THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 45 



This mode of tillage saves about one half of 

 the ploughing, and a very considerable expense 

 in hoeing : it is therefore worthy of notice. In- 

 dian-corn is one of the most exhausting, as well 

 as one of the most expensive, crops ; therefore se- 

 lect your best lands for corn, and spare no pains to 

 fit your land at planting, so as to get the greatest pos- 

 sible crops from a little land ; this is the only mode 

 that can render this crop profitable. It is always 

 best for your corn grounds, to spread your dung at 

 large, and plough, or ridge in ; but this does not al- 

 ways insure so large crops as to dung in the \^ 

 Farmers are generally agreed that one Iarg6 pace, or 

 three feet distance, for the rows of corn, is best; but 

 they are not all agreed as to the distance of the hills 

 in the rows. 1 Have seen experiments made upon 

 the hills, from two to six feet distance, and have 

 heard them all extolled. I have generally found < 

 three feet distance of the hills, to be about right. If 

 you take the precaution to steep your seed-corn 24" 

 hours before you plant it, in strong tar- water, with 

 salt, and roll it in plaster, it will fully repay your 

 pense and trouble ; besides the tar will keep off 

 crows and blackbirds, and save your corn from being <^ 

 pulled up. If you throw your corn promiscuously N 

 into the hill, it generally falls together, and will not 

 admit of more than three stalks in. a hill, to advan- 

 tage ; but if you place your seed at the distance of 

 4, 5, or 6 inches in each hill, you may let 4 or 5 

 stalks stand to advantage ; children can drop your 

 seed-corn, and thus save all extra expense. I have 

 seen a publication of Mr. Benjamin Fowler, of Hart- 

 ford, in which he states, that he raised 160 bushels of 

 corn upon 155 rods of ground, dunged in the hill, at 

 the rate of 6 loads to the acre. The one half of this 

 corn was planted at the distance of 20 inches, and 

 the other half 18 inches distance of the hills, with 

 only one kernel in each hill, and the 18 inch hills 

 did the best. This goes to prove the importance of 



