The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-11-27
Vbe Earnt.
NOTES FOR THE FARM.
Information of Use to Planters and
Farmers.
SELECTING SEED CORN.
N Y World

Ill 6>>N O'
of ripening, number of ears upon the stalk,
size of the stalk. and the perfection of the
ears. Corn which ripens earliest IN the
field, other things being favorable, IS TO be
preferred. Choose from stalks that have
two or three we'll developed ears, selecting
the ear that grows low Oh the stalk. Ears
which grow on lone foot-stalks are O5Jcc-
tionablc. \ full sized ear, on which the
rows are regular. well filled out at the end
and but little larger at the butt than IN the
middle, if it has ripened in good season
and grows low III a moderate sIZcd stalk
and is taken from the standing corn, is first
class for the variety to which it belongs.
An ear with . arge cob is not n good
keeper for the reason that the cob contains
such Il quantity of sap that the ear Is liable
to retain damrness. especially If the season
proves a warm and damp one. For this
reason many farmers contend that the red
cob corn is more to be depended upon than
white cob corn, the red cob as a rule being
smaller than the white cob.
In selecting seed from yellow corn, the
color may be changed from a dark to Il light
yellow 10y selecting q light colored corn or
rice rest.
When it is desired to retain the corn as
you get it, the custom is to select both cot
ors. If the crop from which you are choss-
ing tends too much to chaff or bran, give
preference to the more fiinty ears and you
can soon remedy this difficulty.
After having sun dried their seed corn
the farmers of some sections store it in lofts
Of smoke-houses in order that it may became
permeated with the odor Of meat undergo
ing smoking there and thus gain a protec-
ton when in the ground against the depre-
dations of field mice. worms, etc. The ar
gument in favor of this practice is that corn
IS thprpnuhly Catpratpl with crpOSptp
which is offensive to many pests.
The grain should remain the loft until
spring, when it is carefully shelled by hand,
and every ear examined to make sure that
it is sound and perfect. All small grains
near the point of the cob should be dis
carded and only the perfect ones saved for
planting.
The varieties of Germ, which are innumer-
able, are after all but modified forms OF
two general varieties, the ''white'' and the
yellow which in turn are subdivided into
the flint and ''gourd seed" The practi-
cal conclusion of the analyses and export
ments made from time to time is, when
good bread is wanted, plant white flint.
The white corn abounds in starch and is al.
most destitute of oil, therefore it is well
suited for bread and hominy. The white
cob is generally flint giving less bran than
the ''gourd seed" hence its fitness for
bread, but from the hardness of its grains
it is not so we'll suited for horses. The
white gourd seed gives a good stock corn,
while for hogs the favorite sorts are the vel
low or red corn. The yellow corn contains
a large proportion of oil. which, as a fat
producer, is adapted to the fattenins pro-
cess.
JUNE RICE.
Ben AIlston. before the South Carolina Agricultural
Society
In the culture of rice some notifications
have been introduced since the war. The
most important, excepting machinery, i'll
troduced is the June planting and the in
creased use of commercial fertilizers.
Planting in June used very rarely to be
resolted to. and ONLY as the earlier see ling
had failed. and was moi commended. Now
a large proportion of TIE crop of this coun-
try is planted in June. On this head |
quote from Capt. Hazard, himself having
a large experience, and my own fully con
tirming his: The system of cultivating
Jnne rice has been brought to such perfec-
ton that it is rarely Injured by frost, es-
capes the ravages of the fail birds, and it is
not an unusual occurrence that the grain is
more pearly and weighs heavier than April
rice. The advantages are: l.. 1t escapes
the fall birds. 2. II is cut in the fall in
cool weather, and after all equfnoctial
lis -. - i'i XIV I&AiIS ~ Ills
pose of his April rice, avoiding a glut in the
market.
While it costs about the same to cultivate
as April rice Ct think 1t costs less,) it is by
no means so expensive a crop, as there are
ne bird minders to pay, no guns to buy and
no powder and caps needed. This gentle
man and Others in his neighborhood have
planted at least half their crops in June. /
On the Waccamaw, Peedee and Black riv> |
ers not so large, but a very considerable |
portion seeded in June. | think CONNER
cial manures are found to be very advanta-
@eous to rice; and where the labor is en-
ployed on wages they are being more extern
sively used. | have applied, 80 an expert
ment, this year to a portion Of June rice
800 pounds fertilizer to the acre, and the
rice is quite outstripping the rest.
HOW MANY SHEEP TO ii ACRE.
Mr.. B. F. Magee, in an address before
the Indiana Sheep Growers Association, in
of pasturing sheep, says: There