The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-08-10
Uome, 9artu & garden.
CULTIVATION on CORN-A NEW
THEORY.

A correspondent of the Scientific
American, in writing of the cultivation
of corn, says:
June is the month for cultivating
our crops, whether the hand hoe or the
horse implement is used, depends on
the habits of the individual, and his
facilities; but the work to be accomplish
ed rests on other circumstances than
those of the individual. Thus the ma
ture of the corn crop requires that the
cultivation should be as deep as posi-
BILE, and close to the plants as may be,
before the bloom, the ground wants
to be disturbed as little as possible, so
that the growth of theplant may not be
interfered with unnecessarily through
the cutting or breaking of the roots
Hence horseshoe is capable of more
efficient work than the hand hoe, at
the first stage of the crops, or up to the
time of bloom, and its use means in
crease of crop. Investigate the rea-
sons which underlie this advice.
Physiology Of Co7n Gro,Oth.-If a
stalk of corn be taken, just before the
appearance of the tassel or Towering
stalk, and cross be made at each joint,
a small ear of corn will be seen at each
cut, and if carefully dissected it will be
seen to be perfect in all its Iarts. If
now, another stalk be taken, a little
further advanced, so that the tassel
may readily be seen, and the same cuts
now made, we shall find no appearance
of an embryo at the bower joints, but
shall find some at the upper. A third
stalk taken when the tassel is in read
iness to bloom, will show the ears
which are to be developed into the crop,
but no other.
This observation, which was repeat
edly verified last year in various field
ofcorn and explained and nddemonstrated
to many individuals, can receive only
the following Interpretation: Nature
has made provision for an ear of corn
at each joint of the stalk; but as the
stalk develops from some unknown rea-
son, the major number of these embryo
ears are absorbed into the plant, and
but one, or occasionally more, are =
veloped.
Now if, through human interference
these embryo ears are to be developed
into crop, the requisite action must
take place before the ABSORPTION takes
place, in which these ears are present
in the plant to be development. The
DRY indicates that check to the vege
tative luxuriance of the plant at this
period would have an influence in pro-
noting this prolificacy. Experiment
has shown that root-pruning the plant
does check the growth for a short sea-
son, does prevent In a measure the eb
sorption of these ears, and does there
fore increase the crop. Hence deep
close cultivation which root prunes,
and which is applied before the absorp-
ton of these ears in embryo has taken
place must be beneficial
This root-piuning idea, originating
with ourselves. is receiving develop
ment in the articles entitled, "a new
Theory of Tillage" and we shall not,
therefore. develop it more fully here;
but will only say that last year we OBJ
tanned twenty three ears of corn from
one kernel of corn planted, and also
large increase from a small area of a
field treated comparatively. Unfortu
nately, the excessive drought of last
season prevented us from experiment
ing on large scale, and in an excess
i've and exclusive manner, as we desire.
Yet our garden experiments and house
results, were of sufficient promise to
carry with them a conviction that we
were working on an untried and i'm
portant subject of the most promising
character for practical application.