The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-05-08
DEER CREEK FARMERS, CLUB.
Planting and working Corn.

the farm of Mr.. r. John Rogers, near Bel Air. In
the absence of the President MIR. Johns IL. Jam
ney was called to the chair; Mr.. II. Spalding
Secretary. The timely topic, THE Corn Crop"
was talked about.
Mr.. Rogers said the first considerations in rails
ing large crop or corn are good ground, good
fertilizers and good tillage. He preferred to
pillow late in the winter or early in the spring
early enough for the ground to get some freezing
afterwards This, he thought, helped to get rid Of
some of the insects that injure the corn If land is
thin, shallow blowing is best, it being disadvan-
land will bear deeper plowin4 and from 6 to I
inches is proper depth. Corn should not be
planted until the ground is reasonably warm.
After being pillow ed the ground should be work
ed again and again until you are ready to plant.
If planted about the middle of May it will come
up in few days and there is then not so much
danger from insects. From the 9th to the middle
of May Is good time to plant. Early planted
corn is likely to be injured by drought 'che
mode oil planting would depend on the condition
of the land: On, land of ordinary quality he
mostly checkers his corn but where the land is
good he drills it. The difficulty with drilled corn
is that the grass starts before the corn and it is
troublesome to keep it clean with cultivators,
and hoeing it is expensive. The style of corn
drill generally used is Objectionable from the
fact that in planting on sod ground the drill re-
moves the mould and gives the sod chance to
grow. He had. however. seen drill in other
sections that marks the rows, drops and covers
the corn. He marks out the rows, runs q cult
vator over the ground and then follows with the
drill, the marks being, sufficiently distinct. BY
you drill on the surface. On good land the rows
may be 3& feet apart and the corn be allowed TO
stand from II to 10 INCHES in the rows. 1t requires
much Judgment to thin drilled corn properly.
MIR. Rogers thought the fodder should get ripe
before the corn is harvested. 1t does not break
up so much is lighter to handle, cattle eat it bet.
ter and the grain is better He generally plant7
white corn, the fodder being larger the yield
greater, and it is more readily Sold but the vel
low makes better feed.
Mr. John Moores preferred to pillow inches
deep on good land and inches on thin land. If
ne had his choice OF time he would rather pillow
IN February or early in March and plant from the
LIST to the 10th of May. If put off until the mid
die OF May rainy spell may intervene and plant
ing be too late. Mr.. Moores plants both white
and yellow corn, the advantage being that the
yellow corn ripens first and the crop can be har-
vested with the regular farm force. III only one
Kind is planted 1t all ripens at the same time and
planting is to run out the rows sow bone. Ali up
the rows with harrow or cutivator, so that the
row can be seen as drill mark. By this plan the
clods are plowed out of the row and the harrow
or cutvator replaces them with fine earth max
ing good bed for the seed. He drills 81 feet
vide leaving the corn one foot apart in the rows.
Drilled corn can be thinned any time, even when
as high as mans shoulder. BY that time you
can see which are the best stalks to leave Much
depends on working the ground well before
early. He first works the ground with harrow.
Just after IT comes up when replanting iG done.
Corn should be worked every four or Ave DAYS
after it comes up until harvest deep at irst and
gradually shallower. The old fashioned way of
coultering it by throwing the earth from il with
back again, was good plan. Mr.. Moores gener-
ally works his corn six times with cutiyators and
twice with hoes. Fodder ought to get tolerabiy
ripe before it is cut. 1t will stand better if tied
once, and after or days tie it again.
VIM. Munnikhuysen was decidedly opposed to
thinning corn. for the reason that replanted corn
seldom comes to anything. In the first place he
picks out all his seed corn and sets the drill 10
drop one grain every u OF. 10 inches 1t is
to pull II out. He had raised Is barrels to the
acre without thinning. Taking it all in all the
best time TO pillow is when the ground is ut in the
spring. He prefers white to yellow corn because
1t stands the drought better and more of il can
be raised to the acre. Yellow corn however, ia
better feed and does not get as hard as white
given to stock and 1t might pay to raise it for
that purpose.
VIM: F. Hays said he drills thickly and thns to
from 10 to IL inches in the row, preferripg thin
ming out to replantng If all is planted at the same
time 1T grows alike. Replants are generally
eehoked out by the first planting. He plants vel
low corn entirely. He is not much bothered with
suckers, and does not believe there is any adyan-
tage in pulling them Off.
Mr.. Rogers said hesuckers his corn when work.
ing 1t while it is small.
Mr. James Lee said he never pulls Off the suck
ers. while Mr.. Moores always does.
WIN: y. Hopkins said the ground should be
thoroughly prepared before planting. He gener-
ally drills his corn, but could see no necessity ia
run out rows to drill by, This, plan is apt to
His method is to set the drill to drop two grains
every 30 inches and one grain in the Intervening
spaces, the rows being at least feet inches
apart. where the two grains stand well the sim
gle stalks are pulled out, but if only one of the
two is good stalk the other is allowed to stand
the average DISTANCE of the plants in the rows
being ID inches. He never replants. He can
raise little more white than yellow corn to the
acre. 1t should be allowed to get ripe before it
is cut up.
X. Harris Archer spoke of the Importance of
having good Seed and il the seed is good it will not
rot in the ground no matter how early it is plant
ed or how wet the season is. Seed slightly
DAMAGED II 70 nj,
stances. Seed corn ought to be picked ont when
the corn is husked. From the Goth OF April to
the LIST OF May is AZ good time to plant The advan-
ttage OF early planting is that it gives two weeks
time before the corn needs working during
which something else may be done on the farm.
If can be drilled without first running out fur
row IL IS best and the fertilizer should be sowed
no matter where it goes.
Mr. Munnikhuysen said his corn had come IN
quicker by running out rows and drilling in them
than where drilled upon the surface Corn mark
ers are good things to drill by, but he preferred
light fufrow.
Mr. Archer, resumng said he seldom tbinned
corn, except when hoeing it. 1t needs one good
hoeng He plants one foot apart, on good ground.
the rows h feet He would like the ground to
freeze little after it is plowed.
Bennett IL. Barnes tries to pillow early, his land
being heavy, and freezing lightens 1t up. The
ground should be in a good condition before
planting. This year he is planting feet 1Oinches
leaving the corn about IL inches In the row He
grows both white and yellow corn, and finds that
ne can raise more white This year he found that
seldom troubled with suckers but pulls them off
when they do come. He plants thicky, say from
pull out than replant
James Lee prefers blowing early in the spring.
the rows should be 81 feet apart and the corn
generally too thick. He rolls the ground after
planting. by which means the corn comes up
sooner and can be worked earlier;
w. D. Lee likes to pillow early-the LIST of
March, If the ground is At, and plant the latter
part OF April: The ground ought to be thorough
~ worked before the corn, is planted. He lays
of row time with marker and plants 3 feet
inches apart. Plants part white and part vel
low The yellow ripens early and can be cut up
time 81 enough TO get the ground in wheat. Drills
~ lnches apart in the rows.
II. Spaldng plants in hills 2S inches apart
The drill drops from to4 grains in hill, two
being allowed to stand. He thought early plow-
ing and thorough pulverizaton the best prepare
ton for raising good crop of corn. He likes
yellow corn, as it makes better feed than white.
portunity. from the middle of November er o 70
planting time. His time of planting is when the
ground is dry enough after the 18th of April. He
had never known any sound seed planted after
that time to rot. The selection of seed is import
ant. He had found that seed from corn dried,
matured and cut up before cold weather came on
was better than that left standing late. The
variety of corn has little to do with the yield this
being dependent upon the soil and the character
of the corn A medium sized yellow is perhaps,
preferable, as It's handled and husked more easily
than the ordinary white varieties. In planting he
runs out the, rows with a very light pillow and
urllS III the lrrOWs SetClDR inc drill to 10 inches
If single stalk they are left is inches apart and
If two stalks 30 inches. Width of the rows feet
8 inches. On hill side would run them 4 feet
apart. Would rather cut up the corn a little
too ripe. Stand the stalks close at the bottom,
tie when the. corn IS stripped and afterwards 20
back and reie. In husking tic the fodder and
haul Immediately. Ifanything must be left un-
sheltered, leave the corn an haul the fodder be-
fore it gets wet. Suckerlng is generally unneces-
sary He plants thiokly and thins out. being salts
fled he can make more corn that way than BY re.
planting. He usually plants one bushel to five
acres. His rule Is to work corn five times He
had planted from the 9th of April to the middle
of June, with good results. and never lost stand
by early planting, Els usual time is from the 18th
for the drill you able to work the corn earlier
than where 1t is drilled on top. Work close to It
at first and later use lighter cultivator and work
farther or, so as not to cut the lateral roots mt
the last working. The depth of planting depends
on the condition of the soil and the time Early
in the season it should not be planted as deeply
as when the season is more advanced.
g. p. Mcores plows as early as possible, 1t is
tn 10 tn