Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-06-30
CORN.


Some Of the Methods Pursued by Farmers
who Produce Phenomenal Crops.
Although the average yield of corn
the country last year was
less than thirty bushels per acre, tho
product of many fields was over hum
decd Bushels. Tho difference between
the highest and lowest yields of corn
was greater than for almost any crop
produced Farmers should cndcaycr
to bring up the yield of corn 10 the
highest point possible. Nearly rs
much labor is expended on land that
produces but twenty bushels oil core
per acre Us on that which yields five
times that amount The time spent il.
plowmg aud otherwise preparing the
soil ls the same in either case. The
cost of harvesting is nearly the same
More labor may be required to cut up
and put in shock large stalks OF corn
than those that are small, but il is
much easier TO hu'k long, full-glown
ears than those that ara short and
small. The former are shelled the
more readily whether the work is per-
formed by hand or by the aid Of 4 ma
chine. The quality OF corn crop i'll
almost every instance corresponds win
the quantity produced The larger the
yield, the better is the grain. Both its
keeping and its feeding qualities are
better. Large cars of corn part with
the moisture they contain more readily
than small ones do. chiefly for the rea.
son that the proportion of corn to cob
is larger. Very large ears seldom be.
come moldy i'll the crib.
Climate has much to do in insuring q
large yield of corn. The latitude of forty
degrees appears to be most favorable to
the production of corn. 1t is produced
in all the Southern States, and in most
of them it is fairly profitable crop,
but the yield is much smaller than in
what is known as the "corn belt In
places where the soil is naturally quite
rich, the stalks attain an enormous size,
with correspondingly large ears. But
the size attained by the stalks makes il
necessary to locate the hills so far apart
that their number ON an acre is much
smaller than in the Northern States
The warm season is much .Onger in the
Southern than in the Northern States,
and the continued warmth is favorable
to the growth of corn, but the heat Is
likely to be attended by long-continu't
drought, which prevents the ears from
filling out. In favorable seasons n
large crops of corn are raised on the
forty-second as on the fortieth degree
of latitude, though some more labor il
required to produce it. Smaller va
y relies, and those that mature in ;
, shorter time, are planted for prudential
reasons. As the stalks are smaller. the
hills are placed nearer together, inyolv
ing more labor in planting, cultivation
and harvesting. Many of the iarges
crops of corn reported last season wert
produced in the latitude of this city
The Grain was excellent and the fodder
superior to that produced farther south
Many of the extraordinary crops o
corn produced last year--that is, thost
where the yield was reported over (
hundred bushels per acre-were plo
duced on land 10 which commercial
fertilizers had beeu liberally applied
Several of the very largo yields from
small fields were the result of applyinl
well.rottcd stable manure, ashes anC
bone-dust directly 10 the hill A yer.
large proportion of the best crops
however, were raiscl on land to whicl
no fertilizers hal been applied tina
season or the previous Year. The
were produced on red clover sod. TIL
ground had III some previous year re
ceived very heavy dressing, which
had resulted in producing luXuriou
growth of clover. The coarse manure
had become rotten in the soil aud slim
ulated the corn plants in the cattle
period OF their growth. Later in th
ason the roots OF the clover beam
rotten, and furnished plant food. Ii
England it has long been the practice t
raise clover with a view of pleparn;
the Land TO produce crop of wheat
! Experience in this country shows tina
land can b. fitted Tor raising corn il
the same way. In many parts of tn
West rolling land has been plowcd an,
planted to corn for so long time tina
large gullies have been produced in it
The soil has also been impoverished b
raising the same crop year after year
These lands should have a period u
rest and rCcuperation. Seeding then
to clover will produce the desired re
suit in short time.
Very few OF the premium corn crop
reported were put in with a hol Sc
planter. These machines are uscfu
and perhaps necessary in places whcr
labor Is scarce and very large fields az
TO BE- planted. That they can drop an
cover corn as satisfactorily rs can b
done by hand is not claimed. Tn
best results were obtained by iayin,
out rows with marker, dropping ih
seed by hand, and covering il with til
hoe. The hand hoe was employed i
connection with the cltivator in tGndin
the crop. 1t was used before tAo plant
were sufficiently large 10 admit of tn
running OF the cultiyator between I'll
rows, The use of the hand noe was III
most common in places outside til
"corn belt" where the people do nc
rely chiefly on an excellent soil an
climate to produce good corn croT
The employment OF the complaint
and the dohble.team cultiyator has cl
abled western farmers to put in an
tend very large fields of corn. but it
obvious to every observer that thcS
implements have not resulted in il
creasing the yield per acre. HAND
planting aud llard-hocing appear to b
necessary to Produce very large cror
OF corn in any part of the country
Such, at least, is the report OF thos
who raised the premium clops In:
season. - Chicago Times.