Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-03-31

highest price, it has been observed that
those who uniformly plant in the last
half of April rarely fail; all of which
goes to show that the "custom of the
country" in agricultural matters is apt
to be a compromise between the right
and the wrong, and some departure
from it, if made in the right direction,
is generally safe.
THE SEED.
AS general rule, in the corn crop
sections Of the valleys of the Ohio,
Mississippi and Missouri rivers, nearly
every county has type of corn best
suited to its soil and latitude, which
will, one year with another, make the
surest, largest and best crops. In the
region north of the lakes, and near the
northern limit of corn production, the
ear is long, the rows are eight, the ker-
mel small, flinty and shallow; the cob
slender, the growth of stalk dwarfed,
and the crop best where four or five
stalks are grown in each hill,-the hills
2 to 3 feet apart. On the alluvial soils
of the Mississippi, and on the rich, deep
sugar and cotton bottom lands of Louis
lana, the ear is comparatively short,
the rows are many sometimes 40), the
kernel dented and deep, the cob large,
the stalk growth from u to 10 feet
high, and the stalks stand one in hill
not less than four feet apart. Between
these two limits of production there
are, of course, many varieties of corn
and as many notifications in methods
of growing the crop; but the law holds
good, that beginning at the northern
limit, the size of the ears and stalks in
crease, and the distance apart in plant
ing requires to be proportionatlely
wider. 1t is plain then that it is not safe
toplantseed grown long distance to the
north or south. Southern corn brought
North is almost sure to be caught by
frost, and Northern corn, taken South,
to suffer from heat and drought. In
1881, in the very severe drought of
that year, the product of northern seed
.shriuAlL.l- l-:-.l l....>-i,- ILL
along the Gulf at least, while the
Creole" or native of Louisiana, made
fair crop. So far as east or west is
concerned, there is less risk in procur-
ing seed from long distances. How
ever, intelchanges of seed between sec
tons not over 4 Or 5 degrees apart are
to be recommended, but not on large
scale, since it requires two or three
years, or more, for strange variety to
be acclmated to a more northern sec.
ton. But northern seed may be sent
South with more safety; and below,
sap 35 degrees, in those sections where
the crop is planted in February, and
may be harvested in June, two crops
can be grown on bottom lands, provided
there is "season" at or soon after
planting. For an early crop the north
ern yellow dent varieties, grown along
the 43d parallel, would probably do
we'll south of the Ohio river, in all but
exceptionally hot or dry seasons like
1881 and the large whites of Ken.
tucky and Tennessee, will fully ripen
in such years only.
The rule for northern corn is yellow;
for southern, white. The former con
tains more starch, and will make more
whisky; the latter has more CLUTTER
and oil and makes better bread ant
whisky too, but less of it. Transferred
north, the white varieties are tenderel
than the native yellows in many respects
the seed requiring higher degree
f of heat to terminate, starts later, anC
in cold and wet seasons it is hard to &c
good stand, and after the crop is mad
= the white varieties are far more subjec
/ to moulding and heating, under tn
same conditions. than the yellow
y Sound seed corn frequently has lo'
f vitality in the germ, and will not sprou
v except under the most favorable cor
q ditions of heat and moisture. This
}. owing generally to the seed having at
sorbed too much moisture from its SUI
e roundings, which when dried o
by exposure TO high and dry hea
increases its vitality in remarkabI
- manner, and terminates surpassingl
-, quick under favorable, and sooner {
later under adverse conditions, whel
common seed fails.
70 PLANTING.
t.- IL - l. IN Ill. IL