Connecticut western news., 1881-01-19
A NOTABLE. CROP OF CORN.
Result of Thoroughbred Seed, Fer. tile Soil, Root-Pruning and Good Culture.

The past year MT. B. F. Bowditch, of Massachusetts, raised, on seventeen and one-fourth acres of land, 3,474 bushel baskets of ears, and 52 32-10O tons of stover. This is 199 6-1O baskets per acre, or 99. 8 bushels of shelled corn, farm measure, per acre, or probably 100 bushels sale corn per acre.
 The land was in fair, not high, condi- tion, rather too flat and moist for the best corn land, but naturally fitted for grass and hay. It received for dressing 139 bags (2OO pounds each) of "corn- manure" or about eight bags per acre.
 The foundation of this crop was laid the preceding year, by preparing the seed. If two seed corns, each of high character, be crossed, the pro duce will offer in all probability 8 more fecund seed than either of the parents grown separately. The preceding year equal quantities of the Waushakum and Long, fellow corn were mixed together and planted. From the crop thus raised, the seed corn, selected among the varia- tions from the Waushakum type, was chosen, particular care being given to pick out ears of uniform style, of small cob, and compactly arranged grains, and of large average, not excessive, length. This was the seed for last years attempt, and thus was it produced. In repeating this seed sele ction for an other year, MT. Bowditch will not depend upon last years crop for the whole of his seed, for if he did he would be prop agating toward grade instead of thor oughbred, as the new variety, the half bred, would doubtless tend to vary even more than toward the original types by crossing again with the Waushakum, he will secure grain allied to that se- cured by the original cross, and thus diminish the future chance of loss which may come from the use of last years crop for seed. Success in this method depends upon using for the parent seeds corn of similar types, of strong race peculiarities, and of fecund habit.
 It is not difficult to find seed corns which, with good culture on rich land, will yield fifty bushels per acre. A better seed, of 8 fecund habit to be measured by hundred bushel crop, may do no better under improper con- ditions of culture. It is only to the good farmer, and still better to the best farmer, that the quality of the seed used assumes the highest importance. OI two seed corns, the one of fifty -bushel power, the other of a hundred -bushel power, the same culture and care that will give the one crop will give the other. Inferior corn will give the smaller yield from the better seed assumed, but will not force the poorer seed to its ful capabilities. If the farmer then desires to improve his culture, he must improve the quality of his seed either by hi own selection or by purchase from those who have given the proper care. Nc farmer can secure large yield by any means so long as he uses seed corn too infecund so bear the crop. These truisms which indeed deserve more genera attention among would good farmers have to be given here in almost dicta torial form, through lack of space, bu yet will add they are fully justified b, the best teachings of experiment ant practice, as illustrated by one experience of my own some years ago, when twt seed corns of similar appearance in thu ear, on large scale yielded the on' fifty five bushels per acre, and the othe just no bushels per acre, under a precisely similar conditions as ever ca, be obtained in farm practice.
 l This seed was planted in drills, tw rows at time, by one of the Westerl corn planters, and rather heavily seed ed, the hills in the drills being abou two feet apart, the drills three and
 half feet, and about four kernels in tn hill. One peculiarity of this mode o planting was observed the weight 0 the machine pressing on the cor through the wheels which followed tn line of the dropping attachment, S consolidated the earth above the see
 that the crows could not pull it up, an
 hence no scarecrows were needed, an
 thus an expense was saved. As soon a the corn was up, smoothing harro7 was used lengthwise of the rows, thu eradicating all the sprouting weed without disturbing the more deepl
 rooted corn plants. After the plant were from one and half to two fee high, the cultivator was used-one c those which straddle the rows, and who's disks cut deeply and lift the soil. Thi machine was run frequently, and a close to the plants as was possible an
 as deep as it would go. By this mean the plant, whenever it obtained ram pant growth, was at once checked b
 the severe "root-pruning," and re minded, so to speak, that it's purpos was to grow grain and not leaf. Thi root-pruning was one of the secrets ( the large crop. A neighbor, in friendl rivalry, using more manure and plant Ga1I