The comet., 1880-10-23

"My experience" says a writer Ill
the Country Gentleman, "has not ex-
tended beyond four feet between the
rows with n Northern sort of medium
size. for important bearing ON the
amount of shade. The smaller the
kind and the poorer the soil, the nearer
the planting may be done. To plant
large corn three feet apart on rich
ground produces large amount OF
fodder. but no ears. Four feet Is,
believe, the greatest reported distance
between the rows of our common corn;
and it has been found to be, as nave
also known it, not the limit OF I'M,
movement, but the most successful
Who has tried five or six feet, OF
moreP Single hills and rows have
heen crown, but nothing special that
T Know has been reported. The past
season. | experimental with single
row to see what effect full eeXposurve
70 sun and air would have under run
forcing power of the soil. plalileu
six hills, three feet apart, leaving Two
plants in hill. The ground, claS
loan, was little elevated, wen
drained and in the best conditions
manured it highly. The growth was
remarkable; the stalks unusually tillck
and brittle, the wind swapping or wv"
like a pipe stem, leaves three feet III
lenpth and five inches in width. There
were two small ears to Il stalk, one
stalk having three small ears wei
filled out the upper Il little the large ST.
Rut the wonder was the growth "f
suckers, some of which reached the
dimensions of the main stalk, mus
largely increasing the size OF the
hills and making continuous
line of growth, with proporuohal
increase of width, Of over 1ouf
feet in extent. This, in Il field with
rows four feet apart, would have been
too close. 1t would have materially
| lessened the number and SIZE OF tne
ears. and reduced the value OF tne
leaves and stalks as fodder, through
| the influence of the shade. Inus,
when crowded in field the whole
plant suffers. The ears of some OF the
side stalks rivaled those of the mann
stalk, though less advanced maturity
an advantage in this respect with
sweet corn. There is no doubt what
ever in my mind that corn, to reach
its greatest yield, requires more space
between the rows and less STALKS III d
hill than we are accustomed to give IL,
and that to considerable extent. rms
error applies more or less to all tnt
different crops of the farm. We see II
among fruit trees and shrubs. Vine
wards have it still more. Our straw
berries are too close. We SOW ou
grains too thick. The potato, perhap
IS not too close, though there is usually
too many eyes in Il hill. must als'
except grass seed and clover. Corn L
more hurt for lack of space than any
of these, for it can be put so close as u
+ Weld no ears at all, the ear being,
side growth, and ovcrshadoWed by IN
: upper part of the plant. With tn
: lower part it is little better, the shad
: being dense, affecting thus TN
=. plant and lessening the forces. Wh
will give this thing a trial? The TO-
lowing would he a fair test: Select
; piece OF deep, rich ground, well drail
: ed and carrying Il thick sod. Ploug
=, in the fall about six inches deel
:, Level the surface with harrow and al
Il ply to one-half Of the. ground a goC
y coat of short stable manure that +
+ tains all its strength. In the spring,
week or two before planting, pass u
I cultivator over once or twice, so as
make thoroughly mellow. Then, VIII
4 the plough, bring up the rotted Sc
and cultivate again, mixing SOIL, &c
IL ted sod and manure well thrOughou
When ready plant number of row
10 say half dozen, four feet apart, thr
!, " stalks in a hill, an equal number ii
1t feet and as many rows six feet apar
also the same number of rows, wi
- two stalks in hill, rows five or s
~ feet apart. The spaces between t
he hills of all the rows may be put
three and half or four feet, the pl;
=, all extending equally across the ma
". ured and unmanured part. Give Gle
ed and continued QeveD culture, viii
IS. the wide space between the rows W
allow. When ripe measure each p
r. on the manured part by itself, a
m also each plat where it extends acre
es the unmanured part separately