56 



Succoring Corn — Hilling Potatoes. 



Vol. IV. 



Succoring Coru. 



Mr. BucKMiNSTER had, a few years since, 

 a fine looking field of corn, from which he 

 expected to gather a hundred bushels to the 

 acre. It p^rew very rank, became quite too 

 thick — hills three feet apart each way — 

 numerous succors shot out from the bottom, 

 which, when the corn was from six to seven 

 feet high, were pulled oft' to admit air and 

 light more fieely. These succors varied fioni 

 two to three feet in height. The crop was 

 much less than was expected — and it was 

 the opinion of some that it was injured by 

 being succored. Unfortunately the whole 

 field was succored, and no portion of it left for 

 experiment. In reasnnin{( upon the practice, 

 we are led to thinkit injurious to pluck off the 

 succors after they have grown large. When 

 the ear is filling, a draft is made upon all the 

 parts of the stalk, for its surplus juices, and as 

 there is a free communication between all the 

 branches of the stalk, we see not why it 

 should not be as injurious to pluck off the full 

 grown succors before the ear is filled, as to 

 cut off the stalks above the ear while there 

 are any juices in them that may be drafted to 

 make the ear full. Many experiments should 

 be tried, at different seasons, in the growth, 

 before we shall be able to declare positively 

 as to the effect of plucking off the succors. 

 We think we often err in suffering too many 

 stalks to stand in a hill. Of the middle sized 

 corn, two stalks in a hill are sufficient when 

 the hills are two feet apart in the rows. If 

 too many are allowed to stand, there will be 

 many stalks without a single ear. — Boston 

 Cultivator. 



Benefactors of the AVorlil. 



That man who turns a weedy desert into 

 a fertile garden — an idle stream of water into 

 an instrument of industry and profit — who 

 can press the "idle winds" into his employ- 

 ment and make them productive — who can 

 make the streaming exhalation of boiling wa- 

 ter move ships through the ocean against 

 wind and tide — who can, with the same sim- 

 ple power, make ten thousand wheels revolve 

 which a million of men could not move, and 

 with almost magic aid convert our flax into 

 fine linen, our wool into fine cloth — and ex- 

 tract from the centre of the mountains their 

 richest ores — these are the men who are the 

 benefactors of the world. — Yankee Fariner. 



Daily Value of SunKhive.—Tho. Eflitnr of tho fionfisee 

 Partner rates tho aericiiltural prodiiclB of the tiniteil 

 Stales al five hundred millinns nf do'.lars ativunlty, the 

 perfectioti of wh ch (leponils on tho wonthur of four 

 months, June, July. August and Peiiteniher. VVitlioiit 

 •sunshine the crops would he a failure, either totally or 

 partially, and hence we may estimate its average viilqe 

 at /aur mllions of dollars daily. 



Hilling Potatoes. 



P. Murphy has furnished in a late num- 

 ber of the Genesee Farmer, some interest- 

 ing remarks on the Cultivation of the Potato, 

 from which we take the following extract. 

 When we take into consideration the vast 

 amount of that article cultivated every year, 

 we must readily come to the conclusion, that 

 a very small saving of labor, or increase of 

 the crop in each hill, will amount in the ag- 

 gregate to a very important item. My no- 

 tion of planting potatoes is simply this, — 

 after the ground is properly prepared, place 

 the seed in the furrow and cover it the proper 

 depth, six or eight inches, with good mellow 

 earth; leave the surface of the ground flat, 

 not raised more than two or three inches 

 above the level of the surrounding earth ; 

 keep it clear of weeds, but put no more earth 

 over them. My reason is, that when the po- 

 tatoes commence growing, and the time h?.s 

 arrived for the tubers to put forth, they will 

 shoot out at the exact distance from the surface, 

 in which they will delight to grow and con- 

 tinue, and to obtain the best possible supply 

 of light or warmth, and will choose for them- 

 selves a more exact depth, more agreeable to 

 the nature of the plant, than we short-sighted 

 mortals can possibly choose for them. And 

 that after the tuber has put forth, if we put 

 on the hill five or six inches more of earth, I 

 would ask whether the position of the tuber 

 Is not materially changed. Does it receive 

 the same supply of light or warmth. Cer- 

 tainly not; for we most generally see a sec- 

 ond growth of tubers put forth above the first, 

 and about the same distance from the surface 

 as the first, before the additional hilling. 

 Perhaps some will say, the first tubers 

 continued to grow and produced potatoes. 

 That may be true. The additional earth 

 might injure without entirely destroying 

 them ; for the potato is a very hardy plant, 

 and will grow under almost any circum- 

 i stances. I wish to be understood in this mat- 

 ter. I am in favor of a good supply of earth, 

 but let all that is to he put on be done wlion 

 the potnto is planted ; and the better and 

 richer the earth, of course the better the 

 crop; but no additions; nature is more cor- 

 rect than we can he in this matter. And I 

 would observe ; thnt a flat surfitce is much 

 better adapted to obtain a supply of moisture, 

 by admitting the rnin, &c. As a general 

 rule, 1 think the distance of the hills should 

 be governed by the space occupied by the 

 tops; for much of the nutriment of vegeta- 

 bles is taken from the air; consequently 

 when the tops are too close, they cannot so 

 readily obtain it. I have generally found 

 I this to be true in regard to vines. Give tbem 

 I sufficient room, and the fruit will be moro 

 1 perfect in quality, and greater in quantity. 



