The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-05-08
WHOLE NO. 1878.
Result Of Sailing a CornfieId.

Result Of Sailing a CornfieId.
The writer lass r,iise.i one OF the best
crops Of corn in his half century Of farm
log the past season, although it has not
been what farmers call a good corn year
The piece Of land vas one on which set
out an orchard nearly forty veSrs ago
which grew finely and bore fine fruit for
many years. when blight came over this
section that DESTROYED il. with many large
fine young orchards. Thinking that. If
the dead trees were replaced by the more
hardy varieties, the orchard would still
be kept in its hest state Of vigorous pro-
dGcticH, il was reset mostly with the
northern Spy, but that sort s0on sac
eumbed 70 the destroyer, 80 that the or
ehard once 50 promising was nearly de-
spoiled and the trees as they died out
were dug up. The past year it was used
as field for corr There were few
scattering trees on the six acres. the
thrifty ones being left for their fruit
amsag them the Yellow Belidower was
the hardest and has borne the past sea
son some very fine fruit.
The first thing done Was the manuring
drawn from the barn yard and spread as
drawn, about twenty loads to the acre,
which was all narrowed down smooth
before the ground was plowed While
plowing, the white grub was discovered
in great Numbers. Fearing that they
would be troublesome, one barrel Of salt
was purchased and sown broadcast on
each acre, using six barrels on the plot,
making the ground look white; this was
about a week before planting and the
ground was then dragged number Of
times, and although an old sod it was as
mellow as a fallow usually is The corn
was planted soon after the middle Of May
and came up finely and the last Of May,
and from that time TIL It was too large to
cultivate, the horse cultivstor was kept
going-the first time as soon as the rows
could be seen, AMI after the first time
over two horses and cuitivators were sent
through the field twicea week, once each
way, the plot being planted in squares 50
that It could be cultivated both WAYS.
From the time the land was plowed in
the spring until laid by for having and
harvesting it was kept clean and uiellow
by horse cultivation
Had there been no apple trees on tine
piece, there would have been no cause for
sorting the corn at all, as it was all 50
hard and sound that IT would have dried
out nicely in the crib, had We desired to
have it 50. There was no show Of grubs
or cut worms. Whether the salt was a
preventive or not. we cannot say; we
know that at blowing time the soil
seemed to be full Of grubs also We know
they have done Us great injury in years
past by cutting Of the roots Of growing
crops One thing Is clear-the crop was
a good one. The manure used was GOOD.
as We fed tons Of shor.s, oilmeal. and
corn and oats ground, to our stock to pro-
duee it. The salt was common barrel
salt, as used for ordinary farm stock, cost
ing 50 cents per barrel in Rome. There
should have been a strip LEFT through the
place, to see If there was any difference
on the salted or unsalted plots. but we
did not want to give the grubs any
chance. Where to give full credit is what
we cannot now determine; all combined
manure, salt, and cnltiva,ion-have
been successful.
Some other farmers have tried salt
one a field Of corn, where grubs and cut
worms had heretofore done him great
damage. This year it has proved a sue
cess, or at least the crop OF corn has been
fairly successful his manure, as well as
his cultivation has not been as good as
the writer's neither was his crop Of corn
as good, but better perhaps than the av-
erage in this vicinity Others have
used salt on their plots Of potatoes with
decided success, As they think. not only
in quantity, but IN smoothness and quail
" lt seems 70 DE- an established fact
that salt on s1me soils. and in some sea-
sons = Of real benefit 10 many crops; in
ather soils there does not seem to be any
benefit by its use. The crop Of corn cul-
tivated By the writer the past year, was
cultivated on the level culture plan-no
hiliing done for the past twenty-five years
on his farm 70 the corn crop, although
others claim TO have originated that
method Of cultivation fifteen years ago.
The writer had then prlcticed it for ten
years Who originated shat mode ofcul-
ture | do not know. I know what l
have done and an satisfied with that
method for corn cUlture.-J. TALcorr,
Country GcHil7aGl