St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-04-28
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL,
Planting Corn.

Planting Corn.
1t Is to be presumed most farmers
have made their allotments Of fields to
be planted in corn this season. and
arc only awaiting the arrival Of tho
time to plant When IL tho time to
plant? Some wait for certain buds to
'swell. certain trees to blossom. or
for a warm. dry spell after . certain
day. 1t Is claimed that the early.
planted makes the heavier corn. and
The most certain crop The early
planted fields will como into silk and
iassel earlier than tho late planted
but not much earlier. especially il the
early planted encounters bad weather.
On the whole. We think the best rule
10 to plant when the ground d dry
enough to pillow well. and at the date
which past experience shows 70 have
generally given best resultA Tom.
pera,ure Of the cir or ground need
not be considered. Corn that il
PLANTED on . day when the ground
as frozen In the morning will be q
apt to do well IS if the day were a
balmy as May. 1t is the character Of
the weather that prevails during the
second and third week after planting
the seed. which determines the sand
and the vigor of the young planta
Corn requires from ten days to two
weeks to come up when planted in
The spring; and it il a matter OF little
moment whether the ground is warm
or no on the very day Of planting.
II tho period Of the year has arrived
when We may reasonably expect a
suitable temperature for termination
within the next four or Eve days or a
week. and the ground is not too wet
to pillow. lot the:seed be planted. It b
probable that the weather will be bet.
ter in the next two weeks when It b
bad- at any given date. and the eco.
ond week is the more important Of
the two
We do not believe In water.furrow
planting early in the spring. however
advisable later on. The planting often
can not be done 30 early on account
OF the soggy condition of the sub-soil
(water furrow). and the heavy spring
rains are more damaging to . young
crop in the water.furrow, besides other
reasons. We prefer breaking the land
into fiat beds with q deep open water
furrow between planting in . deep
turrow opened along the middle of the
bed and covering shallow. This gives
better drainage. a richer surrounding
soil and greater immunity from dam
age by the frequent heavy rains of
spring.
1t 10 surprising that farmers so often
overcrowd the land with plants in the
face of experience. o. land that will
make ten 10 twenty bushels per acre
with average seasons. an allowance Of
eighteen to tweuty-one square feet to
each stalk is not too much. This will
permit of greater concentration Of
manure to the hill. and consequent
better development of individual
stalks and ears Allowing one hum
bred stalks for each bushel of corn the
land is expec ed to yield. we have the
following calculations: Planted AKA
feet there would be 2.722 plants per
acre; yield "a bushels. Planted 4&x4&,
or AS. would give 217S plants;
yield 21.78 bushels. Planted 4x6
1872 plants yield 1912 BUSH
els The celebrated David Dickson
gave 7xS3 feet on uplsnds capable OF
producing Is bushels. Not an acre
should be planted in corn that will not
# itself or with the manure available,
yield at least ten or twelve bushels of
corn-twenty would be better rule.
The most giaring Of all our mistakes
is the continued annual cultivation of
acres. the yield of which with the
most favorable seasons will not pay
expenses. Multiply the number Of
such acres until half the whole area
i'm cultivation is embraced. until half
Of State il included. and is it any
wonder that such farmers arc in a de-
pressed c0nditionP-Souehsrn Cultiva-
Tor