Year: 1873

From the American Farmer, for April


CORN.


This everywhere is the great Amer
lean crop, the mainstay and support
Of all our farming operations, and if
we err not in our estimate of it's i'm
portance, it is in most sections in which
the Farmer goes, the most profitable
one. It is, in all events, the most in
dispensable, and we take up the cry
for even the cotton country to plant
more corn. But before planting comes
the preparation, and this must be
thorough to reach the success which
should attend this crop.


Deep ploughing and perfect pulveri-
zation Of the soil and ample manuring
are the elements Of success in profta-
bly, growing the corn crop. The more
thoroughly the preliminary work is
done, the more easy will be the after
culture, and the more the manures are
concentrated ON smaller areas of land
the better generally will be your re-
turns and the less the cost of the labor
required


Corn is a gross feeder, and land for
its growth can scarcely be too rich,
though we fear this statement for most
of the patrons of the Farmer is super
auous one, since there is generally in
these days little danger of making the
soil too rich for any of our tillage crops.
Corn contains very large per centage
of phosphoric acid, potash, soda and
lime, besides smaller quantities of
magnesia, chlorine, sulphuric acid, and
a great deal of silicic acid, which last,
however, is afforded by every soil. The
suitable pabulum for the nourish-
ment of the plant is therefore found in
all substances which contain these ele-
ments-as for example, bone dust, wood
ashes, salt, gypsum OF plaster, and
perhaps, above all, stable or barn yard
manure, which is natures "complete
manure" but which needs, in most
leases, to be supplemented by the other
materials named, or those which, OBJ
tainable Oh every farm. have been in-
ICO1 pOI dCCI Will GllC ultllS 1IOIll CHC
stables, yards and pens, and form a
compost largely increased in quantity
and not much less valuable in quality
than the natural manure itself. 1t is
now in most cases too late for the pres
ent crop to make composts, but those
who, following the advice we have
hitherto given, and again and again re-
peated, of gathering up all the vast
ing substances on and about the farm,
which ever had life, and composing
them with the materials from their
stock yards and stables, their pig pens
and poultry houses, the slops from
their kitchens and chambers, the ashes
from the fires, will now have pile
which cannot fail to be useful and
profitable in its application to the corn
crop. To those who have neglected
the gathering together of these valua-
bic but wasting substances, and have
allowed them to be frittered away, do.
ing injury rather than good, we say
repent Of your Incidence or inattention
and resolve henceforward to do better
in this respect, to the advantage OF
your crop, and to your own. We oc-
casionally give formulas for applica-
tions of manures to the various crops
and in our last issue will be found 6
number intended for the corn crop
but none of our readers Of course will
consider that these are given in fixed
and inviolable proportions. We per.
haps aim high, and those will dc best
who come nearest the mark we set
but we mean to express the limit or
neither side, and those who cannot
give as much to crop as we suggest
ought to come as near to it as they can
whilst those who can exceed our dose
need have no hesitancy in doing so.-
Let all remember, however, that it is
cardinal point with us to sacrifice acre
age to thoroughness-to apply youl
manures on less rather than dissipate
them on more land than you woulo
wish to devote to each crop.


The land properly prepared to Sc
cure a good depth for the roots to rur
and feed in, and fine tilth gained
that the dews and rain may have easy
admittance to the soil, and that the
air may penetrate it with it's warmth
and vivifying influence, the crop is tc
be planted. If the corn is to be drill.
ed, run the drills north and south, il
possible, their distance apart from
three to four feet, according to the
land, and the plants 6 to 10 inches a.
part. If in hills, plant from three tc
four and q half feet apart, and three
or four or even five plants may be left
to the hill, this being regulated, o.
course, by nature of the soil, and alsc
by the variety of the seed. The closer
the planting of course the more liber
, al must be the manuring, not only il
the hill, but broadcasted.


Mnnures. to be secured, there
) is no better addition to such supplies
Of barn-yard manures and we'll prepar
, ed and we'll decomposed composts a
may be provided, and which, Of course