Year: 1868

Nos 8, 8 and II were dug up after twen-
| ty-two days, when it was found that No.
had an inch more to grow to reach the
surface. Nos. and II were three inches
beneath the surface. No. 10 came up in
seventeen and half days, but withered
after six days growth The more shallow
the seed was covered, the more rapidly the
sprout made its appearance, and the strong
er was the stalk. Farmers should bear
this in mind, lest they should be induced
to plant their corn too deep in the soil. 1t
is to be hoped that a great number of ex-
periments will be tried this year for the
purpose of testing the relative merits of
deep and shallow planting.


Corn will not germinate unless the tenn
perature of the soil attains 55 deg. Fahr.,
and at temperature higher than 11O it
refuses to vegetate. Much damage to the
crop arises from planting when the soil is
at the wrong temperature, and it has been
said that if the time ever arises when the
average crop of the country equals the
premium crops it must be when every
farmer owns a thermometer and knows
how to use it. s'@~
We frequently read of immense quanti-
ties of corn being damaged by frost, yet
notwithstanding these annual losses farm
ers cannot be induced to prepare the soil
in proper time for the crop, to select early
ripening varieties, to plant at the right
time and to finish the after-culture so that
the process shall not delay the ripening OF
the crop. If the soil is not naturally
drained it will be saturated with stagnant
water until late in the spring, and the
evaporation of the water by the heat OF
the sun will prevent that genial warmth in
the soil and atmosphere which are favora-
BILE to vegetation.


The soil for corn should be dry, rich and
well titled. 1t is even better to delay the
planting for few days, in order to afford
time for preparing the ground thoroughly,
than to put the seed into soil that is but
imperfectly titled. On sod land, the Michi-
gan double or pairing plow is an excellent
implement for preparing the sward for
corn crop, as it turns down the grass COM
pletely.


Thousands of acres of corn are lost
every year on account of the failure Of
the seed and on this account seed that has
not been produced on the farm should be
tested before it is planted If small
quantity of the seed is stepped in tepid
water, and then mixed with moist sand or
soil, and kept in warm room, it will vege-
tate in a few days if the vital principle has
not been damaged or destroyed. Replant-
ing corn in places where the seed has failed
causes delay in the ripening of the crop,
and is losing operation in every way.


Like every other cultivated plant, corn
can be greatly improved by selecting the
best seed and propagating from that until
the product becomes widely disseminated
as an improved variety. Ears of uniform
size, with small cobs and without large
butts should be selected. BY persevering
in this system Of management, the SIZE OF
the kernels may be greatly increased: A
farmer of Livonia, Wayne county, Michi-
gan. who has been careful about selecting
the best ears of early y-ripening corn, pro-
pagating from them and again selecting,
has succeeded in obtaining corn which
ripens early, produces abundantly, and
brings high price for seed. He sold all
he had to spare this year at two dollars a.
bushel.


Corn, when not perfectly ripened or
dried, heats when thrown together in large
quantities, and it's germinative power is
lost. Sometimes, owing to early frost, late
ripening corr does not come to maturity,
and on this. account farmers should plant
early ms.curing varieties. sB slai o


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I,InMENsE SALEs.-The sales of the great
a. - ,.oods bouco of Field Tejter & Co,