American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-04-30
The Culture OF Corn.

we are SIuutitliy lcdi uiiS iuoic
about the possibilities of the corn crop.
We are learning that with sufficient fer
tiliZing and good culture we can easily
reach from sixty to one bundled bush
els of grain per acre in place of the
twenty-five to fifty which were former
ly the usual yield. We are also discov-
ering that there is more in the careful
cultivation of this crop than we had
supposed. Formerly Western farmers
used to boast that their rich soil was
able to grow both corn and Weeds and
it was often the case ut harvest time
that the corn was almost hidden from
sight by weeds which all but overtopped
it. Still corn produced n fair yield but
how much more it would have produced
had the weeds been kept down by cul-
tivation we can only guess. 1t is now
that we are learning something of this.
The last census reports enlighten us in
this respect. From these we learn that
the Wanted superiority of the West is
disappearing. That the average yield
of corn in the Eastern States now slight
" surpasses that of the West. While the
former has been slowly increasing. that
of the latter has been gradually decreas-
ing, until now it is inferior. The rea-
son of this is not that the Western soil
is poorer than the Eastern; it is simply
weeds. The Eastern soil is better Gull
tivated. 1t is in this respect something
like the better thrift of the owners of
the sterile mountain countries or the
colder climates, where poverty of soil
forces to more productive industry, as
compared with the sunny climates and
rich soils of the South, where exuber-
ance of vegetation induces carelessncss
and Improbable contentment. 1t is all
in cultivation, for no soil, however rich,
fill of
full crop of weeds, and the Western
farmer simply throws away his grand
opportunities. 1t may be that the low
value of the corn may not pay for the
requisite labor, which is scarce and
| dear, but it cannot always be true,
| even should it be SO now, which we
| must doubt, that this labor well applied
cannot be made profitable. This is
| matter which concerns the Western as
much as the Eastern farmer, for when
| the latter finds that he can grow corn
more cheaply by better methods of
cultivation than he can buy Western
corn, considerable outlet for that
| product will be closed. The first cul
| tivation may be given before the seed
is above the surface with the cultivat-
ing harrow. This destroys the young
| weeds when in the germ, and before
| they have taken hold of the soil. If
| the soil has been plowed a week or two
before the planting, final cleaning
may be given with this harrow imme-
diateIy before the planting with great
| benefit. After the corn is up and has
taken root the harrow may be. used
again without injury to the plants, and
if few are torn up it will save after
labor of thinning the stand, if that
| should be needed by reason of too lib
/ - Iv,,f , fI,o hot
| the corn is foot high this narrowing
may be given at sufficient intervals,
leaving it then in excellent condition
both as to vigor of growth and free
| dom from weeds. After tn s the use of
any one of the excellent horse-hoes
| that are on the market, or a good, COM
mon shovel-toothed cultivator, will
| keep the crop clean until it is laid by
and shades the ground SO as to keep
down the weeds that may start after
that
The pillow should be abandoned as a
corn cultivator. 1t does not cover as
much surface as the horseshoe, and al
though it may not be injurious on some
soils and under some circumstances,
yet otherwise it may do serious harm to
the crop. Shallow cultivationis always
beneficial to corn; deep cultivation may
be sometimes. With the one there is
no risk under any circumstances; with
/ the other there is much risk. Level
| cultivation leaves the surface in the
best convfision after the crop, and ono
may seed down to grass or clover with
this crop. if it is thought desirable, I'M
der level cultivation. Killing of the
plants cannot save them from being
laid by a severe storm, for the small
support thus given is nothing as com.
| 4 =, <,ff bo i,,H bo
brood leaves. But the hills may, and
do, prevent the crop from raising itself
| again, for the soft soil is washed down
upon the roots, and serves to wedge the
| stalks down so that they cannot re-
cover. With drill-planting the crop
may be largely increased. The
| lowest ascertained increase of yield
| is twenty-five per cent. of grain and
fodder. Considerably more than this
has been gained by planting sixteen
inches apart in drills three feet apart.
This is precisely double the seed plant
| ed at three feet apart each way. For
| the small Eastern corn this close plant
ing is sufficiently roomy, and the ears
will mature as well as at three feet
apart. There will be $3.50 hills to the
acre, and with but one good ear to the
hill there will be seventy to ninety
| bushels of corn to the acre, and with
but five pounds of green fodder to each
hill, the crop will reach to twenty-four
tons per acre. This growth can be
easily forced with moderate fertilizing
and thorough cultivation. 1t has been
done in many cases, and may be done
always if the right means are used. 1t
may not be wise for farmer who has
been used to the old-fashioned system
to risk his whole crop by suddenly
H. l., Vl,,t 70,
trv the experiment, because success
offers reward much larger than any
loss or damage that may occur from
failure. 1t is case in which every
thing is to be gained and nothing to be
lost.-N. y. Times.