Cli. XVII.] ON INDIAN CORN. 227 



mode is therefore nearly similar to that of dibbling, Tlie planting in hills, 

 lie however only recommends with reference to the larger species of corn, 

 which is, in this climate, of hazardous growth ; though, in warm countries, 

 it is grown in conjunction with root crops planted between the rows : in 

 which manner we have seen maize and pumpkins extensively cultivated 

 together in Portugal and many parts of Spain. 



In the second mode, — or that which he adopted in the growth of the dwarf 

 species, — he sowed the seed in rows at three feet apart, and at eight inches 

 from each plant; but he advises the rows to be at the distance of five feet, 

 and to sow the seeds as near to each other as six inches. In both these 

 directions, we however conceive that he is wrong ; and, in saying this, 

 we speak not only from our own experience, but also from the writings 

 and the information which we have obtained from others. AVe know, in- 

 deed, from our own observation, during a long residence in the Peninsula, 

 that the distance at which maize is planted rarely exceeds three feet between 

 the rows, unless intermediate crops be grown, and the plants are never 

 less than a foot apart from each other. Such is also stated to be the usual 

 mode of husbandry throughout the best cultivated parts of France and 

 Italy*; and, to come nearer home, we have lately gone over a couple of 

 acres of Indian corn, — grown by Mr. Tallis, of Hornsey, who has for some 

 years paid considerable attention to its cultivation, — on examining which 

 we have found the best plants in his crops to stand at full twelve 

 inches and three feet apart : added to which, we learn from Mr. Cobbett's 

 bailiff, that the corn on Normandy farm, which is at six inches, stands much 

 too close together; and we are persuaded that the crop, of six acres, though 

 represented as very fine, will yet suffer from want of room between the 

 plants. There cannot, indeed, be any doubt that a plant, growing to the 

 size which it attains, besides bearing its chief produce on the lower part of 

 the stem, should have air and room to expand, and that an intermediate 

 space of full three feet should be allowed between the rows for the opera- 

 tion of the hoe ; but more we deem unnecessary, if not perhaps prejudicial, 

 by depriving the ground of shade, and exhausting it by the exlialation of 

 the sun. 



The time of sowing is stated to be from the 15th to the 20th of April, 

 and may be continued to any time in the month of May ; but the plant is 

 so very susceptible of injury from slight frosts, that we should consider the 

 earlier period as a dangerous experiment. It is evident that the chances of 

 a favourable moment must be governed by the weather, and we should con- 

 ceive that, in this climate, the safer mode would be to sow the seed in beds 

 at different times early in the spring, and to set the plants out in the first 

 week or by the middle of the month of June. Time would be thus given 

 for the transplantation after the sowing of the usual Lent crops had been 

 completed ; the additional expense would be trifling ; all chance of failure 

 by frost would be avoided ; and that of loss, occasioned by the constant 

 depredations of birds, wire-worm and slugs, would be of no account, as of 

 course seed enough would be sown to secure a sufficiency of plants for 

 filling the ground. Although we have no experiments upon the subject on 

 which we can rely, except those made by ourselves in a garden, yet we 

 know from these that the shoots will bear transplanting without injury, if 

 not with advantage, and that they should be allowed to acquire considerable 

 strength before they are taken up. 



*De Cmd. (Econ. de I'Agric. 4to. p. 303) describes the cultivation as being usually 

 with alternate rows of potatoes, or of the beans called haricots ; and Simonde (de I'Agric. 

 Toscane, p. 79) says that when sown singly, it is always at two feet distance between 

 the rows, and one loot between each plant, 



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