CORN. 69 



three ears on the stalk, and some of it as many as four. The 

 largest crop of corn ever grown in the state of New York was 

 this Button corn, and it was planted two feet and a half either 

 way. Now, that would be utterly destructive to large corn, 

 the hills of which ought to be at least three feet apart. This 

 Dutton corn receives just as much air and sunlight, if planted 

 two and a half feet apart, as the larger kinds receive when 

 planted three feet apart. I have seen the Ohio dent corn 

 growing in Illinois nine and ten feet in height. There, it is 

 suicidal to plant corn less than four feet apart. The distance 

 that corn should be planted should always have a relation to 

 its height, and a relation to the supply of air and sunlight 

 to every portion of the field. I think if Mr. Day will care- 

 fully reflect upon his own experience, he will find that the rule 

 is to plant corn just as far apart as will bear a proper propor- 

 tion to the height. There is a Chinese tree corn, which grows 

 sometimes to the height of twelve or fourteen feet, and it can 

 never be planted less than six feet apart. The practical rule, 

 in order to obtain the greatest amount of corn from a given 

 amount of land, is to plant with reference to the height. As 

 the height of the stalks diminishes, so it is profitable to bring 

 them closer together ; as it increases, so is it profitable to 

 cause them to recede from each other. The rule is, so to 

 plant that every portion of the stalk shall be perfectly bathed 

 with air and sunlight. 



Now, with regard to another thing. One gentleman has 

 spoken of soaking corn in copperas. I think there is a much 

 better article than that. I have seen corn that has been 

 soaked in copperas that has been subject to both rust and 

 brand. Copperas does not usually kill the spores of the 

 brand which are sometimes associated with our seed corn ; but 

 if it is soaked a little while in sulphate of copper, you may 

 be assured that every single particle of the spores of brand 

 will be destroyed upon it. You will not have any black corn, 

 if you will resort to this. I am sure you will find the sul- 

 phate of copper very much more useful and valuable than 

 copperas. 



Allusion was made this afternoon to the protection of corn 



