The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-04-07

South AID the sugar corn that is grown
for canning purposes are best known. In
the northern part of the Southern At
lantic States there are many varieties
having q local name that seem to have
become adapted to the soil and climate
One variety known as Willis corn has
considerable local reputation in the
tobacco growing counties OF Middle Ten
nessee and Southern Kentucky. This va
rlety is distinguished for its great
weight of grain, snallnes5 of cob and
freedom from rot n the field. 1t yields
Well on thin soils and ripens early. 1t
will weigh fifty-eight pounds to the
bushel and the weight of grain to the cob
is nearly 85 per cent, while with the
larger varieties it is about 50 per cent.
The Gourd seed varieties, with long grain,
are favorites in the South. The selec-
tion OF seed corn is at once a most i'm
portant and a most tedious operation.
The ears most perfect in grain, shape and
solidity for cOmpactneSS only should be
selected. Depth Of grain and smallness
of cob, as we'll as length and weight of
ear and tightness OF grain on the cob,
should all be considered AS far pos
sible there should be a uniformity in
the size and shape of the grain. Those at
| the smaller end of the ear should be
discarded. To prevent crows and black
| birds from pulling up the young corn
| the seed should be tarred and afterwards
rolled in ashes or land plaster. pint
of coal tar will suffice about two bushels
| of seed corn. The grain shouI4 be placed
on a floor the tar poured over it, and
then the corn should be stirred until
! every grain receives a thin coating. At
| rdC or
poured over the bulk of corn and stirred
in The corn may then be handled with
out sticking to the hands. This treat
ment will also protect the young plants
against the raVages of raccoons and
| squirrels.
Experiments carefully made demon
strate the fact that good seed Of any
well-established variety Of corn will
produce on soils Of equal fertility so per
cent more corn than seed from mixed
or inferior variety. AS to whether corn
should be planted in drills or in hills
depends a good deal upon the character
Of the soil and its freedom from noxious
weeds or grasses When the soil is fresh
and friable, or when corn IS planted after
i a clover lev it is better to drill it, but
where the land has become infested with
q foul growth the planting in hills IS
preferable, because in that case the
plows may run closer to the growing
corn in both ways, and no hoe work will
| be required.
The center Of corn production is TWEEN
| ty-three miles east, northeast of Quincy,
! III. In 1850 it was twenty seven miles
east of Louisville. Ky.
The cultivation of corn is very simple
matter. If the land has been we'll pre-
pared before planting, very little need
be done except to keep the surface of the
ground loose No deep culture is re
quired-in fact, deep culture IS hurttul
to the growing crop, especially after the
corn has thrown out its lateral roots.
I.evel culture is best. The best rotation
for corn is clover, corn, oats or grass.
Wheat rarely yields we'll after corn. IN
the States where clover does not sue
ceed we'll cowpeas or SOFA beans may be
substituted for it. II has often been no
ticed that the corn grown in the North
ern States does not make such excel