Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-06-02
Corn Crop.

Success in the culture Of all crops depends
greatly upon the seed, and this is partcu-
larly true Of corn. We give farmers gener-
ally the credit of being aware Of this, aud
using more vigilance in selecting their seed
for corn than for any other crop. The wise
aud provident look over their corn fields be.
fore harvest aud select the perfect and first
maturing ears from stalks that produce two
or three ears each. Let this be done for a
number OF years in succession, and it is won.
derful to notice what au improvement is
made, both in the quantity aud quality of
the harvest. The habit OF early maturity
becomes established, ,,as also the habit of
producing two or three perfect ears from each
stalk. This is not mere theory. The prin.
ciple has been carried out so successfully in
so many instances that there are now many
intelligent farmers as few unbelieyers in
thoroughbred corn seed as in thoroughbred
Durbams. We have 10 Western Massachu.
sets thoroughbred variety of corn called
the Tillotson, so named after its originator,
who for many years practiced upon this prin.
ciple, and was enabled ia consequence to
take the corn premiums at each successive
fair OF the old Berkshire agricultural so.
ciety.
The most noted instance of improvement
in the corn crop, however, is that made by
Mr.. Baden of Maryland who commenced
with the common corn of Virginia that sci.
dom produced two ears to the stalk, but by
selecting those that did aud rejecting all
imperfect ears and the irregular kernels at
both ends Of the cob, at the end of a score of
years he rejOiced in a crop that yielded three
or four ears to stalk quito uniformly, and
10 some instances twice this number. He
estimated that he doubled the product of an
acre by this mode, an acre yielding iu favor
able circumstances 120 bushels of shelled
corn, and of such uniform quality that ten
bushels OF ears yielded six bushels of luer-
chantable corn
MIR. Salmon Dutton of Vermont also did
for that state what Mr. Baden did for Mary.
land. BY a similar process he introduced
the famous Dutton corn, which ripens in that
cold northern state from the last week in
August TO the second week in September,
and yields so bountifuly that Vermont, ac.
cording to the United States census, has the
credit Of producing, on the average, more
cora to the acre than any other state in the
Union.
Notwithstanding these facts, which could
be multiplied indefinitely and in direct con.
tradictiou to the practice Of the best cult.
vators, there are still many farmers who SC.
lect their seed corn from the crib, picking
out good-looking ears generally, but with no
regard TO pedigree. Most of these same men
would scorn the idea of raising stock from
animals which were simply good looking,
but had no claim to being thoroughbred. |
Pedigree, however, tells just as certainly in
Baden and Duttou corn as in Durham cattle
or l. leicester sheep.
Good seed is not the only requisite for a
good crop Of corn. The luxuriant growth |
manifest in field of corn cannot be pro.
duced without good food and plenty of it.
Two tons Of dried corn stalks aud three tons |
OF shelled corn are often obtained from one
acre, and such big something cannot be |
had for nothing. Corn is no light substance
that can be generated like a soap bubble
from air. Much of the organic part may
come from the atmosphere, but the inorganic
matter must come from the SOIL and Gould
estimates the amount Of this inorganic mate.
rial taken from an acre OF an average crop |
Of corn at nearly niue hundred pounds, con-
sistlng principally of phosphoric, sulphuric
md silicic acids aud potash, lime, maguesa,
soda and chlorine. The soil must bo rich
which can stand such au annual drain still
some Of our Western bottom lands have
yielded large crops of corn for one.half
century, with little or no artificial manuring.
-Aier. Hyde ia N. Y. Times.