The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-05-10
farm aud Garden.
For the Central Presbyterian.
Culture of Corn.

The cultivation of corn, like many othe,
things pertaining to agriculture in the
South, has generally settled into some
thing of rut. 1t is time that in differ
ent neighborhoods and sections slightly
different methods prevail; but in the
main the system of cultivation is about
the same, and includes more or less o,
hand-hoeing
Now, OF course, any hand-work is OF
necessity slower and more costly THAI
work by horse power-where horsepower
can be used; and in the cultivation of corn
horse power cultivation can be used t.
the entire exclusion of hand-work, with
the exception of thinning. Corn land, az
indeed any land on which crop is to be
planted, should be thoroughly prepared
There is no economy in not preparing
land well. Labor, not applied for this
purpose before the planting of the crop,
must certainly be more than made up
subsequently,; and it is very likely that
it can never be fully replaced by any sub
sequent labor. But, at any rate, whether
the ground is thoroughly prepared before
planting or not, the most economical
method of cultivation demands that the
working of the corn begin before or at
least by the time the corn is coming up
At this time a thorough narrowing with
any sort of harrow will not only pull
verize the ground greatly to the benefit
of the young plant, bat will destroy the
young grass and weeds at the time when
it is easiest to be done This narrowing
should be repeated a second and even a
third time, although the corn by that
time be foot high. Many will fear that
harrow will tear up the young corn or
else knock it down and injure it; but the
fear is groundless. The benefit of the
thorough pulverizing of the ground and
destruction of grass and weeds before
they get start, will not begin to be off
set by the little harm done the corn
After the corn is foot high, one work
ing with double shovels or cultivators of
any kind will, in many cases, be sufficient
to make the crop. suppose it would be
useless to advise farmers to discontinue
the time honored, although now conceded
to be faulty, method of laying by" the
crop. But if any will so far lay aside
their conservatism and instead of throw
ing the dirt to the corn with turn-plow
give the surface of the ground one more
light stirring with cultivator, they will
find it more quickly done and better
crop of corn made.
1t will be seen from a perusal of this
article that the things chiefly aimed at
are to keep DOWN the grass so it will
never get start at all, and to keep the
surface of the ground constantly stirred
The most successful growers of corn have
found these two things to be the most
important features of corn-culture, and
disapprove of ploughing or any other deep
cultivation after the land is first broken
up.
One thing more to be particular about
is to get the corn thin enough. Very
many farmers have not the nerve to thin
corn to stand justified by the strength
of the land, but it is the worst kind OF
folly to have the corn thick on poor land
The drier the season the greater the dam
age resulting to the crop from being too
thick. On the average Virginia upiands
four by four feet is Just as thick as corn
should be planted, leaving one stork in
the hill. Any divergence from this rule
had better be in the direction of greater
than less distance apart. One good ear
of corn is worth dozen nubbins."