The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-04-05
PLANTING CORN.
THE GREAT CEREAL CROP OF
THE COUNTRY.

Like a Mighty Tidal Wave the
Work Of Depositing the Flinty
Grains in the Soil is Rolling
Northward From the Atlantic
to the Rio Grande, From the
Gulf States to Canada.
r. j. Redding in Atlanta Constitution.
In the Southern half Of the cotton
region, the time is at hand for this
work. For a week or two past the
tramp of the corn dropper has been
heard in the land, commencing on the
gulf cost, and for two months to come,
the work of planting the great cereal
crop of the country will roll Northward
like mighty wave, extending from
the South Atlantic to the Rio Grande,
ever widening as it progresses towards
the Northern boundaries Of this great
country. In view OF the fact that in
every section the farmers seek to plant
this crop as early in spring as posi-
BILE, it is a remarkable illustration of
the great extent of our territory even
in its shortest dimension. The work
of planting commences early in Feb
ruary in the southern part of Florida;
before the short month has closed the
wave has struck the southern parts
of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana and Texas. During the
month of March it is advancing in a
constantly widening front, over the
greater part of these States, and in
cluding South Carolina and part of
the Old North State. Owning to diff
ferences in elevation the line advan-
ces more rapidly up the Mississippi
valley, while it wavers and almost
halts as it enters the southern Pied
mont region of the Carolinas and
Georgia. In April the center of the
wave advances far up the great river
and swings Eastward up the valley of
the Ohio, and Westward up the Mis-
souri,. Early in May the great wave
of golden seed corn breaks on the
belated regions of Canada and Mani
toba, where the people know nothing
Of springtime, but step from winter
into summer and from summer into
winter again. Three mcnths-one
fourth of years the time occupied
in painting the corn crop ofthe United
States!
But when is the right time to plant
corn-the best time-in any given
locality! Some farmers are governed
somewhat by signs OF birds, opening
flowers and the moon. A common
notion is that the ground must have
become warm before putting seed corn
into the soil. Some watch for the
dogwood blossoms, etc. But the best
rule, according to observation and ex-
perience, is to plant when the date
arrives which past experience tells US is
the best time-provided, only, that
the ground is not too wet. 1t makes
no difference how cold it may be
never mind the cold if the ground is
dry enough to work properly, and it
is the right date. You drop seed of
corn into the ground to-day; it may
be dry enough and warm enough to
bring it up" in week or ten days; !;
but there is no guaranty that it will
not be freezing and showing in less
than a week. No man, not even the
weather bureau man, can foretell the
weather three days ahead. So, then,
it may be lovely warm day early in
March when you commence to plant
a regular May day, perhaps-and in
three or four days you may have floods
OF rain, followed by freeze. On the
other hand, at the same date it may
be raw, chilly day, the ground frozen
in the morning, and yet in few days
the weather become balmy and warm,
and so continue until the corn is up.
1t requires about two weeks, under
favorable conditions, for corn to
"come up" when planted in early
spring, and we all know that all sorts
of weather may occur in two weeks.
Our opinion is that it is better to have
"good time for the corn to come
up than a good time to plant it, SO
far as temperature is concerned. So
the best rule is to plant at the set time,
approved by past experience, whether
it be a cold day or a warm day,
whether there be signs Of spring or
none. We do not see any certain ad-
vantage i'll planting in the "water-
furrow' but think it is opposed to
we'll settled principles. Rather than
plant in the cold, wet, poor subsoll
we would greatly prefer planting on
the bed lying between. We have tried
both plans, and never found any ad-
vantage in water furrow planting, ex
cep,ing, possibly when planting very
late field of corn, as after small grain
Distance is an important consideration
1t is much safer to give more distance
than absolutely necessary than to give
too little. OF course every farmer
understands that the stronger the land
and the deeper and more thorough h th'
preparation, the closet the corn may
be planted. In our experience W.
have found AKA feet, or 5x3, give
plenty of stalks to make IS to 5:
bushels of shelled corn per acre. 81,
.. by four is a convenient distance OIL
thin land, where it is desired to plan
, row of peas in the middle of a sec
! ond. plowing. On better land tn
hills may be 81 or 3 feet, the wldI
:. remaining the same. But when pea
. are not to be planted in rows betwee
= the corn rows, il is better to have tn
corn more nearly on square, even
to be plowed but one way.
Plenty of sound seed is very lmpo
tant, in view of the increasing depr'
y datons Of the bill bug. Four gram
u in place will generally secure goo