Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-07-05
FARM AND GARDEN.
The Culture of Indian Corn.

There is no subject that is ripper for
attention by the thinking farmer of New
England than that pertaining to this i'm
perial agricultural plant OF America.
The raising of this crop is particularly
important to our agriculture because
under the present system of farming we
are obliged to bring into our section
such large quantities each year from the
west. 1t is all right to benefit one Sec
ton if 1t is not at the expense Of another
but under our present system our own
agriculture is not benefited.
Ours is dairy section and the chief
value of corn for feeding the dairy COW
is in the form of silage. Yet we have
unconscously changed this true way and
feed our dairy cattle, instead of silage,
which is cheaply grown in New England
and an economical food, corn meal,
which is not economical. Could we i'm.
port to our section corn silage, we might
be doing that instead Of bringing in the
corn meal though it were not advisable.
The fault lies with us in that we are not
growing corn for home consumption.
We should grow all we need and should
but instead of grain 1t should be in the
form of silage.
One of the sad features of our New
England agriculture today lies in the de-
pleted condition of our soils. We have
relegated corn culture as secondary to
all other practices of our agriculture.
This for one reason explains the ex-
hausted condition of our soils. When
we discontinued the growing of corn we
gave up tillage, and tillage is the first
factor in soil Improvement. Diligent
tillage and cultivation mean absolute
fertility. Let corn culture be taken up
again in our systems of farming, first !;
because it furnishes the basis of profitable
dairy husbandry, and secondly; because
it means soil Improvement. We will as
sumo our primary position for discussing
the underlying principles that have to do
with corn culture in the consideration Of
the modern methods that are practical to
produce the best results.
If a tomato is put in can and care
fully sealed, so as to keep out the air, it
will be preserved for long time. If on
the other hand the lid of the can be
loosened or punctured, so as to admit the
air, decay and decomposition at once
take place. In the same way are our
corn lands. A compact, tight soil, in
frequently plowed, which means but
little access of air, prevents decay and
decomposition of the soil particles. But
stir up the soil so as to allow easy access
of air, and decay and decomposition will
nhor hn ci mil o. ad MI q m
a condition for the plants to use it.
We see then that plant food exists
in the soil in two forms, available and
unavailable. we have plowed our New
England soils so little they have become
in way hard, dead and lifeless simply
because there is so little circulation of
of air to change the unavailable plant
food to an available form. Our soils, as
rule, contain large quantities Of plant
food, but it is principally in the I'M
available form which will be released
only by frequent and thorough tillage.
1t is not in my province to discuss the
different tools that are used in prepar-
ing the soil for growing corn. 1t is suf-
ficient to say that pillow which makes
good cut, so as to turn the soil in a
way that it will be pulverized when
dropped in the furrow, is necessary. A
good plowman should be behind the pillow
to make the burrows regular and even.
When the pillow strikes a stone or root il
should be pulled back and put in again,
so as to make thorough work the rule
and not the exception. This feature i:
the most calling of all to the enthusiast
and practical believer in tillage-seeing
so much slipshod, careless blowing
Good blowing has almost become los
art with US. Our forefathers with poorer
implements did better work than the
majority that hold the handles of the
pillow today.
Most New England soils, especially
those of clayey formation, can b'
handled better In the fall than in tn,
spring. 1t gives the air and frost s
longer time to work on the particles IL
other words, there is longer time fo
unavailable plant food to be changed
into the available form. Sandy soils anC
those that leach easily by rains, perhaps
can better be ploWed In the spring
They readily dry off in the spring anC
planting is never materially delayed
When the soil is dry in spring the disl
and spring tooth harrow should be used
but do not hurry. 1t will take anothe
frost to remedy the evil done by plowinl
or narrowing a wet soil. Soil that ha
been plowed in the fall Is usually com
pacted and hardened by spring. In thi
case replowing is advisable.
We have increased the yield as mucl
as % per cent by extra spring plowings
But when this intensive blowing i