tib THE * 1 AKMER 5 S MANUAL* 



lands of a light and gravelly soil. This practice of 

 dressing the hills, does best when applied at the first 

 hoeing, and repeated again at the third hoeing ; the 

 first brings forward the stalk, and the last the ear. 

 When you weed your corn at the first hoeing, turn off 

 the furrows from the hills with your plough ; this will 

 leave a ridge of light loose earth between the rows, 

 which will be prepared to dress your corn with, by 

 ploughing it up to the hills at the second hoeing. At 

 your third hoeing, or hilling, strike a deep furrow be- 

 tween the rows, and haul up the earth to the hills 

 with the hoe ; but keep your plough as far from the 

 hills as possible, that you may avoid the extended 

 fibres of the roots, which, if cut with the plough, 

 would injure your corn. Avoid the corn-harrow at 

 your first weeding, as is practised by some ; this 

 leaves the earth close, or heavy, and dead between 

 ihe rows, and injures your crop. Be sure that you 

 finish hilling before your corn begins to silk and tas- 

 sel, (or blow out, arid set for the ears ;) nature should 

 then be left to herself undisturbed, or your crop will 

 be injured. The farinae, or blossom, upon the tassel, 

 js as small and light as the finest flower ; this, when 

 ripe, falls off gently, and lodges upon the silk, which 

 surrounds the cob ; this again, the husk by its pro- 

 gressive growth, covers and protects from the weath- 

 er, or other injury ; each particle of farinas becomes 

 a kernel of corn, adheres to, and is nourished and 

 supported by the juices of the cob ; whatever dis- 

 turbs the corn in this state, shakes off' the farinas ir- 

 regularly, and renders the filling out of the ears ir- 

 regular. The farinefi of Indian-corn are so extreme- 

 ly small and light, that they have been known to float 

 :n the wind, and mix in other fields of corn of differ- 

 ent kinds, at the distance of 80 or 100 rods*. 



* If your corn is planted on ridges, upon manure spread at large 

 \ipon the ground, and covered with the plough, preserve your ridges 

 u\broken through the season ; horse-hoe the furrows, (a plough with 



