with capacity for
the storage of 200 or 300 bushels, and, turning
his eyes towards the West, mentally exclaims:
''Surely Ceres dedicated the pTairies of the West
and the broad river-bottOms TO corn. No stony
ridge or hillside, no sight of hemlOck forest;
no stiff, cold clay soil; widespread sandy
plain or marsh, though underdrained, can COM
pete in the corn market with our favored land,
that the great drift period gave to the world"
Climate has much to do in making the
crop, but it is the adaptation of soil that aids in
the economy of labor. If we look at the corn
statistics of the State, will find belt of TWEEN
ty degrees of latitude that stands pre- eminent
for this crop; and we 90 west from the Wa
bash river, the belt widens, fan-shaped, and is
broad at the base, when it ends at the line of the
mountain region of drought-the trans Mississip-
pi country,
This is the great corn zone-the land whence
the worlds commerce will draw its supplies of
cOrn-cOrn for the food of domestic animals for
mans and, probably for all time, for whisky
alias wine, brandy gin, etc.
1t may be possible that the present manage
ment of the corn crop in New York and New
England is the best for that location and that no
further progress can need be expected in the
economy of the crop; that the hill eide the broad
riyer-bottom, the gravelly ridges, and the drain
ed swamp shall have the same formula of cul-
ture, but the prairie must have a system of its
own, plan of management peculiar TO itself,
that shall accord with the science of the soil and
place labor on an intelligent foundation.
NJ L. sULLIvAST
had demonstrated that he could prepare the
ground, plant and cultivate an acre of corn, ON
an average of about one day and One-tenth; but
IN this be made no allowance for lost time when
the land was not in condition for working, nor
for superintendent. Mr.. S. had very good, and
/ may say remarkable crops, considering the
many thousand acres that he planted annually,
and that he depended on hired labor to do the
work. l had urged him for many years to adept
the tenant system, so as to give each man di-
rect interest in working the crop; and this sys-
tenn he has adopted, and is busy in arranging at
the present time.
We have not reached perfect system for the
best economy of labor in the management of the
corn crop, but we are slowly approaching it. 1t
is well known that, when old land, if of cloggy
nature, is plowed when wet,
THE FERTILITY BECOMES LOCKED Up
for the season, and it must undergo the disn-
tegrating effects of frost to bring it back to its
normal condition. Now, this is a serious draw
back of time in many seasons, waiting for the
land to come into suitable condition for blowing;
and, in some seasons, not less than half the time
for work is lost in idleness of the men and teams.
This makes the area planted of very unequal
amounts, and at best makes part of it late
planting, in which the crop is endangered-frst
by drought in germ, when the blades are too
small to bear up against adverse weather; and,
secondly, by early autumn forests. Very few
farmers know of a way out of this difficulty, and
suppose they must submit to it, let the weather
come as it will. Thus, for this spring, teams
have been idle for more than two weeks, waiting
for the genial weather that shall put the land in
good filth for blowing, and it may be two
three weeks more before work can begin. Those
who have meadow or pasture land to plant
busy, it is true; but those persons are but few in
number and the area of such land is limited; for
we have been in the habit of planting
the same land year after year, though that
was the very best system to be pursued.
If we cannot pillow old land when wet without
damaging it, why is it that we can pillow
swAkD LAND
when in the same condition. The solution is
easy enough; for the wet clay land is packed like
a brick, and dries cloddy; while, in the sward-
land the immense number of roots prevents this
action Of the clay, and the soil is left in fine con-
ditiOn for the crops. 1 first saw this verified in
the breaking up of few acres of prairie in the
month of February, and have practiced it annu-
ally for the past dozen years.
All farmers concede that meadow and pasture
land produces large crops of corn, and that the
culture is less than old land, the land being
comparatively free of weeds Here, then, are
two points that are not to be overlooked in the
culture of the corn crop. As soon the frost is
ont, in March, the meadow and pasture-land is
ready for the pillow. There is no waiting for the
ground to settle, the land to get into fine filth;
for the work is ready. The pillow runs easily
through the soft turf that presents its black rich
surface to the sun; the water settles away; and,
in a few weeks, it is ready for the harrow, that
will pulverize its burrows into finely-comminu-
ted soil, ready for the planting. All this work is
going on long before the team can be put on the
old land even if it did not ruin it to be plowed
when sodden with the spring rains.