The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-06-02
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUB.
A Talk About Corn.

The Deer Creek Farmers Club met at the
farm of Mr. William ID. Lee, near Thomas Run,
last Saturday, and talked about Corn. There
were present ID. c. Wharton Smith, President,
Il. Harris Archer, Thomas Lochary, John
Moores John b. WysOng. Robert +. Hanna,
james w. Hanna, Edward P. Moores, James
+. Kenly, James Lee, Harry Wilson, s. NJ. Lee
and f. w. Baker.
VIM. d. Lee considered corn the noblest and
most useful of farm products and indispensa-
BILE for feeding stock. Even in this section,
favorable us it is for the corn crop, not as much
is grown per acre as might be produced if it
were more carefully planted and worked. His
plan is to put all the home made manure on
sod field year before he intends to pillow it for
corn. Plows during the last month of winter
or early in March, putting the ground in thor
ough condition for the seed. Plants from the
LIST to the 10th of May. 1t is important to get
Il good stand, and his experience is that replant-
ing is of little value. If much is missing he
would plant the entire field over. 1t should be
worked four or five times. Elephants both yell
low and white corn but gets larger yield per
acre from the white. The yellow, ripening be-
ed in proper condition. He does not use COM
mercial fertilizers on corn, unless the ground
is poor, and in that case would apply it in the
row. On hilly land it is not Well to apply ferti-
liZers broadcast.
Harry Wilson's plan is to checker the ground
for corr 31a feet each way, apply in the hill
fertilizer mada of hen manure, ashes, bone,
plaster and rich earth. He had observed that
when he uses ashes he is not troubled with
wire worms or ants. Corn that is checkered
drilled, and there is less short corn but not
much fodder. He had seen % barrels to the
acre raised by checkering.
Robert +. Hanna had from IL to 10 barrels
to the acre, last year, from drilled corn. The
fodder was very large. He used IL compost of
hen manure, ashes, &c, sowed along the row.
He prefers to manure corn field year or two
ahead. He generally checkers his corn, and
can raise from IL to 10 barrels per acre, in this
way, on good land. The advantage OF checker
ing is that it can be worked both ways. On
rich land more can be raised by drilling it in.
X. Harris Archer remarked that the people
of Hartford are fortunate in living in the corn
belt where more corn can be raised to the acre
than anywhere else i'll the world. Therefore
great attention should be paid to this crop and
if the same care were used us in Lancaster
county, Pa, the yield would probably be one
third greater than it is: He doubted, however,
whether it pays to raise enormous yields, on
account of the increased attention and ferti-
lizers required. He believes in early planting.
No one can tell by looking at seed corn whetn-
er it will terminate or not.
Edward Z. MoOreS preferred drilling to any
other method of planting corn. 1t is very
necessary to prepare the ground well and 1t
should be planted at any time from the 9th TO
the 25th of May. If the field needs much re,
planting would drill 1t all over. He would drill
in some fertilizer with the corn drill.
John b. Wysong said that to have first; class
corn crop it should be planted on good clover
sod. On ordinary land he prefers to checker it,
because the number of stalks to the acre can
be better regulated ana hand labor is saved in
working it. 1t is better to put barn yard and
stable manure u year or two ahead on sod in
tended for corn, reserying commercial ferti-
liZers for wheat. He had experienced no diff
Guilty in getting his corn to come up, and ut
tributes it to the fact that his seed corn is care
iully selected and shelled by hand. There is
more advantage in careful selection of ears
than in changing the seed. By careful selec-
ton cor will improve year by year. Corn
planted the last of April can be replanted, but
replants in fields planted after the 18th of May
do but little good. He plants white corn ell
tirely. 1t is mistake to cut corn too early.
II cut when ripe and allowed to cure properly
the seed will be good.
james +. Kenly.-Corn is the greatest crop
product we have as no other crop yields us
much food to the acre. He had heard it said
that the fodder from one acre of corn with Il
little straw will winter one steer. The same
can not be said of any other crop. An old sod
that has been covered with manure the pre-
viOuS year is almost certain to bring crop of
corn. He prefers drilling but there is great ad-
vantage in working Gheckered corn. 1t pays
to put on little quick, active fertilizer, to Civ
the corn u start and get it out Of the way of
insects. Two hundred pounds to The acre is
enough. He prefers to drill it in hills, 81 inches
CORN wn,,ld do better If " evenlY diStrbited
along the rows, but it is difficult 10 get it thin
ned out properly. More white corn than yell
low can be produced to the acre but he did not
believe yellow is stronger than white. He
would not advise early planting. 1t is import
ant to get the ground clean and well worked
before the corn is planted. 1t saves much SUBJ
sequent labor. Corn ought to be worked us
soon US it comes up. while the weeds are small
and can be easily destroyed. Corn should be
When the husk begins to look dry is the proper
time. 1t then makes the best fodder and does
not break up as when cut green. Some people
think the grains on both ends should be dis
carded i'm selecting seed corn, but he plants all.
In Smelling by hand ears supposed to be imper-
feet may be thrown aside. He examines the
ends of the cobs carefully before shelling for
seed.
John Moores said he had noticed that farmers
who feed a good deal of corn raise good crops
and those who feed little raise Door crops.
Commercial fertilizers won't raise coed crops
but are valuable in hurryng the crop and get
ting 1t out of the reach of its enemies. If the
ground is poor and the weather cold the corn
is delayed III coming up and is preyed upon by
insects. If he had good red or graystone land
he would Use bone, but on heavy clay he would
use phosphate. Corn ground should be prepar-
ed early and then allowed to rest white until
the weed seeds have gcrninated and ready
to come up. 1t should then be worked thor
oughly, by which means many of the weeds are
killed, especially if the weather be dry. On
rich land he would drill in the crop but if the
land were thin and not hilly, would checker it.
He had been most successful with white corn,
because he had better variety than of yellow.
White corn appears to be particularly ada pied
to this climate and latitude. The corn crop
seldom fails here. If planted too thick on poor
land it suffers from drought. Corn should lie
fed at home and is the cheapest feed we have.
He selects seed corn in the fall, throwing the
best ears in space in the granary reserved for
them, and never has any failure in the seed
com ng up. He always shells off the lit tie e.id.
Thomas Lochary plants white corn, and
finds that the per centage of yield is larger if
planted from the 10th to the 18th of May than
during the last of April If corn were worked
regularly from the tine it is inches high until
it is in tassel the yield would be greater The,
hoe and cultivator are not enough used. 1t
should be worked every 10 days. Corn fodder
is worth nearly as much per acre for feed as
timothy hay. 1t ought to be put i'll the barn
or stack us soon as possible.
James Lee remarked that he had never had
SO poor stand of corn, and had never used 50
much care in selecting the seed. 1t was dried
thoroughly in the house and kept through the
winter in the garnet. Part of it he had drilled
over. The wire-wOrm had attacked it and the
crows had pulled it up. 1t was planted the last
of April on sod . or years old. Heavy rains
came on afterwards and the ground got hard
over it. He uses wheat drill for the fertilizer,
when he applies the latter, drilling broadcast,
and harrows the ground i'll the opposite direc-
ton from which he drills the corn
S. NJ. Lee would prefer for corn ground that
had been two or three years in sod. Would
pillow in November, finishing in February or
early i'm March. Would not use much CONNER
cial fertilizer but dress the sod with home
made manure the year before it is plowcd His
time of planting is as soon as the ground Is dry
enough after the 18th of April. After prepar-
ing the ground thoroughly he would run a
.lr..u l,k. All.