The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-01-21
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
CULTIVATION OF CORN.

CULTIVATION OF CORN.
To THE EDITOR: / would like to say few
words about corn and its cultivation through
the medium of the agricultural department of
your truly excellent paper. There is 10 doubt
many readers of TIE NATIONAL TRIBUNE who
are growing this great staple are or ought to be
interested in the Improvement of the quality
and quantity of the corn crop. Truly, Corn is
King. The corn crop Of the United States is
thousands Of millions of bushels yearly; indeed,
the corn crop of youthful Iowa alone is esti-
mated at hundreds of millions of bushels. There
is no doubt that the corn crop of Iowa has been
greatly ovcrestimated for the year 1885,, at
least one hundred millions Of bushels,-as both
| the quality and quantity of the corn crop of
Iowa for the year 1884 is below the average.
twenty-five years ago it was thought impos-
| sible to grow corn in Iowa, bat to-day we are
| growing the finest corn in the world. This
great result has been brought about not by
| chance, but by selecting and planting early
| varieties of corn. At the same time the corn
| crop of Iowa and, in fact. the whole country,
| can be increased fully 80 per cent. both in
| quality and quantity. This can be done with
| out increasing the acreage, and the only way
to bring about this gratifying result is by plant
ing none but good, reliable seed OF early, hardy
| varieties. Doubtful seed is dear at any price and
| it is poor economy to plant it. There are thou
| sands of farmers who plant poor seed because it
is cheap. They will cheerfuly pay from $50
to 500 for pig and from $500 to $500 for calf
| TO improve their herds, but arc not willing to
go to little extra trouble and expense to i'm
| prove and increase the best paying crop on the
| farm. Good, reliable seed is the first step to-
| wards good crop. Pure bred, reliable and
acclimated seed is just as essential to grow a
good crop of corn from as pure-bred animals to
improve your herds Thorough cultivation in
| the early stages Of growth is the next impor-
tant step towards good crop of corn. From
| the time the seed terminates until the plant
| attains a growth of from two to three feet
| high it should be thoroughly cultivated, but
| in high ATTITUDES, where the season is
| short, deep cultivation should not be contin-
| ued, as deep cultivation after certain
stage of growth will make the crop late. Late
| and deep cultivation will increase the size of
the stalk, but in doubtful seasons will endanger
the crop by making it late and liable to be
| spoiled by early frost, but shallow or surface
| cultivation can be continued with profit until
the stalk has attained its full growth Every
intelligent farmer knows by experience that it
is utterly impossible to grow good crop of
| corn and \ big crop of rag weeds at the same
| time and on the same piece of land. Again.
corn being scmi-tropical plant. should be en-
couraged to grow rapidly to insure maturity
| more especially in high ATTITUDES where the
season is short. Again, it is always best to pro-
| cure seed as far north corn will mature. 1t
is well demonstrated fact that northern grown
corn that is fully matured is best for seed pur-
| poses. Corn can be taken from north to south
| any distance for seed purposes, and will be fol-
| lowed with good results. On the other hand,
| planting southern grown corn in northern lati-
| tudes Is always followed by failure. Again,
northern grown corn being richer in Oil will
| produce stronger, more vigorous aud hardy
| plant. The loss to Iowa alone in the year 1882
and 1888 was millions of dollars by planting
| southern or Nebraska seed. Again, late and
| large southern corn has a tendency to grow
| large, barren stalks when planted i'll higher
| ATTITUDES. Indeed, all large varieties of corn
| have a characteristic of growing barren stalks
| and those that are not barren grow small ear
| very high up on the stalk; on the other hand,
| corn of northern origin and growth has a char
| acteriStic of growing short stOcky stalk, with
producing at least one good ear. All intelligent
| farmers will agree with HE when l say large
| barren stalks are not profitable they impover
| ish the soil without giving any return. The
| writer has spent many years III experimenting
| and growing corn in small way, and he finds
| the only way to improve corn is by selection
and cultivation. Always bear in mind not to
! plant poor seed Plant none but good seed :;
/ plant at the proper time; plant no more than
can be properly cultivated, and you will be both
| pleased and benefited by the result.-A. l..
GODDARD, Fort Atkinson, Iowa
| LEAVES FOR FERTILIzING.
Very few farmers are fully aware of the
| value of forest leaves as Il fertilizing element
| and also as substitute for straw as bedding
| In localities where leaves can be obtained the
| thrifty farmer should not fail to avail himself
trft a,,nr Ia Of = I,n
NeW England Farmer gives very good exposi-
ton of the subject as follows:
"irhe special value of leaves for fertilizing
purposes lies in the fact that they combine in
| themselves all the mineral constituents of plants
in proper proportion. Through the laws of
| adaptation they nourish growing plants with
out the disadvantages arising from an excess or
deficiency of one more ingredients. Every
particle that is found in leaf is capable, when
decayed, of entering into new combinations and
again arising into a tree for the purpose of con-
trbuting to the production of more leaves and
flowers and fruit. 1t is patent that the less we
rob the soil of the perishing members of vege-
tation which furnish the means of annually
renewing its fertility the better it will be for
future growths.
Leaves contain the carbon, or humus, to-
gether with the alkaline substances essential
| to the support of growing plants. When dry
they are said to contain about six pounds of in
organic malter, suitable Tor pianU ioou IN every
| 100 pounds. This is inclosed in vegetable
tissue, which rapidly decays and during de-
composition various gases are evolved which
| further supply the want OF growing plants.
! All other manures are more expensive. Leaves
cost only the gathering, usually a light and
| pleasant work. They constitute a perfectly
safe manure They may be applied to plants,
or when decomposed may be brought into con-
tact with seeds without any danger of injury.
! Applied to the roots of trees or growing plants
i'll the form Of mulch, leaves are valuable in
preventing the rapid evaporation of the moist
ure in the soil, holding it in reserve for the
use of trees or plants, while by their slow de-
cay they are constantly supplying their fertil-
| izing elements.
"The greatest value of leaves is probably
| found in their use and mechanical influence
when incorporated with tenacious or stiff, clayey
Soils in rendering them porous, holding them
| open to the air and the showers, keeping them
| in more fitting statefor the free admission OF
moisture to the roots of the plants, as vol as
to the general promotion of various crops. In
| Scotland leaves are allowed three or four years
| to perfectly decompose, occasionally being
| turned. Here this wonld be regarded as i'm