138 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



corn may be transplanted so as to fill up vacant hills. It may 

 be done so rapidly that 500 could be transplanted in an hour. 



Mr. Carpenter. — I do not think farmers can transplant their 

 corn to much advantage. The .best way is to sow it on an 

 inverted sod, preparatory to transplanting; but I believe it to be 

 the most difficult of vegetables to transplant. I have attempted 

 it, but I could never make it amount to much. It is better to 

 put in plenty of seed, and then if there are too many to take out 

 the surplus. But as a general thing, I think farmers plant their 

 corn too far apart. If planted in hills three feet apart each way, 

 four grains to the hill, or in drills three feet apart, and the grains 

 nine or ten inches apart in the drill, it will produce more to the 

 acre than if planted farther apart. A neighbor of mine, who last 

 year planted a large field, partly in hills and partly in drills, 

 found that the drills yielded about five bushels per acre the most, 

 and this year has planted a large piece in drills, which now has 

 a very promising crop. 



Mr. Robinson had never been able to satisfy himself that suck- 

 ers upon corn detract from the yield. The results appeared the 

 best where the suckers had been permitted to grow. Whether 

 corn will sucker or not depends, not upon the distance at which 

 it is planted, but upon the variety, and upon the season. 



Mr. Carpenter. — It has been proved, I think, beyond dispute, 

 that it is detrimental to a crop of corn to take off the suckers. 

 I am always pleased when I see an indication of suckering; for 

 it shows great strength to bring out the crop. 



Mr. Steele stated that he had observed that corn never puts 

 out braces unless there are to be two or three ears to the stalk. 

 Sometimes a second and even a third tier of braces will start out. 

 Their office is to support the stalk. So the suckers come up from 

 a strong stalk, and their office is to supply pollen for the late 

 ears and for the tops of the ears. Cornjthat is topped does not 

 fill out so well to the ends of the ears. 



Mr. Burgess. — The suckers have their own roots, and support 

 themselves. They do not rob the parent, but rather add to its 

 strength, being attached to it, and the sap going into it. 



DROUGHT. 



Mn Burgess exhibited specimens of late beans and tomatoes 

 which had not suffered from the drought, and attributed it to his 

 method of manipulating the soil. Before every rain he passes 



