THE GROWING OF CORN. 105 



ure a foot and a half, or two feet. And let me tell you, 

 gentlemen, that, if 3^011 go by looks, you will often find your- 

 selves mistaken. A great many times, when it appears to be 

 a foot high, it will really be two feet high. I then put the 

 cultivator in, and run as close to the plant as possible with- 

 out upturning it, and go as deep as a horse can draw ; and 

 from that time, until the period of bloom, you cannot culti- 

 vate too often. Give the plant time to start into vigorous 

 growth, and then cultivate again. If j'ou are cultivating for 

 a theoretical crop, you want to follow the indications. But 

 we cannot always follow up our preaching, and I do not 

 follow the indications as much as I should ; but I cultivate 

 as often as I can, without regard to the plant, knowing it 

 can do it no harm. 



Question. How deep do you cultivate the soil ? 



Dr. Stuetevant. I think I get down four inches, as a 

 rule. 



Mr. Slade. Do you practise cutting out the barren 

 stalks ? 



Dr. Stuetevaxt. Yes, and no : it is one of those thinG:s 

 which it is very easy to tell about, and very hard to do. 

 Two years ago the corn bloomed so evenly, that we could go 

 in and cut out the barren stalks, and did do it thoroughly. 

 We took off every barren stalk. In regard to suckers, I 

 think a good deal depends upon the variety of corn. With 

 my own variety I have never been troubled with suckers. 

 I have never seen the time when I cared to have the suckers 

 taken out; but I have heard of varieties of corn where a 

 good deal of suckering would be an advantage. Out West 

 they grow a variety of corn (I have forgotten the name of 

 it) which is notorious for the number of its suckers : it 

 forms a regular bush. You will find that one variety of 

 seed-corn will have a stronger tendency to sucker than 

 another. I can imagine these suckers being injurious ; but I 

 have never seen them so in my experience. 



Question. Is it not a fact, that, the thicker you plant, 

 the less suckers there are ? 



Dr. Stuetevant. I should hardly be willing to give an 

 opinion on that subject. 



The Chairman. Gentlemen, the subject of corn is now 

 open for discussion. The Board have decided, as our time 



