Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-09
Farm and Household.
H. W Pierce, west Milbury, Mass, in New England
Farmer1

Corn as "a Farm Crop.
10. W. Pierce West Millbury, Mass, In New England
Farmer.l
The cultivation of Indian corn should COM
mence by ploughing the land, whether green
sward or stubble, unless the soil is very light,
in the fall Just before winter sets in. II
green sward is 10 be planted, it should be
ploughed with a swivel plough, the burrows
being all laid one way, and as smooth and
flat as possible. All loose stones of any size
should be dug out as the ploughing goes on,
and then drawn off the field. A few hours
spent drawing off loose stones after plough
ing and before planting, will often save sew
eral times the amount of labor in the after
cultivation l would plough the land as deep
as the black soil extends, and If the soil is
not eight or nine inches deep would take a
very little of the subsoil up, just enough to
give the ploughed field a yellow shade. be-
leve in deep ploughing and in applying the
manure at the surface, afterwards. Deeply
plougLed land will withstand the drought bet
ter, and produce better crops than shallow
ploughing. BY ploughing in the fall and
ploughing as deeply as the soil will warrant,
we expose the lower strt tum to the action of
the frost air aud rains of winter, which will
help to mellow and fit it for cultivation. Fall
ploughing is also thought to destroy great
many grubs and worms in the soil, which
would be injurious to the crops, and l am in
clined to think that cut worms are less troub-
lesome on fall ploughed land.
In the spring, as soon as the land is dry
enough to work, it should be narrowed with
Randall, or other equally good pulverizing
harrow, which operation should be repeated
AS often as once a week until planting time,
crossing the field in an opposite direction
each time. By this repeated narrowing the
fold will hapnpna p,nllOxu and NpaaHc
will be destroyed, which will greatly facilitate
the subsequent cultivation. l prefer the
Randall harrow to any implement with which
am acquainted, for covering manure, and
for preparing fine mellow seed bed of four
or five inches in depth. With it, sward land,
ploughed the fall previous, can be made as
fine and mellow as an old field. The cheap
est time to cultivate land is before the crops
are planted, and the success of the seasons
operations will depend very much upon the
thoroughncss of the ploughng and harrow
ing.
PLANTING.
Corn should be planted as soon after the
middle of May as the soil is dry enough TO
work We ought not to let the apple trees
blossom before the corn is planted. When it
is MANFRED aud we are ready to plant, give it
final narrowing and mark it out with a
marker, which will mark three rows at time,
three and one-half feet apart each way tax
lug great pains to have the rows straight and
of an even distance apart, as even rows great
ly facilitate the use of the cultivator or horse
hoe by enabling one to work close to the hills,
leaving but little hand hoeing. A marker
which will mark three rows at time is great
saving of time. The one l use is adjustable
to different widths and can be used for vari-
Gus crops. 1t is made by cutting three run
mar m pf tup inch V,luVE OH md
One-half feet long and fifteen inches wide and
rounded of at the lower front corner. like a
sled runner, SO as to enable it to ride over
the soil like sled. These three runners are
held IN place by two cross pieces or arms of
hard wood, two inches square and seven and
one-half feet long. which pass through mor-
tces near the top of the runner. The centre
runner is pinned to the centre of the cross
pieces, and is held there permanently, while
the side runners are slid on to the ends of the
strips or arms and held in place by pins. and
may be set ut ., p, 3, or 81 feet from the
centre, and then will make marks at their re-
spective distances. Boards are also nailed on
to the cross strips in the centre, each side of
the centre runner forming n platform four
feet square for the driver to stand upon. and
to strengthen the frame work. pair of old
sleigh shafts are also attached to the forward
end for the horse to steady and steer it by.
also attach pole to the marker from the end
of which draw a chain to show where to 90
next time. Thus it will be seen, can ride
ON the marker and mark three rows at a time,
of any desirable width, and draw a chain
where the next row should be.
But to return to planting corn. After
marking the rows 81 feet apart each way,
which is none too far apart, l should drop my
fertilizer, if any were to be applied in the
hill, kick little dirt over it, and drop six or
seven kernels of corn in each hill so as to be
sure of four vigorous stalks As soon as the
corn is up enough to see the rows easily, start
the cultivator and run it through the field
once in a row one way, aud spread so as to
work up within two or three inches of the
hills. few days later go through the other
way, working close to the corn. The cult
vatOr should be kept going every few days,
until the tassels begin to show. Then all stir
ring of the soil should cease.
CARE WHILE GROWING.
One cannot use the cultvator too much
provided he uses it judiciousy and by its ju-
dicious use mean so as to keep the weeds
down, the soil light, and also to properly root
prune the crop. l have great faith in root
pruning, as means of increasing the crop,
if it is rightly done, and to do the work prop
erly, the cultivator should be run as deep as
possible every time, and at first as close to
time, little farther from the plants, and f.
naly, when the tassels mist begin to show,
We should stir only the centre of the space
between the rows. This may best be done by
removing the outside tee til of the cultivator
BY this process, the whole of the soil can be
filled with fine tibrous roots which will find
and take up the plant food, if there is any of
it in the soil, and if the fertilizer is sown
broadcast, the roots will be sure to find it
I'd Of L.
have any doubts of this can satisfy themselves
by examining a well-till,d corn field in Au-
gust, when, by digging anywhere in such a
field, they Will find perfect network of fine
roots.
If the land is reasonably free from weeds,
two hoeings will be sufficient The first should
be done early after the cultivator has been
through two or three times. All hills which
have more than four stalks should be thinned
To that number, and where there are less than
four stalks pumpkin seeds should be planted
By all means, keep white Leans out of the
corn field plant them by themselves pre-.
fer to plant the pumpkins at the first hoeing,
rather than when the corn is planted. because,
II planted with the corn, they will commence
10 run and cross the rows before it is time tC
stop running the cultiVator, and by planting
ut the first hooing they can be used to fill va
rancies or thin places. The last hoeing should
be delayed until the corn Is quite large, in Ju
ly and if after the final cultivation of the field
it will leave it in better shape The weedi
must be kept down, any way, for, if allowed
to grow, they will take up so much of the
available plant food as to materially lessen the
yield of corn.
THE HARVESTING
should commence by cutting the corn at the
ground as soon as the ears begin to glazt
over, and then stocking it, prefer stocking
corn to topping, because the grain, is nearly
if not quite, AS good, and the fodder is very
much better, If it is put up early and in goot
shape, so as to stand up and shed the rain
the whole fodder viii be nearly as good as tn,
tops would be cut separately Every on,
knows that corn butts or husks, as they ar,
usually called, when they are left exposed t.
the weather until husking time, are very poor
II by stocking We can preserve them in a.
good condition as the tops are when drieC
4 IL. II