The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-05-09
cnnN cu5LrlYArIoN. I
The Various Methods How It Should BE
Planted and Worked.

v
Planted and Worked.
ihilade phta ReeDrt.
Corn Is now the most important crop
whichwiIl receive the farmers considera-
tiop, until il is fully maturcd and harvest
ed. It is semi.tropical plant and re-
quircs plenty Of heat and moisture. In
some sections the most productive yarie.
tiss cannot be grown, owing to the short
season for growth, and every advantage
OF quality and yield must be sacti Hced in
order to obtain early maturity. Jnthe
South the white flint varieties are prefer.
red, such corn giving the best results on
soil that would DO unprodnctiye with the
yellow kiuds. The illnts also serve q
greater numbered purposes, being espe-
,eially ADAPTED to the making OF hominy
and finer quality Of paea!.
The usual method OF cnltivatiny corn IS
to"checkn It of into rows four leet. apart
each way, with three stalks Of corn at the
intersections OF the rows, each bill conse.
quently being four feet in every direction
from the next. This SUSTAIN is what Is
known as the level mode OF cultivation,
the cultiyator only being used, except, IS
is sometimes doEe, the harrow is passed
over the field when the plants are very
Young. No hoeing, is required In thus
cultiyating corn, as the work is done in
two directions, and hence 1t is considered
iaborsaying. The mode is SO well known
as to require no suggestions here.
There is another method OF cultivation,
however, though not generally practiced
inthis section, which deserves attention
from farmers. tits to plant corn in rows
four feet apart and from eighteen inches
to two feet apart In the rows, according 70
distance preferred. Three grains Of seed
areallowed 70 tho bill, but after the corn
Is six inches high the two weaker plants
are drawn out, leaving the stronger ona'
only standing. BY this arrangement the
ground will have ono stalk OF corn grow
Ing every two feet in the rows, whereas
under the "check" system there will be
three stalks every four feet. II is plain
that the latter method allows ia much
larger number OF stalks to an acre,
while the cultivation is also easy. With
the stalks two feet apart, the plow lone-
horsel is passed close to the corn, throw
ing the dirt from the plants, leaving the
rows ridged up, with a ridge In the centre
between the rows OF corn. Thisis done to-
prevent the labor OF hoeing, as the young
grass Is destroyed by the plow. Alter the
corn has made further growth and tue
grass has again appeared tile plow ia once
more used, tho dirt being thrown back TO
the corn rows. Later in the season the
cultiyator Is used between the rows, while
a single hoeing sufiices 10 destroy thegrass
between the rows until tho corn Is sale
from intrudipg weeds and grasses.
The point to be obseryedi Is that while
the "clleckn system requires less labor
allows OF greater number Of stalks to
grow on an acre, The plan Of allowing
each stalk OF corn to be two feet away in
one direction and four feet in the other
from Its neighbors gives itgteater feeding
room and less competition in its struggle
for plant food, as the worst enemy . plant
anhaye is another OF the same kind grow
ing by its side. lfsuch q method OF plant.
ing does best on inferior soil there Is no
reason why It should not increase
the the yield on fertile soil.
True, the number OF plants Will be lea,
but the corn having greater opportunities
for growth. especially when young, will
mature earlier, give q heavier yield, and be
less susceptible to drought. It's an exc.
pertinent worth trying, as farmers are
often anxious about giving the corn an
early start. When the plants are well
grown the roots will cover all the ground,
whether the ground is checked or not; but
when the plants are very young the adj
vantage cf having each one two feet from