376 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



for Avheat, and to be followed by corn, and find it sufficiently rich for a good 

 crop of corn without any additional manuring except plaster, which I think 

 from what experience I have had, should be applied to the surface broad-cast 

 before plowing. With my present experience I would not recommend plowing- 

 for corn in the fall, and would postpone plowing in the spring as late as would 

 be safe to llnish the job in season for planting. I like to plant on the fresh 

 plowed land wliile it is mellow and before the weeds have a cliance to start. 



For corn I like a deep mellow seed-bed, and would plow seven or eight inches 

 deep on our prairie and timbered land, and on all soils if clay predominates. 

 Tf on sandy soil -where there is no hard pan near the surface, I would not plow 

 over four or five inches; the nature of the soil should determine the depth. 

 All farms do not admit of the same management, and, sometimes the same 

 farm requires different management, and no definite rules can be laid down 

 for all to follow. Every farmer must exercise his own judgment and under- 

 stand the requirements of his own farm and treat it according to its require- 

 ments. If the land to be planted Avas a stubble field and properly plowed, I 

 would harrow it once over to level it and put it in proper order for the marker, 

 so that it would do its work in the best manner. If a sod, I would recommend 

 harrowing until the surface was level and mellow, — I would use a marker that 

 would mark four rows at a time unless there were obstructions to interfere with 

 its operations. With such an implement one man with a span of horses, will 

 mark from twenty to twenty-five acres in a day. The hills should be at least 

 four feet apart each way, and the rows should be straight as you could stretch 

 a line. It is a repulsive sight to see crooked zigzag rows of corn growing in a 

 level field ; the cultivation can be done much better where the rows are straight. 

 Some mark with a small plow making quite a deep furrow; but I do not ap- 

 prove of the plan, I prefer to plant near the surface, having the hills when 

 planted, about even with the surface. The land should be marked botli ways, 

 and the planting done across the last marking to insure having the hills in per- 

 fect line ; I like a close compact hill, so that the plants in the hill will not 

 occupy more than three inches square, so that it will admit of close cultivation. 

 Planting is one of the most important operations to perform in the raising of 

 a crop of corn. A little carelessness in that part of the work cannot be done 

 without material danger to the croi), and an additional cost of cultivating. I 

 deem this part of the subject of sufficient importance to enumerate some of 

 the evils that are sure to result from carelessness in that part of the work : 



1st, Planting poor seed so that replanting has to be done, retards the culti- 

 vation, gives tlie weeds a start, and almost doubles the cost both of planting 

 and cultivation and shortens the season for its maturity, and sometimes results 

 in a loss of the crop; 2d, Planting too mucii seed necessitates the expen- 

 sive job of thinning; 3d, An insufficient amount of seed lightens the crop. 

 Some farmers advise i)lanting more than they wish to stand, to guard against 

 the loss by birds and cut-worms; but I think that an expensive mode that 

 don't pay. Tiie crows and cut-worms generally take the whole hill, so that 

 replanting would not be saved, and then tlie undisturbed hills would have to 

 be thinned. Three stalks in the hill I think, will give a better yield of uni- 

 form sized ears than more. On good strong soil, with three stalks in the hill, 

 there will scarcely be any nubbins or small ears. It also facilitates husking; 

 a husker can husk two bushels of good sized ears quicker tliau he could husk 

 one of small nubbins. 



No definite time can be fixed for planting on account of the variations of 

 the season. The first of May would be as early and sometimes earlier than it 



