Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-03-12
secd-COrR.
DIR. z. LEWIS sTURTEvANT.

to name the one thing most essential in
growing large yield ofcorn, he would
reply manure" And yet, there is no
greater mistaken belief current than
applying manure will produce the large
crop. 1t is a truth that each reader
can verify, that while fertility of soil IS
essential to every crop, yet that the
mere applying ofmanure alone cannot
produce the crop. Many farmer manur-
es IN excess Of the capacity Of i::seed,
and hence is wasting capital. In the
presence Of sufficient fertilityto manure
a crop, we from exercise, place in their
order-frst, seed, then cultivation. 1t
is a matter Of common observation
with Us. that the best-mlnlrel LAID
does not produce the largest crop aud
that the land planted with the best
seed, and sufficiently fertile, Dies pro-
duce the largest crop. If we have
poor seed, whose normal capacity is 10
bushels ofcorn per acre, We can easily
obtain the 40-hushel crop by applying
manure and culture, and yet we may
be unable to obtain an S0-bushel yield
DO doubling the amount cfmanure used.
Ga the other hand, if we have seed OF
the normal capacity Of 50 bushels, we
can OBTAIN this S0.bushel yield without
much trouble, and with but slight ex-
cess of manurial application over what
we have assumed wa: used for the
4O-bushel crop. Indeed, in series OF
fields, or in one field differently MANFRED
in its portions, we need not expect TO
fad the largest crop where the most
manure has been applied. but probably
we shall find it where less manure, but
sufficient manure, has been used. And
this lead. to another proposition, viz:
that manurng beyond the capacity OF
the the seed may be absolutely injurious
to the crop.
We have MANFRED a portion Of field
hoping to realize an enormous crop,
using the chemicals which 200 bushels
Of crop would remove, and harvest but
90l bushels Of shellcd corn per acre;
while an ordinary field under farm
culture, adjacent, fertllized with chemi-
Gals for 90 or 20 bushels OF crop, has
given us l23 bushels Of shelled corn.
We did not understand the reason at
the time. but experiment has since
shswn that oyer-manuring does dimin-
Ssh the crop, by forcing leaf growth at
The expense Of grain development.-
Indeed, this last year, we have known
field upon which 20 carts Of dung were
used. to furnish less crop than an add
iacent field maunred with six bags OF
Stockbridge manure per acre. Under
Ike maturing. two crops may vary
widely according TO the seed used, aud
an examination Of the reports which are
scattered through our Agricultural So
cety publications, will NIKE plainly
eyldeat how much more yiIulblc one
variety Of seed is than another.
Ii we examine a little into the
botanical history OF the corn plant, We
shall find that tn. eyIres in ear, through
the Intervention OF the silk, are ferli-
lied by the pollen grains which are
shed from the tasscl. We will further
mere observe, that generally the pollen
is shed from each plant before the silk
in that plant is sufficiently developed to
receive it. This is a provision of
Nature in favor Of cr0ss-iertilization,
and against Standardization or iD-
breeding. Hence, as the oyaries on an
ear are fertilized by pollen from other
plants, each kernel is liable To have
different male parent, and, as matter
of fact, these kernels, or the majority OF
them, are not brothers and sisters, but
half brothers or half.sisters; that is they
have the same mother but different
fathers. Hence. we should expect what
we actually fnd-a great diversity Of
inherited character between adjoining
kernels in the cob. In our experiment
with three kernels in a hill, under
equivalent circumstances, Of culture
under the same excessive manuring, the
difference Of growth between the three
plants throughout the whole period of
growth, was well marked, and the crop
capacity was 50 different, that while one
AiH yielded one pound Of ear corn, an
adioin.ng hill yielded 81 pounds Of ear
corn. and while one hill yielded /! pound
offodder, another bill yielded CO pounds
lOfiodler. As a matter Of fact, two
kernels Of corn which are ncighhors,
may produce plants so different that one
shall be asiculturally barren, ,anothcr
Of extreme profcacy, one may be very
leaf, another with far less leaf expan-
sion. etc, etc.
We will furthermore observe. if we
study our fields, that while every plant
bears a tassel which sheds pollen, there
are great many plants which are either
absolutely sterile. or agriculturslly
barren that's. bear such inferior. ear,
that they might as well be sterile. So.
FAR as their contribution to the crop is
concerned. After many Countings of
stalks in many fields, among good far
mers. we have concluded that about
one-half the stalks in an ordinary corn
field are agricullurally barren, and the
last we have counted were in the field
mentioned above as yielding l23 BUSH
els; here ~ per cent. bore ears worth
counting, aud 2G per cent. were either
STEELE or asriculturally barren.
This being the condition of affairs
in our corn field, it is seen that to
obtain good seed, something more is
necessary than to select good ears, or
twin eals. etc. the prohabilitie. ba;no,