Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-24
A Chapter on Corn
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A Chapter on Corn.
Rural New Yorker.
This grain is SO widely cultivated in
the United States, and adapts Itself to so
great variety of soil and conditions,
shat 10 specific rules for cEltiyating or
handling the crop can be laid down, that
will be applicable to all the varied circum-
STAGES of its growth. Southern corn and
Northern corn, or dent or flint, as they
are sometimes called, require quite differ
ent treatment. The method OF raising
corn in Kentucky would not do at all for
Michigan, so that il is difficult, as l have
before said, to formulate a method for
universal practice. Yet there are some
principles, that have wide range of ap-
plication, Which I wish TO refer TO. I be-
lieve the crop is quite frequently in
jured by the use of too much seed at
planting time. It is probable that rs per
cent. of the ground that will be planted
this coming season is not in so good con
dition, regarding fertility, as the owners
could desire, or perhaps not so good as
some other fields on the farm; yet how
many farmers vary the amount OF seed
to sQit the strength Of the soil. No farm
er who has only sufficient fodder for two
to the manger, and expect all to thrive
and furnish full supply Of milk. But
this is just what he does who plants three
kernels to the hill when two are all the
soil can efficiently nourish to bring into
maturity both stalk and ear. It takes a
part Of the ration to rep!enish the waste
of animal life and make the natural
growth. If there is only sufficient food
MI ( Ea ho IL
supply, which is supposed to be the
primal Office of the COW, is greatly rcduc-
ed, because the third animal eats what
should have been divided among the two.
So the third kernel, in q moderately fer
tile soil, robs in its growth what should
have belonged to the two, to perfect both
stalk and ear. We do not plant corn for
fodder; yet farmers will be found re-
planting what they cali thin corn, because
they think they can as well grow some
fodder where the hills are missing. This
is great mistake. Half stand will
bring more corn, of better quality, than
will be got by repIanting. The butt stalks
seldom ear well, and they certainly drew
from the soil what ought to and would
otherwise go to produce large sound ears.
A quantity of nub0ins always reduces the
value of a crop, for many of the kernels
are immature and light, and the cost of
hUsking is about doubled. Those who
replant, or plant two many kernels in the
hill, will grow a crop Of nubhins as GER
tainly as a surplus OF seed IN q potato
hill viii grow small potatoes.
The amount of seed to the hill should
be regulated somewhat by the distance be-
tween the rows. -Four and one-half fees,
with three kernels, are nearly equivalent
to two kernals at feet inches a part. I
prefer the latter distance and number of
kernels. There are quite a good many
reasons why prefer this distance to any
other. In the first place, it divides the
acre into exact lines and spaces, CORES
ponding to the divisions OF the modern
survey. Stakes are run out into parallel
lines, or sections. mile apart, and these
section lines cross each other at right
angles, making a square section, mile
on each side. This square makes four
square farms half q mile each way. When
these farms are properly and naturally
divided into fields again, they will be
either so or 40 rods in length or width.
A field 80 rods long and 40 rods wide is
my ideal. Now, when such field is mark
ed out for corn at feet s inches apart
between the rows, nine rows the long way
or eighteen rows the short way will make
exactly an acre. II the hired man has
cultivated seventy-two rows the short
way or thirty-six the long way, you know
he has gone over four acres when ne
comes TO dinner. IF the corn is cut up
nine hills square, forty shocks anywhere
in the field would make just one acre, and
four shocks pulled togethe- and husked
in different parts OF the field and meas
nred or weighed will give one-tenth the
product of corn per acre. There Is 40
guess-work, everything is mapped out,
and every days progress can be read.
Nor is this all the advantage. Every far
mer who makes any pretensiOu to ac-
curaoy in his methods knows how i'm
possible this latter task is when corn is
planted so wide that the furrow slices
will not take it all up between the rows,
or Sc narrow that the plOwman must scant
each furrow to gauge them properly. At
the distance apart which | practice and
recommend, three burrows will take all
between the rows naturally, with no IN
due effort either way, and there is no
necessity or excuse for crossing the row
in blowing. No corn field is properly
pre- pared for crop unless the rows are
straight each way. l find my men take
more delight and interest in their work
when there is some exactness required
of them, and they see that they are doing
work properly, after some regular plan.
Working corn is practired very differ
emily in different States, and we must as
sumo that there is reason for method,
especially when it Is generally adopted so
that the question of cultivation will soon
er reach uniformity.