The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-05-28
FARMER AND PLANTER.
RAISING CORN.
The Requisites Necessary to Make Sue
cessf1l Corn CrOp,


cessful Corn Crop.
It has been aptly said the successful
education of a child must commence
when his parents are children So the
preparation of the corn crop should
have been commenced years and years
ago to bring the land up to its greatest
productiveness; judicious rotation and
fertilizing, but as much can be done
with the child's education, however
neglected, in few years, so the soil
in poor condition can be wonderfully
benefited by rotation.
We will suppose we have a field of
clover to put in corn. Commence plow-
ing in the fall in time to get done be-
fore frost. Comm ence in the center of
the field and turn the land in, and the
field is finished without track on the
land. Turn just deep enough to show
an inch of clay on top of soil. There
is nothing now to do to that field but
lock the gate until the goth of March.
When the ground is dry harrow thor
oughly, to fine the top and kill young
growth; then lay off feet and sinches,
planting Is inches in drill. Two grains
may be dropped and one stalk taken
out by the middle of May.
There are number of planters that
work admirably. The harrow should
be run over the corn about the time it
comes up, and twice more until it gets
as long as lead pencil, then it should
be plowed with cultivators or double
shovels about three times-avoid throw
ing much hill to the corn. My obser-
walton, if not my practice, is in favor of
shallow and level culture and early lay
ing by. / well remember running twenty
acres of fine corn in my early farming.
had it nice and clean, but thought it
needed to be hilled up; so about 18th
of June l took long plows and threw
up ridge to my corn; there came a
drought and my less Industrious, but
wiser neighbor raised fine field of corn
while mine was ruined by my last plow-
ing The feet inches is for land full
of humus and moderately productive.
For poor or thin land the rows should
be wide and the corn thin in drill. I
well remember seeing piece of very
poor land planted to cotton, it was so
poor it did not bring up stand of cot
ton. The owner in May, with feeble
hope of getting something out of the
land, planted every other row in corn.
This made the rows some six or
seven feet. He gave it only a light
cultivation. The result astonished
everyone who saw.it; the corn was fine.
No sucker should be allowed to tassle
in the corn field. Nothing can degener-
ate corn so quickly as to be fortified by
pollen from suckers. We should make
war on the suckers. No man in this
land of grass and clover should for a
moment think of pulling fodder. Corn
fodder or cut corn is a failure in the
south. 1t rots with our hot, damp
climate, and we have hay that is much
better and cheaper No pasturing
should be allowed in the corn field. The
late Mr.. Hays, of Big Creek, whose
farm was marvel of productiveness,
claimed he owed it largely to prohibit
ing pasturage. No hoof ever tramped
fertility from soil and ate up the vege-
table matter. Our corn crop was largely
rotten the past year, reducing its value
one-half on many farms. The remedy
lies in two directions; one is to not plant
corn after corn, the other is to plant
hard corn after the Holman type.
which is comparatively free from
rot. There are a thousand other
things not touched on relative to
corn that can not attempt in this
essay; that is too long already, and
in which have made plain that corn is
not my hobby. I only wish the task
had fallen to some one more able to do
it justice. This essay demonstrates how
wise men can err in their selection.
| end like / commenced by declaring
no subject can be of more vital impor-
tance than "How to raise the maxi
mum corn crop" Did 1 know how and
could teach others would be a greater
benefactor than George Washington.
Who will unite the Gordian knot?
can not.-Extract from address by J.H.
Burrows before the Tennessee Farmers,
Association.
"RUN DOWN HOGS"