GRAINS. 179 



seed, but plows the ground and plants the seed at tlie same 

 time. Plant closely if your land i:? in good condition, three 

 feet apart is better than five. Three and a half to four feet is 

 the average distance at which to plant. Where the seed is 

 dropped by hand, care should be taken that the kernels are 

 dropped near together. In drilling, with the rows forty-two 

 inches apart, and corn six inches apart in the rows, there will 

 be about six thousand more stalks than by the ordinary hill 

 planting. Of course the land must be better fertilized, but the 

 increased yield, both of corn and fodder, will pay foi the 

 manure. 



Cultivation after planting, is very much simplified by the 

 thorough preparation of the soil. In fact, as we have intimated, 

 an extra harrowing, before planting, is as good as one hoeing 

 after the corn is up. But if you have not mellowra your soil 

 as thoroughly as you wished, you can do so before the corn 

 gets started ; fasten a harrow behind your roller, and go over 

 the field with them. As soon as the rows show plainly, start 

 the cultivator, and keep it going until the corn gets two feet 

 high, when it is best to leave it alone, except to go through 

 and pull the weeds once more. But if you do not cultivate 

 thoroughly at first, you will be obliged to continue cultivation 

 until the ears set, when it must be left absolutely alone. At 

 the second cultivation, pull all but three stalks in a hill, and if 

 ashes or plaster was not put in at planting, give each hill a 

 handful now. Cultivate level. Do not hill up around the 

 stalks, but keep the ground level, and the whole surface mellow. 

 Hilled corn will not stand the drougth as well as if the surface; 

 is level. 



For Fodder. If corn is sown for fodder, it shonld be sbwn 



only on well prepared and liberally manured land, and then 



sewn so thickly that no ears will be likely to set. Some drill 

 12 



