The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-01-17
Large Crops Of Corn.


The yield Of corn per acre, according
10 the reports of the National Depart
ment Of Agriculture, Is very small the
present year. Strange as II may appear
the largest yield Is credited TO Maine,
where the crop averages 1873 bushels
per acre. Kansas comes next with an
average yield Of 1915 bushels per acre.
In Florida, the land Of flowers and per-
petual sunshine, the yield Is very small,
being only 1913 bushels. The yield IN
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota Is
larger Than in the three States that lie
south of them. In all the States where
cotton is the leading crop. the average
yield OF corn Is very small. The entire
South appears 10 be very poorly adapt
cd to tho production Of corn. The
seasons are long, tho sunshine bright,
the temperature oil that can be desired,
and there is no loss on account of late
or early frosts. Still. corn is not q
profitable crop. Much OF the soil Is
very poor, and protracted droughts are
likely TO occur. In places where there
is rich soil, very large crops OF corn
stalks and leaves can be raised. The
former have no market value, however,
and the cost of gathering the latter by
the usual method of plucking them from
the stalks is very great. Where corn
stalks shoot up 10 very great height,
as they do in some portions OF the
South, it is necessary to locate the hills
a long distance apart, and, as a conse-
auence, there are but few OF them on an
acre. The amount Of grain on stalk
OF corn which is sixteen feet high Is no
larger than on one that Is but eight,
and tho value Of the forage is less. The
corn grown in the South is more yalua
BILE for making bread than that raised
in the North, as it is softer and sweeter.
This accounts in part for the preference
of the Southern people for bread made
OF corn.
The average yield on corn in what
are known as "the great corn-prod"c.
ing States" is small, owing TO the large
amount planted on inverted sod. The
sod is turned with view OF preparing
the soil for some cultivated crop, and
corn is preferred to any other. AS the
planting is done late in the season the
sod is not sufficiently decomposed to
furnish much material for plant growth,
and its condition is such that cultivators
can not be used between the rows.
Still the yield Of corn raised in this
manner is reckoned in with that pro-
duced on well-prepared soil, which Is
often MANFRED and always cultivated.
. A bad showing is accordingly made Of
,, the productiyeness OF our finest Western
lands. On the other hand, remarka-
bly, good showing is made for the natu
rally poor or worn out lands in some Of
the Eastern States. The average yield
> is reported, probably truthfuliy, as large
or at least as larger than that Of the
= Western States. The aggregate amount
produced, however, is very small
, Possibly it is produced at los
il all the expense of fertilizers ant
: labor were estimated. Nearly every
: farmer has small portion o
: land in corn, and on this he put
, a very large amount Of manure and ex
! ponds a vast amount of labor. The LIANT
l appropriated 10 this crop is the best OF
the entire farm. Quite likely it has beer
: sin training" for some years before !
. was planted for this crop. II has pro
, duced a crop of clover which was turned
7 under. Perhaps coarse manure wa
I. also plowed under and fine MANURE
] scattered broadcast before the harrow
l was used. Compost or some excellen
fertilizer was placed in the hills in Crde
:, to give the young plants start. A tol
dressing of ashes or plaster is apple,
!. after the plants have appeared. TIL
0 ground is worked with q hand-hoe a
: well as with the cultivator and pillow. !
4 large crop is the result.
4 Farmers in the moro fertile portion
4 of the Western States can hardly be OK
pected to take so much pains with
crop Of corn, especially where land i
cheap and labor is comparatively high
They find it more profitable TO plan
/ more acres and TO expend less in labo
}. and fertilizers. Still it Is likely tina
o Western farmers would be the gamer
: by following the example of Easter
Q farmers more closely than they do. No
u enough pains are taken in the produC
o ton of corn crop in the most favore
!, regions of the West. Land is often az
Q pr0priated TO the crop that is unsuita
u bic either on account Of deficient drain
u age or other natural defects. 1t Is pool
J. ly plowed, and all the subsequent wor
2 till the time of planting is sighted
i Not enough attention is paid to procur
7 ing reliable seed or variety suited {,
; the climate of the region where it is Il
D be planted. AS many acres are to b,
planted some is put in too early and som,
? too late. Much planting is done whei
+, tho soil contains so much moisture that
the seed will rot in the hill. The plant
) ing is often done with machine, and
} as good work is not done as when the
works. performed by hand. Manuring
in the hill before planting is never prac-
ticed, and top dressing of mineral or
other fertilizers rarely applied. All the
work of cultivation is performed by the
use of implements drawn by horses, and
the hand-hoe is never seen in tho field.
Corn has recently been so high that there
is no longer economy in attempting to
raise a crop in this manner. More at
tention should be given to preparing the
land for the crop, to the application OF
manure. and to thorough cultivation.
Tho hanG-hoe sEou,1. be uGcd IN con.
nection with the cu,.ivator. In short,
everything pertaining to the production
OF the crop should receive more atten-
tion.-Chicaqo Times.