The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-05-09
Planting Corn Does Not Insure the
Gathering.

THE farmers upon our broad Western
prairies come as near, perhaps, gather
ing the average crop. from year to
year, without labor as any other peo-
pie, but it SO happens that the crops
which grow spontaneously are the
most persistent enemies the slothful
farmer has to contend with. In view
of this, the prudent husbandman be-
gins away back at the time of the
ripening and maturing of the seed
germs, which constitute the incipient
stages of the future crop, to gather up
and keep in store the forces which shall
combine to bring forth the desired re-
suits. The seed corn must 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, so
that the quality of the succeeding crops
may in every particular be equal to the
seed which produced it. After the seed
has been secured in good order. as of
the first Importance, place congenial
must be provided in which to plant it.
The corntield 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 ex-
tent which he understands all the con-
ditions and requirements of this re-
dundant plant. Other crops may be
poisoned and ruined by an over-supply
of some kinds of manures, while the
corn grows apace and delights in the
abundant richness.
Soils can hardly be too fertile for
this tropical plant. If the land is
rich, it seems to contain all the elements
for heavy yield of grain.
The land is not always fertile in the
qualities which bring the best results. 1t
may have been originally 50, but sue
cession of crops has exhausted it of the
proper conditions, and the seed-corn is
seldom saved in the best manner; so
we must take these things as we find
them, as it is so near planting time
now. After the wet, open winter which
has passed, much of the land will be in
clined to bake, SO that the earlier the
blowing is done the more time the soil
will have to become subdued and as
sumo its normal ameliorated condition.
The old idea of waiting until Germ
planting time before blowing the
ground to have a fresh place to plant
in, is erroneous. Our advice is, to
pillow as soon as the ground is in condi-
ton, if that occurs in the month of
March. If plowed so early, the ground
becomes settled, packed down, and
with level and well pulverized surface,
the planter may be passed over the
rrrNrnA with ,,,rvnh 1nCc labor aud tho
seed corn placed at a uniform depth
near the surface, 50 that it will germin-
ate with greater certainty, come up
quicker and grow with more vigor
than when placed at some indefinite
distance beneath the surface. Such
early plOwed land holds the moisture
better than that plowed later, and the
atmosphere left 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
up-the Western farmer seldom fails to
realize large yield of grain of excel
lent quality. Every operation in the
production of corn may be hurried ex-
cept in planting. We do not think it
pays to plant corn before the soil gets
warm enough to sprout it readily, un-
less later than the middle of May, north
of Al dogs. north latitude. There will
this year, no doubt, be much bad seed
corn, as there has been in years past,
and every precaution should he used to
make good the deficiency that the in
dividual failures, which so frequently
occur, NAV be- avoided. Western, Rural.