The Portland daily press., 1878-12-17
AGRICULTURAL.
Continuous Corn Growing.


Corn is our most valuable crop. 1t takes
the place 10 our system OF the root crop In the
Engllsh methods, but is even more valuable
than that, when its lull yield is secured 1t
is now certain that 100 bushels of shelled
corn per acre may be grown without diftical-
ty, and some farmers have considerably sur
passed that yield. Wehave been experiment
ing in this way for two years, and have had
more success than we anticipated. Doubt
ing at the start the possibility of getting so |
much as 100 bushels of sound corn Per acre,
we began in 1877 with plot of about one
tenth of an acre, texactly APIS square feet.
Upon this plot we grew nine bushels OF
shelled corn. This was good variety OF COM
mon Western dent corn. The plot was ter.
til'zed With 80 pounds of the Mapes completes
manure, and no other. The present year,
1878, the same plot, with a piece of the
ground adjoining, making in all Z 776 square
feet, was again prepared Tor corn. The
whole plot was about 17-100, or little more
than one.sixth of an acre. No manure of any
kind had been used on this ground for at
least six years, aud in 1876 it had lain iGle
because it could produce nothing OF vaue.
The soil is rather low, damp loan, with suf
fcient clay in it to be classed as a clay loam
rather than a sandy loan. In wet season,
as 1878 was, it was too damp, and the corn
which was planted April 30 grew very feeb!y
at first, aud was very backward until late IN
June. The ground was fertiized with 100
pounds of the Mapes corn fertIl Ger, half har-
rowed in and halt spread after planting. The
see d planted was the white prolific corn from
Tennessee variety which bears three ears /,
and upward upon eacn stalk. There were
two stalks in some hills, but one only In most
of them. The hills were over three teet
apart, averaging three and half feet: 'Ihe
corn was cut late in September and hnsked
in October. The yield was 43 baskets, weigh
inc iu ali. as the corn came from the field,
1.72O pounds. The corn was shelled Dec a,
and Welded 25 bushels and pecks. This is
At the rate of 151 bushels of measured shelled
corn Der acre. The ground will be planted
to corn again next year, and each succeeding
year as long as may pe.
This is certainly only very limited expe-
riment. but, as far as It goes, it is of some in
terest, 1t shows that when fertilizer is
used which contains all the required ele-
ments of the corn crop, and seed OF excel
lent variety and quality is chosen, full crop
can be produced. 1t opens up question as
to what the possible yield OF corn may be
when everything required exists in perfec-
tion, and further, as to what probability
there is of growing in unlimited succession
apv number of crops of corn of maximum
Weld, These questions are of great value,
and the solution of them may result in i'm
portapt notifications in our present system
of agriculture. Similar experiments are in
progress by other investigators, and generally
with satisfactory results. There is sufficient
inducement for hundreds of farmers to follow
these examples, for the reward OF only 81
bushels of corn per acre, year after year, up
on the same ground, at cost OF $l5 or SIC
per acre, and without any deterioration OF
the soil but, on the other hand, a steady i'm
provement in its freedom from weeds and
permanent fertility, is large enough to at
tract the most careless and indifferent farmer
Such continuous cropping in this way is nc
new thing. 1t has been shown to be com
pletey successful tor many years in severa
instances, but not yet in this country. l
many other farmers who have not tested this
method would try one acre they would dt
much good for themselves and tor their les
enterprlsing neighbors, who wait until th'
ice has been broken before they embark upoI
venturesome experiments. The time is rlp'
for efforts to improve our agriculture and en-
large our products. The present low price o
corn has greatly extended its use in Europe
and after much close investigation there thi
grain has been found to be the most econom
ical and effective food for working horses
BY introduced into the large estabIishmen nt'
OF the cities it will be used in the smalIe
ones, and in time will make its way into th,
towns and villages. By and by it will b,
found that American corn is healthfu
article of human food and when fairly iotro
duced into domestic use its consumption il
that way will be largely increased. In few
years we shall look with no more surprise OF
alarm upon crop of 100000 bushels than
we now do upon crop OF half that amount
and II the price averages no more than 2s
cents bushel over the whole United States
the value of the crop will largely surpass thai
OF any other product of the county. The
fact is, we can hardly overprooucea staple o
such general usefulness as corn, and there
need be no apprehension that if we should
raise the average product of 80 bushels pei
acre We should find the harvest remain up
Oh our hands for want of use. No Other
crop, taking the stalks and the grain togeth-
er, makes so com pleie a food for farm ami
mails, and II 1t is turned into beef mutton
wool, pork, butter and cheese, we have use
for an almost boundless production of it.
Locking back at what we were and what we
did rs years ago, the prospect of what we
may be aud what we may do 25 years hence
with the most rapid advance possible in our
population and our industry, there need he
no fear that we can overdo anything in the
way of agriculture that we may exercise our
heads and hands upon.-N. Y.Times.