Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-05-09
PLANT CORN
a seRSSnnbIe and CORNERSTONE Article
from the Maine Fnrmer.

seRssnnbIe and CORNERSTONE ArIicI,
from the Maine Fnrmer.
There is no staple crop connected witt
our farming that contributes more to tn,
thrift and the prosperity of the farmer
than does the corn crop. See a field o.
good corn growing on farm, anywhere
and you will always find good farmer t.
90 with it,
l. 1t is one of the most valuable crops
to the acre, known to the farm. There il
grain and fodder both to it, and both are
needed for the stock 1t carries with il
the necessity of keeping stock on the farm
and furnishes the needed material to feed
it with. The more corn raised the more
the stock that can be kept, and the more
stock kept the more the corn that can be
grown. Good, bright New England corn
is good grain feed for any kind of stock
fed for any purpose. There is always room
for it and it is always needed.
). 1t is not a costly crop. The labor in
voyed in its production is comparatively
light under the later and better methods in
practice, and the principal part of what is
called for is team work, which costs but
little. 1t is not gross feeder on the ele-
ments of fertility. On a good corn soil,
paying crops may he produced without
heavy manuriug. While the crop responds
literally to liberal applications of manure,
yet this is not a necessity Experience has
shown till it is a fact unquestioned that
nitrogen, the most costly element of all
manures, is not needed in liberal applica
ton for the production of good crops of
clrn Not being a gross feeder on the SOIL
the land ON which it is grown is left in
good condition for the following crops as
all farmers know who have grown it,
Good fields of corn mean fields of good
grain and grass to follow.
,. The cost per acre of the crop in labor
of men and teams will of necessity vary
with the soil, whether it be light or heavy
and with the location on account of cart
ing. Aside from carting manure, it should
not and need not exceed the following fig.
ures
Narrowing ........................... ! 90
Planting ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ... so
Cultivating Observation-Disclosures. ] 50
Hoeng o.. Observation-Disclosures. 90 to . 90
Cutting Observation-Disclosures. ..... 80 to 2 90
Husking, cts. basket .............. ) ~ to 90
Total Observation-Disclosures lI 20 to S15 50
Add fertilizer 25O lbs, $3.50, and we
have the total outlay to the acre, aside
from the application of the barn manure
Sl5 20 to $4,000 1t has been learned that
the fodder contains as much nutritive ma
terial or in other words, stock food, as the
grain itself. As carefully harvested and
judiciously fed as the corn, it should be
worth as much to the farmer This has
been found in practice to be the case, hence
the much greater appreciation of the crop
than formerly, as a stock fodder. If, then,
the grain is worth the present market val
ne, fifty cents a bushel, to feed on the farm,
and no one will question it, fifty bushel
acre would be worth $50, and the fodder
the same. There is room for a large dis
count in the value of the fodder, and still
it will pay all, or nearly all the labor cost
of the crop entire. This is fair repre-
sentation of the Importance of the corn
crop to the farm.
a. Inc area OF the crop should be eX
tended, Under a short supply of manure
this can be done on a good corn soil by
spreading the barn manure over more
acres and experimenting with some form of
commercial fertilizers. This has proved a
good practice at the hands of many farm
ers. The crop fed out to stock on the farm,
and the manure carefully husbanded, the
supply for broader fields the next year is
easily accounted for. The only limit to the
extent that this may be carried on is the
pleasure of the operator. Because two or
four acres has been the regulation breadth
in corn on the farm in the past is no rea-
son it should be confined to that limit indef-
initely. We want to strike out for more.
The way is clear, all that is wanting is to
20 and do it. Farmers need more corn in
their feeding than formerly They can
raise it if they will. Less acres in their
grass and more acres in corn will give more
stock on the farm and leave more money
in the hands of the operator Then plant
corn-sweet corn where that is best, and if
not, then yellow corn.