The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-05-10
Planting Corn Does Not Insife
the Gathering.

lhe farmers upon our DrOdO HcsSoAA
pralries come as near, p :rhaps, gathering
the average crop from year to year,
without labor as any other people, but
1t so happens that the crops which grow
spontaneously ate the most persistent
enemies the siothful farmer hes TO con-
tend with In view of this, the prudent
husbaudman be ins away back at the
time OF the ripening and maturing of the
seed germs, which constitute the incipi-
eft stages Of the future crop, to gather
UP aul keep in store the forces which
shall combine to bring forth the desired
results The seed corn mu not only
be gathered as soon as it arrives at a
state OF maturity and placed in a state Of
perfect preservation, but the largest and
ripest ears must be selected, 80 that the
quality Of the succeeding eroRs may ia
every particular be Equal to the seed
which produced it. After the seed has
been secured in geod order, as of the first
Importance, place congenial must be
provided in which to plant it. The
corn6eld may be either large or small
with the improved machinery for the
cultivation of corn, according to the
skill of the farmer, or to the extent
which he understands ali the conditions
and requirements of this redundant
plant. Other crops may be poisoned and
ruined by sn over supply of some kinds
of manures, while the corn grows apace
and delights in the abundant richness.
soils can hard b. too fertile for this
tropical plant. IF the land is rich, it
seems to contain all the elements for a
heavy yield of grain.
The land is not always fertile in the
qualities which bring the best results. 1t
may have been originally 30, but sue
cession of crops has exhausted it of the
proper conditions, and the seed>cOrn is
seldom saved in the right manner; so we
must take these things as we find them,
as it is so near painting time now. After
the wet, open winter which has passed,
much of the land will be inclined to
bake, 20 that the earlier the blowing is
done the more time the soil will have to
become subdued and assume its nor
NAL ameliorated condition. The old
idea of waiting until complaining
time before plowing the ground
to have a fresh place TO plant
in, is erroneous. Our advice is, to plow
as soon as the ground is in condition, il
ii at occurs in the month of March II
plowed so early, the ground becomes
settled, packed down, and with level
and well pulverized surface, the planter
may be passed over the ground with much
less labor, and the seed corn placed at q
uniform depth near the surface, so that
it will germinate with greater certainty,
come up quicker and grow with moro
vigor than when placed at some indei.
mite distance beneath the surface. Such
early Dloxed lan&-i7olds the moisture
better than that plowed later, and the
atmosphere let to circulate through it.
With good seed corn, the ground
plowed and prepared in the proper
manner, and the corn cultivated thor
oughly before and soon after it comes ul
the western farmers seldom fails tc
realize large yield of grain of excellent
quality. Every operation in the produc
ton of corn may be hurried except in
planting We do not think 1T pays tc
plant corn before the soil gets warm
enough to sprout it readily, unless later
than the middle OF May, north of Al
! degrees north latitude. There will thi,
year, no doubt. be much bad seed corn
As there has been in years rast, and every
precaution should be used to make good
the deficiency that the individual fail
ures, which 50 frequently occur, may bt
avoided Western Rural