The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-04-20
fer the farmer.
now TO RAISE INDIAN CORN.
.cNow let the good old crop adorn
The fields our fathers trOd

Now let the good old crop adorn
The fields our fathers trOd
And let US, for the yellow corn,
Send up our thanks to God h-Bdrl0tc
How to raise a big crop of Indian corn is a
ouestion that is asked with no little sOlicitude,
by large numbers of good farmers, especially nj
this season of the year. Although a large crop
cannot be grown on poor, impoverished, wet anu
half-tilled ground, still by observing the follow
ing Suggestions, those farmers who have been
accustomed to raise unsatisfactory crops OF TINS
kind of grain in years past, may manage TO OBJ
tain bountiful crop. In order to raise Indian
corn cheaply, and at the same time make the soil
produce to its full capacity, the ground must be
properly prepared, at the right season, and all
the labor connected with the cultivation of the
CROP must be performed at the right time, and
in farmer-like manner.
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL
If the soil be naturally wet, it must be reliev-
ed of the superabundance of moisture, or it will
be vain TO attempt to grow a remunerating crop
of this kind of grain. Better not pillow fnrrow
till the first day of June, than to work such land
while it is excessively wet. Let the first work
be to underdrain such land. Employ a few ex-
ira workmen, and make one or two hundred rods
of uDderdrain, before blowing the ground. If
you can get the ground drained and the seed put
in by the 10th or 18th eff June, by planting the
improved King Philip, or early Canada variety,
you will have good crop, unless there should
be frost unusually early, next Fall We would
ABc OuCc ulOE6 the aDtOluUc importance VI uu-
derdraining. The increased amount of grain
will defray the entire expense in one season. We
have tried the experiment, and know whereof
we affirm.
The Indian corn plant is a gross feeder, for
which reason, ground will bear to be manfred
heavily when this kind of grain is planted IL
noxious weeds of any kind occupy the ground,
defer blowing until the soil has become warm,
and vegetation is pushing forward with great
rapidity. Then pillow and plant as soon as prac-
fipahla IL fha snhaoil Ina heavy do not OlOw
the surface soil too dOep, nor deep as to bring
up any of the unfertile and cold snbsOil to the
surface. Let the best, richest and melowest
earth be kept at the surface. If the ground be
in sod, pillow with Tapped furrow slices, not more
than five or six inches deep, and let a subsoil
pillow follow in the furrow of the pillow that turns
the surface soil.
MARKING OUT THE GROUND.
The proper distance apart for the rows and
making them strait, are the most important con-
siderations in marking out corn ground. If the
rows be straight, so that the cultivatOr or horse
hoe can be worked close to the hills, almost all
the labor of dressing and wedding can be per-
formed with horses; whereas, if the rows be
crooked, portion of the hills will be rooted up,
while many of them will stand so far from the
place where the horse-hee passed, that q great
deal of lobor with hand hoes will be required, to
keep down the weeds and grass. Labor is too
expensive, at the present time, to employ men to
hoe corn by hand. By blowing the ground late,
we save one hOeing of the plants; and by max
ing the rows straight, hOrse-hoes will perform
all the hoeing so well, that one person, with
hand-hOe will be able to keep up with the cul-
tivator.
The kind of corn planted should determine the
distance apart for the rows. The King Philip,
early Canada, and other small kinds, had better
be about two feet and nine inches apart each
way. If in drills, three feet apart, and one kerr
mel every eight inches, will yield a larger crop
of grain than to plant four kernels in hill.
PREPARATION OF SEED.
If there are no apprehensions that birds. or
other animals will pull the corn after it has
been planted, it will be better to plant the seed
dry. But as crows, bIackbirds doves squirrels,
mice, and gallinaeeOus fowls, will pull corn the
grain must be tarred, which is an infallble rem
edy. Before tarring, steep the grain about twelve
hours in warm water 1t is highly injurious to
seed corn to soak it over twelve hours. The OBJ
ject of soaking it, is to fill the kernels with
moisture before applying the tar, which will ex-
clude the moisture necessary to insure germina- |
ton if applied to the dry seed.
APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS.
Almost every farmer can collect from the dove
cote, hennery, goose pens and duck coops, sew l.
eral barrels of the choicest kind of fertliziBg
matter, equal almost to guanO Let it be run
through threshing machine &c pulverize it, or
beat it with fails then sprinkle handful
around every hill, or where the plants are to
grow, spreading the manure thinly over an area
If eighteen inches in diameter. Guano, or other
manure, should be applied in the same manner.
Il such manure be thrown down in a pile as it
is, only > few roots are fed, while
most of the roots suffer for want of nourishment
By spreading it over larger surface, there will
% no danger that the strong manure will injure
he growing plants. If such manure is applied
lfter planting, it should be covered lightly to
prevent the wind blowing it away. If such CON-
,entfated manure cannot be applied at the time
# planting, it may be spread around each hill,
Ifter the corn has come up, inst before it is
dressed out with cultivators and hoes BY this
means, the fertilizing matter will Be all covered
with earth, and the roots of the corn will be
we'll fed. Manuring bountifGlly, with clean cul-
tiyation, will insure an abundant crop.