The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-06-09
AGRICULTURAL.
Caring for Corn by Machinery.

corn Is coming 10 pc Cne mOsI I'M
portant crop of eastern farmers and
calls for the most improved modern
methods in its culture. No man here
in the East can afford to plant corn by
hand, much less to hoe by hand in the
way. But the cutting is
the worst part of the business. 1t is
no small job to cut a large field of corn
by hand. We propose to discuss in
this article some of the most improved
methods of corn culture, And first, as
to the preparation of the ground. We
think few farmers who own and use
the modern harrows fail in this. Now
that spring tooth harrows are so
common, most men who own them
make good use of them, and give their
corn ground good preparation. If en-
silage corn is grown, the fields should
be as near the barn as possible. Green
corn is very heavy, and it does not pay
to draw it very far. Some men keep
the fields near the barns for corn, put
ting the manure on to them, and grow
grass on the land farther back. The
land needs to be left smooth for plant
ing, and must be we'll fortified to make
corn growing pay.
Now as to corn planters, those who are
familiar with the kinds commonly used
in Vermont know that the most COM
mon form of planter has plow in front,
and wheel behind. We were in the
market this spring for a planter, and
this is what we did: We first sent to all
the makers who advertise in the lead
ing farm papers, and got their circulars.
We found great difference in styles
and prices, the latter ranging from S11
to $50. The $50 machine was one we
had never heard of before, made by the
Eureka Mower Company, Utica, N. Y.
Thirty dollars seemed like good deal
of money to put into corn planter,
but we have learned that it is always
best to get good thing, one that just
suits, than to get thing that you do
not like because it costs much less. So
we bought the Eureka and this is what
we found it to be: two row machine,
running on three wheels, one in front
and two behind, which cover the corn
and press the earth down over the corn.
The corn is dropped into narrow slit
cut in the ground by narrow steel
share with two wings which throw
stones and trash away from the corn.
BY very simple device, rachel lever
perfectly and quickly controls the depth
of planting. Thus the draft is so re-
duced that horse can plant two rows
with this machine as easily he can plant
one with the older style. This is a
great gain in time and saving of labor.
In this and every other respect the
machine is the most up to date planter
we have found. The seed can be
dropped in hills or drills at such dis
tances apart as may be desired, and
the amount is regulated by very SIM
pie device. One great defect in plant
ersk has. been the inadequate control of
the fertilizer, or where this was Sc
cured, an inconvenient fertilizer hop
per was the result. This planter both
controls the outflow of the fertilizer,
and is as convenient to pour the fer
tilizer into as half bushel would be.
A simple device close to the right hand
stops the dropping of the corn at any
desired point, while by moving lever
the machine can be quickly thrown out
of or into gear. A marker goes with it
and it is thoroughly and strongly made.
The weeder and horse hoe solve the
cultivating problem, and brings us to
the time of harvesting. 1t is no small
job to cut up large field of corn by
hand. The corn harvesters do not give
as good satisfaction as it was hoped
they would. They are heavy, the draft
is great, and they dig up soft ground, if
they can be used in it at all. 1t has
been quite problem with us how to
get around this difficulty. But we have
about twenty-five acres of grain to cut,
in addition TO fifteen or twenty of corn,
and this we found could all be cut
by one machine. So we have pur-
chased an Adriance Binder with Corn
Harvesting Attachment. This ma
chine we expect will cut and bind our
grain and also cut and bind the corn as
well or better than a corn harvester.
OF course this remains to be proved
but from what We know of the Adri-
ance Buckeye machines, we expect
that we shall be suited with the har-
yester both in corn and grain.
There remains the ensilage cutter,
and of this we are not prepared to
speak definitely at present. We are
going to investigate powers and cutters
and hope to be able to report later. We
think it waste of money to buy west
ern corn, and advise all eastern farm
ers to grow their own corn.