The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-03-19


has not health enough to mature
even one good ear to the stalk. With
ordinary treatment all other grasses.
develop their heads Or ears to some
extent, and why should not corn do
the same? For several years 1 have
been giving corn and wheat some at
tention. find corn susceptible of
much greater improvement than
most farmers are willing to admit.
1t is not in the province of this arti-
Gle to give the results Of expert.
ments. | will, however, give one to
prove that there is much room for
improvement of corn. Several years
ago l commenced selecting my seed.
corn IN the field, taking only those
stalks that ripened earliest and that
had not less than two good ears.
These were cut up as soon as the
husk was brown and the ear we'll
glazed, and shocked III the field to
cure. After standing for month OF
more the top ears only were saved
for seed.
Great care should be taken in Sc
Letting not only those stalks that
have the greatest number of ears, but
those that look most like corn-nice,
trim, uniform, vigorous and healthy.
Large, over-grown stalks are too
gross and too sterile-they cannot be
made prolific. The result Of this
method Of saving seed, together with
proper culture, has increased my
yield on the same six acres, in six
years, from 20 to IS bushels per acre.
Before treating of the soil, / will
give an account OF the actual loss
most farmers sustain III pulling fod.
der" " cutting tops" and letting their
corn dry UP in the field before it is
gathered. Fodder pulling Injuries
the grain nearly ID per cent, cutting
tops nine per cent, and by letting the
whole crop dry up in the field, it
loses 20 per cent. OF its own weight.
So you see, by this slip-shod way of
treating the best and surest crop we
have, we lose nearly 80 per cent. Of
it all. How shall we save it then !?
you ask. In very simple way.
When fodder pulling time comes and
the ears are we'll glazed, instead of
taking the blades off, cut the stalks
up close to the ground, and shock inn
mediately in lunches the wind cannot
twist or blow down. In this way the
fodder is all saved, and the stalk too.
The husk is much better and the
corn loses nothing, but makes much,
better food, much better feed, much
better seed and much more money.
But" you say, g 1t will shrivel and
become loose on the cob" Not q
bit of it All the substance. of the
stalk at the time OF cutting is. alb
sorbed by the ear, and it is matured,
in the same way that wheat is when
cut in the dough state. This method
insures full weight, and saves the 20
per cent lost by the old plan.
Another item. The stalk fodder
and husk cured in this way are worth
at least So per ton to any farmer,
whereas, if lett to die in the field,
they will not amount, from hundred
acres, TO days wages.
Any soil can be made to produce
corn, provided it is not too wet.
Soils differ so materially even on the
same farm, that the farmer to pro-.
duce good crops, has to make them.
real study. Once knowing them,
and what they need and demand, he
very easily increases the yield. For
corn, land should be plowed, turning
the sod only as deep as the grass
roots extend, at the same time sub
soiling with heavy subsoiler and
strong team. The best fertilizer a
farmer OF limited means can use for
his corn crop can be made behind his
COWS. Straw, chaff, leaves, muck,
surface soil, barn-yard scrapings,
refuse of every description, well tenn
pered with the droppines and ma
nure water of the cow stalls make as
good compost as the farmer needs.
His compost heep must be kept I'M
der cover, and should be turned over
at least once a month. The straw,
chaff and leaves should not be
thrown upon the heap until the cattle
have we'll wet them.
In conclusion, l must urge upon
my brother farmers the Importance
of putting in less land and preparing
it better. With good seed, one acre
well cultivated will yield so bushels,
which gives infinitely more satisfac.
ton and is done with much less la
Dor and expense than the skimming
over of ten acres with the same re.