598 JOHNSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



harrow twice before my corn comes up ; the first time, soon 

 after it is plowed, and tlie hist time, when it begins to make its 

 appearance. By so doing, I check the weeds and keep my 

 huid clean until the corn is large enough to cultivate. I culti- 

 vate corn to keep weeds from growing, not to destroy them 

 after they have a good start. I therefore commence when the 

 corn is small, usually cultivating four times, and the first time 

 plowing so close that weeds have no chance afc all to start. I 

 always cultivate deep, but deepest and nearest to the corn 

 while it is small. When I lay-by, I gauge my cultivators wide 

 apart. Corn should be perfectly clean before it is laid by. 

 Men that have a weedy cornfield generally plow near to the 

 corn, and deep when laying by, which is injurious to corn, 

 because it destroys tlie roots. I collect my seed corn in the 

 Fall, when I unload my corn in tlie crib, and store the same 

 where the cob can dry out. I select large, well shaped, and 

 matured ears, and never plant a small variety of corn, because 

 it. does not yield as much as the large variet}^ ; the latter grows 

 deeper in-to the soil, extends its roots out further, and conse- 

 quently-^produces larger stalks and ears than the small. In 

 preparing my seed I reject some from each end of the ear, but 

 the most from the small end. By so doing I can plant with 

 less variation, because the grains are of uniform size. I plant 

 as early as the soil is in condition ; generally beginning about 

 the middle of April, and completing the same the first week in 

 May. I plant on an average about three and a half grains in 

 a hill, and from two and a half to three inches deep. As a 

 rule, farmers do not plant early enough; early planted corn is 

 usually the best, and some seasons one hundred per cent, bet- 

 ter than the late. In 1873, the early part of the planting 

 season was favorable up to the eighth of May, then it began 

 raining, and continued wet for three weeks. I planted my 

 corn before the wet season, and all farmers who did the same 

 raised good crops, while those who planted jafter the wet sea- 

 son raised less than half a crop. Corn should be harvested in 

 good season, and should not be left in the field all Winter, 

 because the loss is generally more than would pay for the gath- 



