Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-05-12
Indian Corn Culture.

Inc season IOT tle pldutiuS vi all Minus
of farm seeds is now readily approach
ing. Already the thoughtful farmer has
his plans matured, and his decision
made as to what crops to cultivate the
coming season. Indian corn is one Of
the most important. To the average
farmer it is next to grass, the most esen-
tial from the point of view of utility and
also of adaptabilty to climatic con-
ditions. Its use is Indispensable. 1t is
the basis of the feeding for fattening all
kinds of animals and poultry also and in
our northern climate it is better than
any other cereal adapted to the change
able weather and climatic vicissitudes
than almost any other crop. 1t is more
easily raised than any other of the So
called hoed crops and will as a rule
return generally speaking, a greater mar
gin of profit TO the farmer than most any
other crop.
To raise corn successfully but few con-
ditions need TO be observed and these are
first, land suitable TO its growth, almost
any soil that is not too wet will Till the
bill. Second, preparation of the soil is
n very important consideration; rocky
upland should to produce the best re-
suits be plowed in the fall if the land is
infested with witch grass, the later the
autumn plowing the better and it ought
to be cross plowed i'll the spring rs near
to the planting as circumstances will
allow and then pulverized and narrowed
until the pulverizing is complete. The
narrowing should be thorough and com
plete.
To raise corn at profit the soil re-
quires fertilizing, it is not necessary to
manure very heavy to obtain good re-
suits so far as the corn is concerned.
The dressing may be of almost any kind,
if literally applied and should be on
rocky land either spread on before plow-
ing or on the furrow and worked in with
pulverizer.
At planting three hundred pounds to
the acre of some good or standard brand
of fertilizer should be applied in the hill.
In the next place the cultivation should
not be in any degree sighted, if clean
culture is desired have never yet seen
it obtained with any implement or appli-
ance other than the common cultivatOr
and hand hoe Whether dispensing with
the hand hoe and relying on weeders and
horse hoes is to be the policy to pursue
every corn raiser must decide for him
self. The advisability or non advisa-
bility of such course depends largely
upon circumstances and conditions.
for one could if only cultivating on a
small scale, secure clean culture, first be-
cause think the yield would be more
in quality and quantity in both grain
and stones. The ground would be in a
much better condition to seed to grain.
The harvesting of the crop is a matter
of no small moment. The corn should
be cut up and well shocked before a frost
if possible. 1t is not necessary that the
corn shall remain standing until the ears
are fully ripe. When one-half the ears
are yellow and majority of the balance
are hard or beginning To glaze. it should
then be cut up. 1t will ripen fully in
the shock and the grain be worth
fully as much for family use or for stock
feeding as the later harvested and the
stover worth much more.
The worth of the ripe grain to the
farmer from an acre of well cultivated
corn. all things considered, such as the
convenience of having it at hand when
wanted and its superiority over the West
ern grain will approach 10 nearly fifty
dollars. While the stover will go lar to-
wards paying the expense OF harvesting.
And the land will be in much better con-
dition for seeding TO grain than land on
which most other crops have been cul-
tivated.-T. J. Allard, in Turf, Farm
and Home.